Denise M. Morrison is an American business executive who served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Soup Company. Ranked the 21st most powerful woman by Fortune, Morrison was appointed to Campbell’s board of directors in October 2010. She became the 12th leader in the company’s 140-year history.
Morrison was born in Elberon, New Jersey, and is the eldest of four sisters, all of whom have built successful business careers. The “Sullivan Sisters” were featured in a 2007 Wall Street Journal article titled “Raising Women to Be Leaders.” Her sister Maggie Wilderotter served as CEO of Frontier Communications; Colleen Bastkowski was Regional Vice President of Sales at Expedia Corporate Travel; and Andrea Doelling, a horse show champion, held the position of Senior Vice President of Sales at AT&T Wireless.
Their father, Dennis Sullivan, a Korean War veteran and executive at AT&T, was committed to sharing his business knowledge with his daughters. According to reports, he taught them about profit margin goals while they were still in grade school. Their mother, Connie Sullivan, instilled in them the belief that ambition was a natural part of femininity.
Morrison graduated from Long Branch High School and earned her B.S. in Economics and Psychology from Boston College, graduating magna cum laude. She was inducted into the Order of the Cross and Crown Honor Society for her academic and extracurricular achievements.
She was appointed President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company on August 1, 2011. Campbell is a global manufacturer and marketer of branded food and beverage products, focused on simple meals, soups, baked snacks, and beverages.
Morrison joined Campbell in April 2003 as President of Global Sales and Chief Customer Officer. In June 2005, she was named President of Campbell USA. By October 2007, she was appointed Senior Vice President and President of North America Soup, Sauces and Beverages, overseeing Campbell USA, North America Foodservice, and Campbell Canada.
In October 2010, Morrison was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In that role, she led all of Campbell’s global businesses as well as corporate strategy, global advertising and design, and research and development.