General Mills has selected Chief Operating Officer Dana McNabb to become its next chief executive officer on January 1, 2027. McNabb will succeed Jeff Harmening, who will move to executive chair of the board. The transition elevates a longtime General Mills executive with experience across the company’s operations, brands and international business.
Key Takeaways
- Dana McNabb will become General Mills CEO on January 1, 2027
- McNabb will succeed Jeff Harmening, who will become executive chair of the board
- McNabb currently serves as General Mills’ chief operating officer
- She has spent 27 years at General Mills in leadership roles spanning marketing, general management, international operations and strategy
- Her stated priorities include digitally enabled demand generation and supply-chain modernization
General Mills Names Dana McNabb as Incoming CEO
McNabb will assume the General Mills CEO position on January 1, 2027, succeeding Jeff Harmening. Harmening will move from chief executive to executive chair of the board on the same date.
The transition separates the company’s day-to-day executive leadership from its board leadership while maintaining Harmening’s involvement. McNabb will take responsibility for the CEO role, while Harmening will continue with General Mills at the board level.
McNabb’s appointment follows a 27-year career at General Mills that has included senior responsibilities across marketing, general management, international operations and enterprise strategy. Her current position as chief operating officer gives her direct responsibility for the company’s operating segments and several major functions ahead of the CEO transition.
The arrangement also follows a structure seen in other planned corporate leadership changes. A recent staged CEO succession plan similarly paired the promotion of an internal operating executive with the outgoing chief executive’s move to an executive chair position.
General Mills has established January 1, 2027, as the effective date for both leadership changes, giving the company a defined timetable for the handoff.
Jeff Harmening Moves to Executive Chair
Harmening will remain involved with General Mills after leaving the CEO role. As executive chair, he will shift from primary day-to-day executive responsibility to a board leadership position.
The arrangement provides continuity at the board level while transferring chief executive responsibilities to McNabb. The two executives will hold distinct roles once the transition takes effect.
Harmening has led General Mills through a period that included portfolio changes, investment in digital capabilities and broader efforts to modernize the company. His move to executive chair will keep him connected to the organization as McNabb assumes operational leadership.
For General Mills, the transition creates a clear division of responsibilities: McNabb will lead the company as CEO, while Harmening will serve as executive chair.
McNabb Brings Extensive General Mills Leadership Experience
McNabb has spent 27 years at General Mills and has held leadership roles across several parts of the business. Her experience includes marketing, general management, international operations and enterprise strategy.
Before becoming chief operating officer, she served as group president of North America Retail, General Mills’ largest business segment, and later added responsibility for North America Pet.
McNabb became chief operating officer effective June 1, 2026. In that role, she took responsibility for all four General Mills operating segments and key operating functions, including North America Retail, North America Pet, North America Foodservice, International, Sales, Supply Chain, and Innovation, Technology and Quality.
Her progression through the company gives her experience across both commercial and operational functions before assuming the chief executive position. It also keeps General Mills’ next CEO within its existing senior leadership structure.
The appointment marks another step in McNabb’s progression from business and segment leadership to companywide operating responsibility and, beginning in January, overall executive leadership.
New CEO Sets Priorities for Demand and Supply Chain Operations
McNabb has identified digitally enabled demand generation and supply-chain modernization as priorities as she prepares to become CEO.
Digitally enabled demand generation places technology and data within the company’s approach to building consumer demand for its brands. The focus builds on General Mills’ broader investment in digital capabilities and brand development.
Supply-chain modernization is the other major operating priority McNabb has highlighted. The initiative is aimed at improving how General Mills operates across its supply network as the company pursues profitable growth.
The focus reflects the broader role of supply chain intelligence in using data and technology to improve visibility, planning and operational decision-making.
McNabb already oversees General Mills’ supply-chain organization as chief operating officer, giving her direct exposure to the function before she assumes responsibility for the entire company.
Together, digitally enabled demand generation and supply-chain modernization establish two concrete priorities for her incoming tenure rather than a broad or undefined leadership agenda.
Leadership Transition Takes Effect in January 2027
The General Mills leadership transition will take effect on January 1, 2027. McNabb will become CEO on that date, while Harmening will move into the executive chair role.
Until then, McNabb will continue serving as chief operating officer and Harmening will remain chairman and CEO. The scheduled handoff provides a clear transition period between the announcement and the formal change in leadership.
McNabb enters the role after nearly three decades at General Mills and several senior leadership assignments across the organization. Her most recent promotion to chief operating officer expanded her responsibilities across the company’s operating segments and core functions.
The transition also gives General Mills a defined leadership structure for 2027: McNabb will oversee executive management as CEO, while Harmening will remain involved through his position as executive chair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the new General Mills CEO?
Dana McNabb is the incoming General Mills CEO. She currently serves as the company’s chief operating officer and is scheduled to become CEO on January 1, 2027.
When will Dana McNabb become General Mills CEO?
McNabb will become General Mills CEO on January 1, 2027, when the company’s planned leadership transition takes effect.
Who is Dana McNabb succeeding at General Mills?
McNabb will succeed Jeff Harmening as chief executive officer. Harmening will move to executive chair of the board when McNabb assumes the CEO position.
What role will Jeff Harmening have after leaving the CEO position?
Harmening will become executive chair of the General Mills board effective January 1, 2027. The role will keep him involved at the board level after he steps down as CEO.
What priorities has Dana McNabb identified as incoming CEO?
McNabb has identified digitally enabled demand generation and supply-chain modernization as key priorities as she prepares to lead General Mills.
