WSJ : General Mills Grooms Jeff Harmening As Next CEO

(RTTNews) - General Mills Inc. (GIS) is grooming Jeff Harmening as its next chief executive. Mr. Harmening, 49 years old, could succeed current Chief Executive Ken Powell as soon as next year, the Wall Street Journal reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Powell reportedly acknowledged that his protege's promotion last month to president and chief operating officer was a step toward the corner office.

In effectively anointing Harmening as its CEO-to-be, General Mills has gone with a candidate whose career mirrors the path trod by Powell. Like the current CEO, Mr. Harmening is back at company's Minneapolis headquarters after spending several years in Europe.

The report said the other internal front-runner for CEO position was Christopher O'Leary, chief operating officer for General Mills' international operations.