May 17, 2026 Newswires

Business People: General Mills veteran Dana McNabb named COO

Pioneer PressSaint Paul Pioneer Press

General Mills, Golden Valley, announced that Dana McNabb has been promoted to chief operating officer, effective June 1. McNabb has served as group president of North America retail since 2024 and added North America Pet to her responsibilities in 2025. McNabb started her General Mills career in Canada in 1999.

MONO, a Minneapolis-based ad agency, announced the return of Jeffrey Gorder as CEO. Gorder spent 12 years first heading up the agency’s San Francisco office as managing director and then three years as chief growth officer. He returns to MONO after leaving in 2021 to join the consultancy Oliver. He succeeds Jim Scott, the agency’s cofounder. MONO is part of Stagwell, a global marketing firm.

Pope Design Group, St. Paul, announced the addition of Sara Rapp as northern Minnesota market lead, based in Duluth. Rapp previously worked at Scalzo Architects, founded by her late father William B. Scalzo in 1993.

HealthPartners, a Bloomington-based health insurer and health care provider, announced that Blake Berquist has joined the organization as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He most recently served as CFO for UnitedHealthcare’s national commercial health insurance business. He succeeds Penny Cermak, who retired earlier this month.

Ameriprise Financial, Minneapolis, announced it has been recognized on Newsweek’s inaugural list of “America’s Most Charitable Companies 2026.” Newsweek, in partnership with Statista, evaluated eligible U.S. companies using a combination of a nationwide consumer survey, social listening analysis of media and online coverage, and research into key metrics measuring corporate philanthropy. The company said it supports more than 8,000 nonprofits globally, and in 2025, Ameriprise volunteers collectively contributed more than 50,000 hours to nonprofits in communities across the country.

Maslon, Minneapolis, announced that litigation attorney Jim Long is the 2026 recipient of the Minnesota Law Review Distinguished Alumnus Award. Long represents clients in the areas of antitrust law, franchise law, and dealer/distribution law in multiple state and federal courts across the country, and also serves on Maslon’s pro bono committee and is a volunteer attorney with the Children’s Law Center of Minnesota. … Fredrikson, Minneapolis, announced that attorney Jordanne E. Johnston has joined the firm’s Finance & Securities and Corporate groups in the Minneapolis office.

Niron Magnetics, a Minneapolis developer of rare earth-free permanent magnets for industry, announced the appointment of Mike Brommer as chief operations officer. Most recently, Brommer served as chief operating officer of SEPAC Inc.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Nuwellis Inc., an Eden Prairie-based developer and provider of bodily fluid management systems, announced the following hires: Liby Cielo, principal account manager; Meredith Stein, senior clinical education specialist, and Scott Campbell, area vice president, sales. … CVRx, a Maple Grove-based developer of a treatment for chronic heart failure, announced the nomination of Michael Dale to serve on its board of directors. Dale will stand for election at the annual meeting on June 1. Dale currently serves as chief executive officer, president and a member of the board of directors of Axogen, a regenerative medicine company focused on peripheral nerve repair.

Revival House, a Minnesota-based kitchen, bath and interior-design studio, announced the opening of a 4,000-square-foot showroom located at 3675 Plymouth Blvd., Suite 105, in Plymouth. The company formerly was known as Mingle.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Park Rapids Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce announced the appointment of Missy Hendrickx as president, effective April 28.

Regis Corp., a Minneapolis-based operator and franchiser of retail hair care salons, announced the appointment of William “Bill” Charters as an independent member of its board of directors. Charters’ corporate career includes Bank of America, Botti Brown Asset Management and Sabal Capital Management.

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