Denise Morrison
Denise M. Morrison | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 13, 1954 Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1980s–2018 |
| Known for | President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company (2011–2018) |
Denise M. Morrison (born January 13, 1954) is an American corporate leader who held the positions of president and chief executive officer at Campbell Soup Company from 2011 until 2018. In 2011, Fortune recognized her as the "21st Most Powerful Woman in Business." Morrison joined Campbell's board in October 2010 and became the company's 12th CEO throughout its 140-year existence. She stepped down in May 2018.
Early life
Morrison grew up in the Elberon neighborhood of Long Branch, New Jersey. She is the oldest among four sisters, each distinguished in their professional business roles. Her sister Maggie Wilderotter was chairman and CEO of Frontier Communications, while Colleen Bastkowski and Andrea Doelling held high-level sales positions at Expedia Corporate Travel and AT&T Wireless, respectively. Their father, Dennis B. Sullivan—a Korean War veteran and former AT&T executive—instilled an early understanding of business by discussing profit objectives with his daughters. Their mother promoted ambition as an integral aspect of womanhood.
Morrison completed her education at Long Branch High School and earned a B.S. degree in economics and psychology from Boston College, graduating magna cum laude and receiving induction into the Order of the Cross and Crown Honor Society for outstanding academic achievement.
Career
Morrison launched her professional journey in sales at Procter & Gamble in Boston before moving to Pepsi-Cola, where she focused on trade and business development. Throughout much of the 1980s, she held senior marketing and sales roles at Nestle USA. In 1995, she joined Nabisco Inc., taking on the role of senior vice president and general manager for the Down the Street division.
Prior to joining Campbell, Morrison served as executive vice president and general manager for the snacks and confections segments at Kraft Foods, managing well-known brands such as Planters, Life Savers, and Altoids.
Her tenure at Campbell began in April 2003 as president-global sales and chief customer officer. By 2005, she advanced to president-Campbell USA, followed by a promotion in 2007 to senior vice president and president-North America soup, sauces, and beverages. In 2010, she was named executive vice president and COO, overseeing Campbell’s global operations, strategic initiatives, advertising, design, and research & development.
On August 1, 2011, Morrison was appointed as president and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, a role she maintained until her retirement in May 2018.
For fiscal year 2012, her compensation package included a base salary of $950,000, a cash incentive of $602,292 for fiscal year 2011 performance, along with a long-term incentive grant valued at $4.85 million. Campbell’s fiscal year spans from August 1 to July 31.
Board service
Morrison has previously served on the boards of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Ballard Power Systems Inc. She co-founded the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, an industry coalition focused on combating obesity through consumer education. Additionally, she holds a board position with Students in Free Enterprise.
She contributes as a board member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, where she chairs the Health and Wellness Committee, and also serves on the board of the Consumer Goods Forum. Since 2014, Morrison has been a director at MetLife.
Her past leadership roles include chairing Catalyst's Advisory Board and presiding over the N.J. Women's Forum. She has also participated on boards such as the Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger and Leadership California.
On August 16, 2017, Morrison resigned from President Trump's American Manufacturing Council due to disagreements with presidential statements; the council was dissolved later that same day.
Awards
In 2011, Forbes placed Morrison as the 80th most influential woman worldwide. That same year, she earned the title of "21st Most Powerful Woman in Business" from Fortune and participated in their 2011 Most Powerful Women Summit alongside her sister Maggie Wilderotter, CEO of Frontier Communications. This marked the first instance of two sisters appearing simultaneously on the list. Morrison was subsequently featured on Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" rankings in 2012, 2013, and 2017.
Her accolades also encompass inclusion in Supermarket News' Power 50 (2011); recognition as the American Heart Association of New Jersey's "Woman of Distinction" (2010); being named among Irish Voice's 50 Most Influential Irish Women (2010); receiving the Trailblazer Award; Progressive Grocer's "Top Woman in Grocery" for three consecutive years (2008–2010); NJBIZ magazine's Top 50 Women in Business in New Jersey (2008); The Wall Street Journal's Top 50 Women to Watch (2007); Legal Momentum's "Aiming High Award" (2007); and Garden State Women magazine’s "Woman of the Year" for Corporations (2007).
Personal life
Morrison lives in Princeton, New Jersey with her husband, Tom, and is a mother to two adult daughters.
External links
- Living people
- American women chief executives
- 1954 births
- Long Branch High School alumni
- Businesspeople from Princeton, New Jersey
- Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences alumni
- American chief executives of food industry companies
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 21st-century American businesspeople
- Procter & Gamble people
- Kraft Foods people
- PepsiCo people
- Campbell's people
- American corporate directors
- American women corporate directors
- Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company people
- American chief executives of Fortune 500 companies
- 20th-century American businesswomen
- 21st-century American businesswomen