36 Years at General Mills | Scaling CPG Brands & Food Supply Chains | Amy Abouelenein

After 36 years scaling brands like Lucky Charms, Betty Crocker, and Häagen-Dazs at General Mills, Amy Abouelenein is helping founder-led food companies avoid the mistakes that stall growth — starting with knowing which decisions you can actually undo. In this episode of the She Supply Chains Podcast, Courtney and Katie sit down with Amy Abouelenein — Courtney's first mentor and sponsor at General Mills — to talk about her 36-year career spanning supply chain, R&D, and global innovation leadership, and what she's learned since retiring to launch her own advisory practice, AGA Advisory. Amy shares how she went from capital project engineer to leading a global R&D organization, why plant trials and manufacturing robustness are the real test of any product idea, and the framework she still uses today — reversible vs. irreversible decisions — to help founder-led CPG and food companies scale without losing what made them special. She also opens up about navigating retirement, honoring her Egyptian heritage, and the heroes, hardships, and highlights that shaped her journey. About Amy Abouelenein Amy Abouelenein spent 36 years at General Mills, starting in supply chain as a capital project engineer before moving into R&D, where she ultimately led a global R&D organization across multiple businesses and markets. Over her career she worked on iconic brands including Lucky Charms, Betty Crocker, and Häagen-Dazs. She retired from General Mills last year and now runs AGA Advisory, helping scaling CPG and food companies with organizational design, operating models, and growth strategy. Amy is married with two adult children and two dogs, and proudly embraces her Egyptian heritage. Connect with Amy:   / amy-abouelenein   Chapters 0:00 Introduction & Welcome 3:46 Meet Amy: A 36-Year General Mills Career 5:51 From Chemical Engineer to Food Industry Leader 7:21 Life After General Mills: Launching AGA Advisory 10:20 Designing for Robustness: Lessons from the Plant Floor 12:22 Controls, Data & the Story of Meeting Courtney 18:06 Building a Unified Technical Coalition 20:55 Defining "Ready": Reversible vs. Irreversible Decisions in Product Launches 27:11 Scaling Founder-Led Food Companies: Common Blind Spots 32:12 Hero, Hardship & Highlight: Amy's Life Lessons 36:00 Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Amy 🎧 Subscribe for new episodes every Monday, and visit www.shesupplychains.com to join our email list for bonus content and updates. #SheSupplyChains #SupplyChainSquad #CPG #FoodSupplyChain #WomenInSupplyChain