CHICAGO, June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Category Management Association, the leading professional organization for retail category experts, has announced a new strategic direction for its Board and named a Chairman of the Board.
The new strategic direction is a reflection of an evolving industry. The ways in which consumers shop and buy are rapidly changing. New technologies are constantly becoming available that shape the shopping experience from top to bottom. Along with that, new data sources allow much more insight into the shopper behavior in an increasingly omnichannel world.
To address these changes, the CMA Board has approved a new Charter which will shape the future of the CMA. This Charter includes a new content agenda focused around the Evolution of Category Management in an Omnichannel World, an approach to include the broader membership in content development (as part of working committees), and taking a stronger hand in guiding the industry around major issues and opportunities.
“The new direction of the CMA Board will ensure focus on those areas of critical importance to Category Management and omnichannel retail in general,” said CMA President Michael McMahon.
The CMA has decided to add a Chairman of the Board to assist in leading these efforts. Chairmanship will be a rotating position, occupied by a sitting executive from one of the 15 board member companies.
The first official Chairman of the Board will be Mike Gervasio, who serves as VP Category Leadership at PepsiCo. Mike has over 32 years of consumer package goods industry experience, including over 22 years at PepsiCo. Mr. Gervasio’s diverse experience, includes roles in Category Management, Sales, Insights, Corporate Strategy and Finance.
“I am very excited to help the CMA continue to be the premier resource in identifying industry standards, implementing best practice sharing and a continued source for solution providers as it relates to the category management discipline,” Gervasio said.
“We could not be more excited to have Mike Gervasio taking the reins as our first Chairman,” McMahon says. “His depth of knowledge and experience, along with our very talented Board members, will give the industry strong leadership as we move into the future.”
The CMA Board is comprised of 15 member companies including:
- Walmart
- Kellogg’s
- Redbull
- Tyson
- Nestle Purina
- Walgreens
- Lowes
- Ace Hardware
- Hershey
- Coca-Cola
- ConAgra Brands
- Reynolds Brands
- PepsiCo
- General Mills
- Mars Petcare
To learn more about the Category Management Association, visit http://www.catman.global/.
SOURCE Category Management Association
