USC Marshall’s Food Industry Management MBAs Present Fresh Ideas
The University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business (USC Marshall) has stayed on the cusp of the rapid shifts in the food industry, training executives to keep ahead of the innovation curve.
USC Marshall’s Food Industry Management cohort recently gave a presentation at the annual Western Association of Food Chains conference in Honolulu, HI. Students shared with attendees their ideas about the future of this sector.
With the advent of such online shopping experiences as Blue Apron and Amazon Fresh, competition is fierce for startups. Participants in the FIM cohort develop projects which some will advance into applications in the real world. The teams are tasked with generating ideas that will create impact in the food industry over the next decade.
The FIM program’s director, Cynthia McCloud, said,
“The conference is the opportunity to effectively launch our product, which is the amazing transformation of these high-potential executives who came to USC to expand their knowledge and grow their leadership skills…To the companies, we say ‘You pick them and we’ll polish them. Sometimes it’s difficult to give up an employee for four months, but the return is significant.”
During the cohort’s 16 weeks, students engage in five courses of study with both industry executives and faculty. They learn each aspect of FIM, including accounting/finance, marketing, strategy, communication, and leadership.
Among the ideas offered by cohort teams this year were an automated shelf replenishment technology which would enable stores to double profits while reducing labor costs; and the employment of data analytics strategies for the creation of personalized food shopping experiences.
About the Author
Maggie Boccella
Maggie Boccella, a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, is a freelance writer, artist and photographer. She has consulted on various film and multimedia projects, and she also serves as a juror for the city's annual LGBTQIA Film Festival.
