Scott Aakre

Scott Aakre is vice president of corporate innovation and new product development for Hormel Foods, a global branded food company. In his role, Aakre leads the company’s global corporate innovation, new product development and consumer and shopper insights. Aakre and his team have been instrumental in driving innovation within the company’s world-class portfolio of brands, while also developing new products for the global marketplace. The company’s brands include Planters^®, SKIPPY^®, SPAM^®, Hormel^® Natural Choice^®, Applegate^®, Justin’s^®, Columbus^®, Wholly^® Guacamole, Hormel^® Black Label^® and more than 30 other beloved brands.

Under Aakre’s leadership, the company has received numerous awards and accolades for its innovation efforts. Nine of the company’s new products were selected as Progressive Grocer Editors’ Picks in 2018. The company also received the Grocery Manufacturers Association Award for Innovation and Creativity in 2018 for Herdez^® guacamole salsa and in 2017 for SKIPPY^® P.B. bites.

Aakre joined Hormel Foods in 1990 and held a variety of management positions for the company before being named group product manager of Grocery Products in 2003 and director of marketing for Grocery Products later that year. In 2005, he was promoted to vice president of marketing for grocery products. He assumed his current position in 2011. Aakre is active in the innovation industry as well as in a variety of community and charitable causes.

A Minnesota native, Aakre earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.