Cynthia McCloud has joined the venerable Food Industry Management Program at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. A Marshall alumna, McCloud is the fifth director, and the first woman, to lead the program, now in its 56th year.
“We are delighted to welcome back one of our own to lead this elite program,” said USC Marshall School of Business Dean James G. Ellis. “Future students will benefit from her experience, leadership and vision.”
McCloud was a student in the Food Industry Management Program (FIM) in 1990 and then graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in business administration from USC Marshall in 1991. She later went on to earn an MBA in 1997 from the University of California, Irvine.
McCloud brings more than 35 years of both domestic and international experience in the consumer packaged goods and grocery retail industries, many at the senior executive level. McCloud specializes in building highly-effective collaborative teams, developing future leaders through self-reflection/motivation/education, and creating innovative solutions through technology. She also has deep experience in loyalty marketing and a personal passion for finding a cure for Cystic Fibrosis and working with others to promote healthier lifestyles.
Prior to joining USC, McCloud led the global sales and client teams in the U.S., Europe and Asia as the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Market Metrix, a leader in feedback solutions for the hospitality industry. In her 15 years with personalized digital media giant Catalina Marketing, McCloud held senior positions including Executive Vice President of Retail Sales and Marketing in the U.S. and Executive Vice President and Director, Europe. Prior to Catalina, McCloud held several positions over an 18-year period at Vons, a division of Safeway.
“I could not be more pleased to return to my alma mater in a position where I can directly help shape the next generation of food industry leaders,” McCloud said. “The industry is changing faster than ever, and I am passionate about building awareness in the food industry around proactive strategic solutions, innovative new technologies, and competing differently, and more aggressively for share of consumers who have many options for what they buy and where they shop.”