Dennis Degeneffe joined The Food Industry Center in February 2002. He contributes as a Research Fellow to the Center’s research initiatives and is lecturer in the MBA Program in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. In his capacity as Research Fellow, Dennis’ specialty is segmentation of consumers, and is currently involved in conducting research under grants from the National Research Initiative, the USDA and the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Health Specific studies underway include:

• Preventing Age-Related Weight Gain in Midlife Women
• Urban Access to Healthy Food – as study of the availability of healthful food in inner-city low income markets.
• A Segmentation of U.S. Consumers on Attitudes Relating to Terrorism.

He is also a co-author on two TFIC Working Papers: How Should America's Anti-Terrorism Bedget Be Allocated? Findings from a National Survey of Attitudes of U.S. Residents about Terrorism and A Segmentation of U.S. Consumers on Attitudes Relating to Terrorism and their Communication Preferences: Findings from a National Survey of Attitudes of U.S. Residents about Terrorism

Dennis also is the Principal Consultant and owner of Consumer Centric Solutions LLC of St. Paul, MN. He specializes in strategic marketing research (consumer segmentation and market structure), brand development, and new product innovation. Prior to coming to The Food Industry Center, Dennis held positions at Kraft Foods, McDonalds, The Pillsbury Company and General Mills, Inc. He is past chair of the University of Wisconsin A. C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research’s External Advisory Board, and has taught Applied Marketing Research in the Graduate School of Business at the University of St. Thomas.

Dennis is the Center’s coordinator of the Program Leadership Board and also serves as the Chairman of the University Food Industry Coalition – a committee of 13 University food industry programs across the U.S. sponsored by the National Grocers Association.