Open your pantry or your refrigerator and you'll probably see at least one product from General Mills, maker of brands such as Cheerios, Haagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury and Green Giant. The Minneapolis manufacturer is equally as ubiquitous in HR circles, winning kudos as a great place to work. Michael Davis, General Mills' chief human resource officer, also gets around, sharing his expertise with groups such as the Employee Benefit Research Institute and contributing to The Chief HR Officer (SHRM/Jossey-Bass, 2011). We caught up with him earlier this summer, just as he'd returned from a business trip to China.
Michael Davis
Education: 1977, Bachelor of Science degrees in industrial management and computer science, Purdue University; 1981, MBA, University of Chicago.
CurrentJob: 2008-present, senior vice president, global human resources, General Mills, Minneapolis.
Career: 2005-08, vice president, HR, U.S. Retail; 2004-05, vice president, compensation and benefits and corporate HR; 1996-2004, vice president, compensation and benefits, all at General Mills, Minneapolis. 1981-96, compensation consultant, Towers Perrin, in the Chicago, New York and Minneapolis offices.
Personal: Born in Chicago; age 55; married with two daughters.
Diversions: Running, walking, hiking, cooking, reading, travel.