Kari Taintor
About Kari Taintor
Kari Taintor is the ITQ Manager at General Mills' Experimentation Lab, focusing on corporate entrepreneurship and new product innovation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Current Role at General Mills
Kari Taintor currently holds the position of ITQ Manager at General Mills' Experimentation Lab, focusing on the Maker & Transaction Teams. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kari is responsible for managing a cross-functional team consisting of Sales & Logistics Associates, Product Research & Development, Packaging Engineering, and Co-Founder Team Associates. Her role emphasizes enabling experimentation in new product innovation and challenging traditional business methods to accelerate market speed and facilitate real-world learning.
Previous Positions at General Mills
Kari Taintor has held various positions at General Mills over her extensive career at the company. She served as In-Context Experimentation Sales Manager from 2014 to 2020, Customer Operations Manager from 2011 to 2014, and Customer Operations Team Leader from 2009 to 2011. During her tenure, she also held roles such as Account Operations Support Leader, Trade Team Leader, Customer Service Development Analyst, and others, accumulating vast experience across different operational facets of the company.
Educational Background
Kari Taintor obtained her MBA in Management & Finance from the University of St. Thomas between 2006 and 2009. Prior to this, she completed her undergraduate studies in Management at Gustavus Adolphus College, where she earned a degree in Business Administration from 1999 to 2003. This educational foundation has been instrumental in shaping her professional career.
Internship Experience at Target
Before beginning her long-standing tenure at General Mills, Kari Taintor interned as a Merchandise Coordinator at Target in the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area in 2002. This early professional experience contributed to her understanding of retail and operations, skills she has refined and utilized throughout her career.
Role in G-Works Organization
At General Mills, Kari Taintor supports the G-Works organization, which serves as an internal startup accelerator. Her responsibilities within this group involve focusing on corporate entrepreneurship and leading teams to experiment and gain empathy directly from core consumers. Her efforts aid in pushing forward innovative projects aimed at transforming traditional business methodologies.