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Jessica C. Adelman

Jessica C. Adelman

Jessica C. Adelman

Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Mars Wrigley North America

 

CO-TEACHES:

ISEN 461 Sustainable Branding (1.0 credit)


Jessica C. Adelman is an adjunct professor within Northwestern's Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability (MSES) Program.

She is currently serving as Vice President, Corporate Affairs for Mars Wrigley North America and Global External Communications. In this role Jessica will be responsible with her team for ensuring our Corporate Affairs strategy supports and aligns with the global and North America business strategy, and that our efforts build on the efforts already underway. She will have direct responsibility for the Mars Wrigley North America business for corporate reputation, brand communications, internal communications, issues management, social impact and consumer care communications as well as work closely with the existing U.S. Government Relations Service Center on public affairs matters. In addition, this newly created role will oversee all global external communications for Mars Wrigley.

Prior to that, she served as Group Vice President of Corporate Affairs for The Kroger Co. which was the role of Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Chief Communications Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer.

Jessica served as President of both Kroger foundations – the private foundation with $125MM assets under management and the newly launched Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, a public charity designed to find innovative solutions to food waste in America.

Jessica has 25 years of experience as an executive in the food industry and retail, including as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Syngenta North America plus other companies in the food value chain, including both Cargill and Monsanto. She graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College as a Russian Area Studies major and lived in the Former Soviet Union for several years in the 1990s. She has an MBA from the Wharton School and a Masters in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. She has an executive certificate in International Trade Issues from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and has done leadership course work at IMD in Switzerland. She speaks both Russian and French.

Jessica had served in numerous leadership positions within the food, retail and agriculture industries. She was named a Top Leader in Communications for 2020, to the “40 Under 40” in her field and a PR News’ “Top Women in PR.” In 2017 she was among the “Top Women in Grocery” and on Diversity Magazine’s “Most Powerful Women in America” list. In 2018 she was named one of the food industry’s “Women of Influence” and as a 2019 “Game Changer” in the retail space due to Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan.