Peter McDonald
Founding Partner
Peter is the former global head of strategy for General Mills. He spent over 20 years with General Mills in a variety of marketing roles and corporate leadership positions.
Peter’s versatile career, blending both C-suite advisory roles with front-line marketing leadership, makes him equally effective building for the future and executing today’s plan.
Known for highly original thinking, Peter helps clients develop frame-breaking hypotheses that address complex business problems. He is a deep thinker in the search for answers, but a simplifier and practitioner in communicating and implementing solutions. Peter’s ideas produce differential influence on leadership teams, corporate boards and in the C-suite, and he is highly effective aligning disparate views and driving organizational prioritization. Peter’s track record of strategic insights, persuasive voice and practical approach drive step-change results for his clients.
In a previous career, Peter was a policy analyst for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He authored the finance portions of the Governor’s 1993 Education Reform Act and helped develop the state’s school choice and charter school programs.
Peter grew up in Wilbraham, Massachusetts and graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, ME where he received his BA in Political Science in 1989. He earned his MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1996.
Peter’s past and present board service includes companies in the financial services, retail and food sectors as well as non-profit organizations. In addition to his marketing and strategy expertise, Peter’s board experience includes: mergers & acquisitions; audit; and executive recruiting and compensation plans.
Jessica McDonald
Founding Partner
Jessica is a former marketing executive with General Mills. She spent 15 years in a variety of marketing leadership roles, managing many of the company’s leading brands, including Honey Nut Cheerios, its largest single brand.
Her roles included channel development, new products and multi-cultural marketing. Most recently, Jessica was the marketing director for the baking portfolio.
A results-oriented, practical leader, Jessica is known for her enthusiasm, adaptability and best-in-class organizational skills. She brings high-energy, focus and deep commitment to every client engagement. A strategically intuitive marketer, Jessica helps teams stay focused on the customer when seeking growth ideas and building a plan. Her passion is contagious, and she is an excellent facilitator, energizing teams to go the extra mile in pursuit of a differential outcome.
In a previous career, Jessica worked in the retail sector. Having lived in Europe and Latin America, she has strong Spanish language skills. Jessica is active in the Twin Cities non-profit space, with board and volunteer service for multiple organizations over the past 20 years. She is passionate about helping people and making a difference in her community.
Jessica grew up in Tucson, AZ and graduated from the University of Arizona where she received a BS in Psychology in 1991 with a minor in Spanish. She earned her MBA from the Fuqua School at Duke University in 1996.