How Leaders Lead with David Novak · 2026-05-14 · 56 min · 9,798 words

#291: Mark Smucker, Chair and CEO, The J.M. Smucker Company – Understand the soul of your brand

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Hello friends and welcome to another episode of How Leaders Lead with David Novak. Today David sits down with Mark Smucker, who's the CEO and chair of the JM Smucker Company, which is home to some of the most iconic brands like Smuckers, Folgers, Uncrustables, Hostess, and Milkboom. In this episode, you'll learn how to build a brand that's relevant, authentic, and successful. You'll learn how to get to the soul of your brand and communicate that soul in a way that drives customer acquisition and growth.

Enjoy this conversation with David and Mark and I will see you at the Debriefs. I hear you're quite the cook and you love to cook. It's a hobby of yours. And if I were to come over to your house for for dinner, what would be on your menu? Well, let me tell you first and foremost, I gotta say my wife is a better cook than I am.

Good good point. And I cook because she helped me learn to cook when we were first together. We honeymooned in Thailand. I've been to Thailand a couple of times. We did some cooking classes there.

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