Opening Day: FMI’s 2022 Future Leaders eXperience Has Officially Begun

By Angelyn Pinter, Senior Manager, Education, FMI

“Your future starts today.” These words may ring hollow to those of us who assign them to the trash bin of clichés, but to the incoming class of FMI’s 2022 Future Leaders eXperience, this oft-quoted phrase is both figurately and literally true. Today marks the opening day of this unique and enriching program, developed in partnership with Root. Over the course of six exciting virtual sessions, participants will be immersed in cutting-edge leadership training that is specifically tailored for food industry professionals. From accelerating strategy and inclusive collaboration to relationship building and identifying emerging trends, the Future Leaders eXperience offers a detailed curriculum that sharpens skills critical to future business success.

What’s more is that participants don’t have to go it alone. Rather, they are able to supplement their learnings with assistance from Future Leaders coaches. Complete with a certificate in food retail leadership, these helpful program alumni stand at the ready to assist current participants with lessons, modules and assignments, as well as to enliven discussion on program material. One participant had this to say about his coach, “I could not be more thankful for our program coach, she was very helpful in keeping conversations going and making sure everyone was engaged and actively participating.”

Another special benefit of the Future Leaders eXperience is its inclusion of top industry executives as program co-chairs. At the start of each session, the program co-chairs prepare participants for the module ahead, while imparting personal, time-tested wisdom. This year’s co-chairs consist of Mark Smucker, president and CEO of The J.M. Smucker Company, and Tobias Wasmuht, CEO of SPAR International. Joined together, these two titans of industry will provide a rare but substantive look into the world executive decision making, along with case studies from their respective companies on managerial best practices.

Aside from coaches and co-chairs, the Future Leaders eXperience also presents a rare opportunity to network with fellow program participants from disparate areas of the food industry. Each cohort contains a hodgepodge of professional disciplines, such as store management, marketing, finance, IT, human resources, public relations and more. The program also hosts geographic diversity, with participants hailing from over 33 states and cities around the world. This colorful collective of industry pros allows participants to gain helpful insights into how other companies navigate shared challenges both at home and abroad. Not to mention: It’s just thrilling to meet so many new, smart and ambitious people!

I could not be more excited to kickoff this extraordinary program. This year’s cohort of future leaders will grow to be the architects of tomorrow’s food industry. Their journey begins today, and I wish all of them the best of luck. To learn more about the Future Leaders eXperience, please contact futureleaderships@fmi.org or visit http://www.fmi.org/FutureLeaders.