WASHINGTON – Geoff Freeman has resigned as president and chief executive officer of the Consumer Brands Association. He is leaving the trade group to become president and CEO of the US Travel Association on Sept. 1.
Mr. Freeman joined the CBA in June of 2018. He led the trade group’s transition from the Grocery Manufacturers Association to the CBA. With that transition he shifted the group’s focus to such issues as consistent regulatory policy, sustainability, supply chain policy and helping the consumer packaged goods industry build trust with consumers.
Specific issues of focus for the CBA in the past few years include fixing supply chain issues disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, building a recycling infrastructure in the United States, and creating a federal framework for the regulation of CBD and cannabis in consumer goods.
In an interview with Food Business News in 2018, Mr. Freeman said, “The GMA formerly played the role of the shield. The shield allowed members to hide behind it. When you do that, you are playing defense.
“This industry is different. It’s the tip of the spear and we need to understand our real opportunity. We need to embrace the fact that our regulator day in and day out is the consumer. When you embrace that responsibility, the shield will not work in that environment. When you do that, you begin to look at these issues in a vastly different way. It’s less about defense and more about promoting our shared goals.”
