October 1 – 2, 2014, Allen Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Gregory Carpenter
James Farley/Booz Allen Hamilton Professor of Marketing Strategy
Director of the Center for Market Leadership
Faculty Director, Kellogg Markets and Customers Initiative (KMCI)

Gregory Carpenter joined the Kellogg faculty in 1990 after serving on the faculties of the University of California, Los Angeles; Columbia University; and the Yale School of Management. He was named James Farley/Booz Allen Hamilton Professor of Marketing Strategy in 1999, founded the Center for Market Leadership in 2004, and was elected chair of the Marketing Department in 2006, serving until 2009. Professor Carpenter’s research on competitive marketing strategy has appeared in leading academic journals, in addition to being featured by Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, and National Public Radio. The American Marketing Association has recognized his contributions to marketing with the William F. O’Dell Award, the Paul E. Green Award, the Donald R. Lehmann Award, the Marketing Science Institute/H. Paul Root Award, and his work has been cited before the United States Supreme Court.

At Kellogg, he teaches a popular MBA elective, Marketing Strategy, in addition to teaching in the school’s marketing, general management and custom executive education programs. He received Kellogg’s Sidney J. Levy Teaching Award and the Kellogg Managers’ Program voted him Outstanding Professor of the Year. He is one of a handful of Kellogg faculty to be recognized by BusinessWeek as an outstanding faculty in its Guide to the Best Business Schools.

In addition to research and teaching, he is a frequent speaker and advisor on marketing strategy. Past and current clients include Apple, Bacardi, Carnival Corporation, Coca-Cola, Cunard Lines, Diageo, Dow Chemical, Federal Reserve Bank, Government of Mexico, General Electric, Harley-Davidson, International Paper, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Sara Lee, Unilever and Visa. He is a member of the advisory board of the Luiss Business School in Rome. He served as an academic trustee of the Marketing Science Institute and a member of the board of advisors of Hamilton Consultants and Terlato Wine Group. Based on his work in the wine industry, he was named a Chevalier in the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne.

Professor Carpenter received his BA from Ohio Wesleyan University and his MBA, MPhil and PhD degrees from Columbia University.

Eric Leininger
Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing
Associate Director, Center for Market Leadership
Associate Director of the Kellogg Markets & Customers Initiative (KMCI)

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 1997.

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, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Hyatt, IBM, John Deere, Kimberly-Clark, Mattel, SAP, and The Cleveland Clinic. Eric and Professor Carpenter also lead Kellogg’s annual Marketing Leadership Summit in partnership with McKinsey and Egon Zehnder.

His MBA teaching has included Global Marketing, Marketing of New Products and Services, and Global Initiatives in Management-China. Eric is a regular contributor to Kellogg’s executive programs, such as “Kellogg on Branding.” He also leads custom executive education programs for a diverse group of companies, including Abbott Labs, Abbvie, U.S. Cellular, and Chevrolet.

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. Jim Skinner, McDonald’s CEO from 2004-2012, said, “connecting with our customers is the essence of what we do at McDonald’s, and Eric’s leadership and innovative work were invaluable in making that happen.”

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 ACNielsen and Quaker Oats.

Leading companies draw on Eric’s expertise in building leading-edge consumer insights and marketing capabilities. Recent consulting assignments include Abbvie, Kimberly-Clark, Mattel, Merck Consumer Care, Ulta, and U.S.Cellular.

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.

Eric and Claire Leininger are the proud parents of two adult daughters.