Get to Know Liz Mascolo, General Mills’ Segment President, North America Pet

May is National Pet Month — a moment to celebrate the joy pets bring to our lives and the people dedicated to their health and happiness. At General Mills, that dedication shows up every day through our beloved Pet brands like Blue Buffalo, Edgard & Cooper and Tiki Cat.

Leading that work is Liz Mascolo, a General Mills veteran who joined the company’s senior leadership team in 2025 as Segment President for North America Pet. We sat down with Liz to learn more about her career path, her approach to leadership and what keeps her energized.

A: When I joined General Mills in 2002 as an intern, I joined because of the energy and excitement of building iconic brands. What’s kept me here for 20-plus years is something deeper: This company has consistently trusted me to tackle new and challenging business problems, while surrounding me with leaders who invested in my growth and development.

Every one of those experiences changed me professionally and personally. I’ve come to trust that the people moving me into new opportunities know something I don’t about where I can grow.

What has also kept me here are my amazing colleagues. Some of my closest friends in Minneapolis are people I met in my first intern class. That kind of community doesn’t happen by accident, and it says something real about the kind of people at General Mills.

A: I have never loved a role more or felt more inspired than I do leading North America Pet. A few things make Pet truly unique. Our food is often all that a pet is going to eat — every meal, every day. Pet parents are counting on us to give their furry family members the very best, which makes quality and nutrition an absolute non-negotiable.

That responsibility fuels a passion across our team that runs incredibly deep. People here aren’t just doing a job; it’s mission-driven. And operating as a challenger in the category only sharpens that edge. We’re here to disrupt, to try new things, and as we like to say, we’re either winning or we’re learning.

A: Be authentically yourself, even when it’s uncomfortable. I’m most proud of myself when I show up consistently, whether I’m in a planning meeting, presenting at a town hall or having a one-on-one conversation. When you lead that way, your team mirrors it. They feel safe to be direct, to say what they think, and to discuss real challenges. I care about my team as whole people, and I know they do their best work when they feel supported as exactly that.

A: I may be a little unusual here, but I genuinely love change. I get energy from finding ways to do things better. But I’ve also learned to be careful about that, because not everyone feels the same way. In Pet, change has been a constant. We’ve been transforming our finance and supply chain capabilities, integrating new brands and navigating the fresh sub-category with Blue Buffalo’s Love Made Fresh.

My approach is to connect change to the mission. When people understand why change is needed, they tend to lean in rather than pull back.

A: I’m a huge sports fan, and my family is my everything. We love to travel when we can.

A: I believe deeply in what we make for pets, so that of course rises to the top. My kids grew up on Cheerios, so that also has a special place.