Clareo Teamed with Kraft Foods to establish the Global Technology Council (GTC) to identify, assess and recommend “Breakthrough Technology” platforms for investment with the potential to generate significant revenues for new or existing Kraft businesses. The GTC focuses on technologies with potential over a 4+ year horizon, as opposed to opportunities available to business units in the nearer term. Clareo partner, Robert C. Wolcott, has served as an external member of the GTC since the group’s founding 18 months ago. Clareo assisted with the formation of the GTC by defining processes, governance and funding models to ensure alignment and commitment across Kraft’s business, geographic and functional groups. Dave Behringer leads the GTC along with a governance and working team from Kraft that includes RD&Q executives from global categories (Beverages, Biscuit, etc.), technology leaders, representatives from marketing’s “Breakthrough Innovations” group and external experts. A key objective of the program: to gain senior executives’ long-term commitment to investment and incubation of breakthrough technologies.
Kraft’s GTC gathered input from internal employees on consumer insights, market trends and long-term company priorities, and simultaneously tapped external experts for industry foresight into key technology trends. From there, the GTC identified and screened the most promising technology platforms for further evaluation, investment and incubation.
Since its founding, the GTC has recommended a portfolio of major technology investment initiatives that Kraft has successfully adopted and funded.