Connie Shepherd

Connie Shepherd has had a successful and extensive career in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods), Health, and Academic industries. Connie started their career at Procter & Gamble, where they spent 15 years in various sales and marketing roles, including Associate Director of Sales. During their time at P&G, they played a significant role in pioneering alternate sales channels and developing new business strategies.

After their tenure at P&G, Connie Shepherd joined Kellogg Company and held multiple leadership positions, including Vice President of Sales Strategy and Western Region Vice President of Sales. Connie was responsible for developing sales and trade investment strategies, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and cultivating relationships with key retailers.

Moving on from Kellogg Company, they became the Vice President of the Food and Grocery Channel at The Hershey Company. In this role, they led the largest U.S. sales organization for the company, overseeing multiple channels, including food, grocery, regional drug, artisan, and military.

Connie Shepherd then joined Starbucks as the SVP of North American Channel Business Development, where they were responsible for leading the development and sales organization of various channels, including food, drug, mass, club, military, food service, and licensed stores.

Before joining their current role, Connie Shepherd served as the President and CEO of COOPER CONSULTING LLC. As an acknowledged cross-industry expert, they provided strategic insights and guidance on business models, go-to-market approaches, and organizational optimization. With over 32 years of experience in 27 categories and 21 channels of distribution, they established herself as an author, speaker, coach, and strategist.

Currently, Connie Shepherd is the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Bumble Bee Foods, where they continue to leverage their expertise to drive strategic growth initiatives for the company.

Connie Shepherd attended Florida State University from 1983 to 1987, where they earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications/Business. Additionally, they have obtained various certifications throughout their career, including the Leadership Palm Beach County Engage Graduate certification from Leadership Palm Beach County in June 2021, General Management Training from The Hershey Company in October 2011, the Stephen Covey Leadership Week certification from Stephen Covey in December 1997, and the P&G Management Training Program certification from Procter & Gamble in March 1988.