• USA Today, Monday, January 26, 2009 11:15 AM

During Douglas Conant's first three years at the helm of Campbell Soup, he has stressed products that rank No. 1 or No. 2 in the categories of simple meals, baked snacks and veggie-based drinks. He unloaded non-core brands, such as Godiva chocolates. The recipes got healthier for its soups, V8 drinks and Pepperidge Farm snacks, and he has pushed creating products that scream value, nutrition and convenience.

In addition to simplifying the company by focusing on the core product lines, Conant is intent on making Campbell more global and more contemporary, writes Bruce Horovitz, and he's steering the $8 billion company toward a promising but risk-filled future in two of the world's biggest soup-eating nations: China and Russia.

The self-described introvert -- who reads management advice tomes at least four hours a day and writes about 20 thank-you notes to employees, suppliers and customers daily -- says there are four "musts" for consumer products: value, wellness, quality and convenience. After years of ups and downs, he says, Campbell now has at least a beachhead in all four.

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