
Volume 11 Introduction Eyeing New Realities ForFood Industry Leadership “The current landscape demands enhancedleadership skills that reflect the evolving natureof organizations and their stakeholders.” In 2013, FMI andOliver Wymanjoined forces to create Boardroom,a forward-thinking annual journaldesigned for C-suite executivestackling the most compelling issuesconfronting the food industry. Akey mission of Boardroom is toilluminate critical issues identifiedin the FMI Strategic ImperativeIssues Framework. Each article inBoardroom is carefully curatedand written to amplify theseessential issues, educating andinspiringleaders. The food industry continues toadapt to the notion that profoundchange has become a constant,with it emerging as the normativestate of affairs. The articles in thisedition of Boardroom reflect boththe urgency and the opportunityinherent in thisenvironment. embrace health and wellness, and areimagining of customerjourneys. Food industry leaders andorganizations have already beenadapting for this era of growingcomplexity. FMI’s research in themost recent The Food RetailingIndustry Speaks report relays thatindustry strategies include steeringthrough an uncertain macroenvironment; providing comfortto consumers in the face of newchallenges and needs; respondingto evolving shopper preferencesby creating destinations — not juststores; envisioning the possiblethrough technology; and future-proofing the business throughinvestments anddifferentiation. Throughout conversations withFMI’s Board of Directors and seniorindustry executives, one themecontinues to surface: the leadershipplaybook is changing faster thanever before. The pressures shapingtoday’s food industry requireleaders who can continually adaptand guide their organizationsthrough uncertainty with clarityandconfidence. This year’s edition, Volume 11,presents articles that delveinto topics including artificialintelligence, cybersecurity, healthand well-being, transparency,omnichannel strategies, shiftingconsumer behaviors, pricing andrising costs, regulatory issues,trade, and the workforce. You’ll seepieces that offer a pragmatic view ofAI agents, guidance for the futureof cyber risk, a viewpoint on howconsumer goods companies need to FMI’s work, in conjunctionwithOliver Wyman, centers onunderstanding where the industryis heading and how to meet thechanging needs of consumers,communities, and the broadergrocery valuechain. FMI andOliver Wymanareenthusiastic about helpingleaders continue to advance theirstrategies. We believe thiseditionof Boardroom will educate andinspire leaders to meet theneedsof the moment and thefuture. Mike Matheis Leslie G. Sarasin Global Industry Association, Civic andEconomic Organization Lead OliverWyman President and CEOFMI — The Food Industry Association CONTENTS Boardroom Journal | Vol.11 01Existing andnew technology P. 8-9Opportunity, ExcitementAnd Strategy DriveTechnologyInitiatives P. 2-3 Eyeing New RealitiesForFood Industry Leadership P. 80-83 P. 10-133 Key Strategies To Manage IndirectSpend In Consumer Goods Evolving ImperativesSignal New DirectionsFor 2026 P. 14-21The New Playbook For IncidentPreparedness InRetail P. 22-27A Pragmatic View Of AIAgentsIn TheEnterprise P. 28-33 How AI Is Turning Insight IntoImpact In Category Management Always on: Treating Cyber Risk As ABusinessProblem Extended Online Edition Consumer andretail health Consumer Access,Supply Costs, workforce Consumermarketplace03 P. 36-37 P. 54-55 P. 66-67 Shopper NutritionPerspectives Drive RetailHealthInitiatives Addressing Challenges InConsumer Access, Workforceand SupplyChain Addressing Challenges In ConsumerAccess, Workforce and SupplyChain P. 68-73 P. 38-43 P. 56-59 Managing Rising CostsIn Global SupplyChains Consumer GoodsCompanies Must EmbraceHealth AndWellness Agents Are TurningConversations Into Purchases P. 74-79 P. 60-63 The Future Of TheWorkforce P. 44-47 Omnichannel Data Is KeyFor CPGs To Drive GrowthAndLoyalty Creating An AgendaFor Stakeholders ToTransform Pharmacy Rethinking Journey Maps ForRetail And ConsumerGoods P. 48-51 Food IsHealth:Industry Support ForConsumerWell-being 01Existing andNew technology P. 8-9 Opportunity, Excitement and Strategy DriveTechnology Initiatives P. 10-21 Existing Technology 3 Key Strategies to Manage Indirect Spend inConsumer GoodsThe New Playbook for Incident Preparednessin Retail P. 22-33 New Technology A Pragmatic View of AI Agents in the EnterpriseHow AI is Turning Insight into Impact inCategory Management Opportunity, Excitementand Strategy DriveTechnology Initiatives FMI | The Food IndustryAssociation We often hear words such aschallenging and disruptive whenfood industry leaders discuss today’stechnologystrategies. The newest opportunities lie inemerging technology and automation,including artificial intelligence, thatoffer dramatically new capabilities.Much of the interest stems fromthe need to find efficiencies andprodu