2024 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Jenny Chiasson (Q&A)
Jenny Chiasson
Brand Experience Canada Associate Director
General Mills Canada
How did you get your start in the CPG business?
CPG almost came as a surprise in my career path since nothing predestined me for it. I did my bachelor’s degree in communication at Université de Montréal and started my career in a non-profit international dance festival and then transitioned into the advertising world. After seven years at Cossette working on the General Motors account, I fell in professional love with a new marketing communications role that was being created at Liberté and decided to go client side. From one “General” to anotherI discovered a whole new world in 2012 that combines my passions for media, creativity and food.
What keeps you motivated at work?
The people! All the people. The amazingly brilliant and fun colleagues I get to work with, the smart partners we collaborate with daily but, above all, our consumers. Our brand champions that we get to know almost as friends, all Canadians whether they speak English or French and all the new families that have decided to call Canada home.
What is your best quality?
I am always up for anything. Whether it is a “never been done before” or a “180-degree pivot”, a fun task or hard challenge, I’m always up for it. By not taking myself too seriously , I am able to show up authentically and infuse humour to foster resiliency and make the most of each day, inspire and play to win.
Best advice you have received?
To be the best communicator you need to know when to shut up and listen. Read the room, feel the silence and listen to understand, not to respond.
What is a career highlight or greatest achievement?
The AND aspect of things. Winning market share AND share of heart. Winning awards for campaigns AND growing household penetration. Being recognized as a professional that can lead the fourth P of promotion into double-digit growth campaign results while also being recognized as a culture builder. Being with General Mills for more than a decade and having the privilege to work with so many iconic brands, it is very challenging to select just one, but here’s what I would consider to be my top three: 1) Being part of the Liberté team and growing that brand; 2) Successfully co-leadig the first virtual We Give/United Way campaign during the first month of COVID that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and achieved the highest level of employee engagement across the company - all from 230 plus people participating remotely from their own households, (a very big departure from our usual campaign) across the country; 3.) And, more recently, “Cherish the Good” –the Cheerios master brand campaign, which was developed from scratch in Canada. This campaign reminds Canadians that while change is constant and the children we love grow quickly, the goodness of Cheerios and the connection it creates stays the same. The result has been staggering, with a 10% ad lift in English and French (higher than any Canada spot in over a decade and well above industry norms), with an ROI that was 75% higher than benchmarks.
What do you like most about your job?
The creativity. Reinventing classics or starting from scratch, creating campaigns or solving problems. As change is the only constant in our lives, I love that I can approach life and work with a creative mind and that General Mills celebrates it with innovation and leadership.
What do you like to do when not working?
I love to play “move the furniture around!” I am passionate about everything real estate, home design and renovations. I can wake up and decide to paint a wall just because I feel like it and my friends and family call me for home staging! But then, as a mom of a teenage girl and a very active little boy, I also do a lot of alpine skiing as a family and other dance competitions. Family is at the centre of my life and I always make sure everyone is happy and well.
Click here for the full list of 2024 Star Women in Grocery award winners.