The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) announced it will become the Consumer Brands Association (CBA), effective January 2020. The new identity is part of a sweeping overhaul of the 110-year-old trade organization, led by President and CEO Geoff Freeman and the GMA board of directors.
“We represent an industry of iconic brands that are innovative, forward-looking and touch the lives of every American,” said Freeman. “As the new Consumer Brands Association, we are making a game-changing shift to unite the totality of the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry around a focused, proactive agenda that aligns with the values of the brands we represent and the consumers they serve.”
GMA’s new advocacy agenda represents the broader interests of a modern CPG company by focusing on four core pillars: enhancing packaging sustainability; championing smart regulation; creating frictionless supply chains and building trust in CPG, while also advancing a narrative about the industry’s vast social and economic impact.
“Renaming and rebranding this organization is symbolic of a larger realignment with the CPG industry’s consumer-first priorities and our desire to have a more open and transparent dialogue with policymakers, customers and consumers,” said Jeff Harmening, chairman of the board and CEO of General Mills. “I’m excited about this defining moment and the tremendous opportunities it presents to champion product innovation, choice and affordability.”
The trade organization has already begun to advance its strategic priorities. This summer, it released the industry’s first-ever economic study, which found the CPG industry supports more than 20 million American jobs and contributes $2 trillion to the country’s GDP.
Freeman also created a new leadership team to drive forward the new agenda, including Bryan Zumwalt, executive vice president of public affairs; Dr. Betsy Booren, senior vice president of regulatory and technical affairs; Stacy Papadopoulos, general counsel and senior vice president of operations and special initiatives; Brandon Partridge, senior vice president of member engagement; Mike Gruber, vice president of federal affairs; Tom Madrecki, vice president of supply chain and logistics; Katie McBreen, vice president of communications and research; Bill Pappas, vice president of accounting and finance; and Meghan Stasz, vice president of packaging and sustainability.
The association will continue to operate as the Grocery Manufacturers Association through the end of the year.
