Eric Leininger

Eric Leininger joined the Kellogg School faculty full time in September 2010, coming from McDonald's Corporation, where he was corporate senior vice president since 2004. He has been an affiliated faculty member since 2007.

With Professor Gregory Carpenter, Eric leads The Kellogg Chief Marketing Officer Program. This by-invitation-only program was the first university-based development experience for newly appointed and rising Chief Marketing Officers. The program has attracted attendees from leading organizations, including Cisco, Colgate-Palmolive, Exxon-Mobil, Discover, General Motors, IBM, John Deere, Johnson Controls McDonald’s, Motorola Solutions, NetApp, Sargento, SAP, SC Johnson, and The Cleveland Clinic.

His MBA teaching has included Global Marketing and Marketing of New Products and Services. Eric is a regular contributor to Kellogg's executive programs, such as "Kellogg on Branding," “The Customer-Focused Organization,” and "Leading with Big Data and Analytics." He also leads custom executive education programs for a diverse group of companies, including Abbott Labs, Abbvie, Chevrolet, The Coca-Cola Company, Hyatt, John Deere, Johnson Controls and SC Johnson.

Eric was a member of McDonald's Senior Leadership Team, comprised of the business unit leaders and the global, C-suite functional leaders. His primary responsibility was consumer and business insights: additionally, he was the executive sponsor for McDonald's marketing training.

Eric joined McDonald's from Kraft Foods, where he held a variety of marketing services and information positions for 11 years, including senior vice-president of marketing services. Prior to Kraft, Eric held leadership positions at AC Nielsen and Quaker Oats.

A wide range of companies draw on Eric's expertise in building leading-edge consumer insights and marketing capabilities. Recent consulting assignments include Abbvie, ABInBev, Google, John Deere, Mattel, Starbucks, Ulta Beauty, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon. Eric is also a strategic advisor to Sense360, an innovative analytics firm specializing in restaurants and retail. Additionally, Eric has served as an expert witness in U.S. District Court. Eric is an affiliate of Executive Coaching Connections in their Executive Partners practice.

Eric received his MBA from the University of Michigan, where he was elected to Beta Gamma Sigma. He also holds a MA from the University of Virginia and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, cum laude.