CHICAGO, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The way we shop for groceries has fundamentally changed, so how can professionals develop the skills needed to navigate this transformation? Kellanova Sales Learning & Development leader, Tomissa Smittendorf, shares more about this and Cornell University's Omnichannel Leadership Program in Kellanova's latest News Story.
Shaping Tomorrow's Omnichannel Leaders with Cornell
By: Tomissa Smittendorf, Commercial Capabilities Lead, Sales L&D
The way we shop for groceries has fundamentally changed, and the need for leaders who understand omnichannel strategy—seamlessly connecting online, in-store, mobile, and social commerce—has never been greater.
Here's the challenge: Where can professionals develop the skills to navigate this transformation?
The answer is Cornell University's Omnichannel Leadership Program, a unique collaboration between industry leaders, including Kellanova, and one of the world's top higher education institutions. Now in its fourth year, this program is shaping the future of omnichannel leadership, and the results speak for themselves.
Bridging the Omnichannel Skills Gap
A few years ago, during a discussion with our partner Ahold Delhaize, a multinational retail company, we realized there weren't any existing programs that truly supported omnichannel leadership. The industry needed something different, something more dynamic, more collaborative, and more directly applicable to the real-world challenges companies face today.
Cornell, Ahold Delhaize, Kellanova, and other global industry-leading organizations collaborated to create a solution. Our goal was clear: Create a high-impact learning experience that merges academic excellence with real-world expertise, giving senior leaders the tools to drive business results.
In the Omnichannel Leadership Program, Cornell's faculty bring cutting-edge research and industry leaders provide hands-on applications. That combination creates a learning experience that's both rigorous and immediately actionable.
A few things set this program apart:
- Immersive, Small-Group Learning: We limit attendance to just 50 participants, ensuring deep discussions, meaningful networking, and a dynamic mix of industry professionals.
- Always Evolving: The curriculum changes each year to reflect the latest trends—AI, customer experience, data analytics, ESG, and more—so leaders leave with relevant, real-time best practices.
- Actionable Insights: The program isn't just theoretical. Participants gain strategies they can implement immediately within their organizations.
- Renowned Faculty: By leveraging the expertise of leading Cornell faculty, participants gain access to a world-class learning experience that bridges theory and practical application.
- Respected Credentials: Participants earn the Omnichannel Leadership Certificate from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.
Learning That Drives Business Results
Since its inception, the Omnichannel Leadership Program has trained 136 professionals from 54 different companies. Previous keynote speakers have included industry leaders such as Carrie Sander, chief customer officer at Kellanova; Whitney Cook, head of sales strategy and operations at Walmart Connect; and Suzanne Long, chief sustainability and transformation officer at Albertsons.
At Kellanova, we take the learnings from this program and scale them across our organization. Attendees consistently tell us how they've applied insights from the program:
- "The collaboration with industry leaders was amazing. I've already started using what I learned with my team."
- "This program helped me rethink how we leverage data analytics to drive omnichannel growth."
- "I left with new strategies to improve our customer experience and maximize our marketing investments."
Looking Ahead: The Future of Omnichannel Leadership
We're building on the success of past years to deliver valuable content at the 2025 Omnichannel Leadership Program this June 23-26 at Cornell Tech in New York City. This year's program will focus on AI-driven commerce, data analytics, and next-generation customer engagement strategies.
At Kellanova, we believe an investment in our people is an investment in the future of our industry. We remain deeply committed to continuing our collaboration with Cornell to provide unparalleled learning opportunities. The Omnichannel Leadership Program is proof of what's possible when academia and industry work together.
Learn more about the 2025 Omnichannel Leadership Program.
About Kellanova
Kellanova (NYSE: K) is a leader in global snacking, international cereal and noodles, and North America frozen foods with a legacy stretching back more than 100 years. Powered by differentiated brands including Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Pop-Tarts®, Kellogg's ® Rice Krispies Treats®, RXBAR®, Eggo®, MorningStar Farms®, Special K®, Coco Pops®, and more, Kellanova's vision is to become the world's best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of our differentiated brands and our passionate people. Our net sales for 2024 were approximately $13 billion.
At Kellanova, our purpose is to create better days and ensure everyone has a seat at the table through our trusted food brands. We are committed to promoting sustainable and equitable food access by tackling the crossroads of hunger, sustainability, wellbeing, and equity, diversity & inclusion. Our goal is to create Better Days for 4 billion people by the end of 2030 (from a 2015 baseline). For more detailed information about our commitments, our approach to achieving these goals, and methodology, please visit our website at https://www.kellanova.com.
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