MINNEAPOLIS — Mary Lynn Carver has stepped down from her role leading General Mills’ communications after four years in the position.

Carver formally departed the packaged food giant last week after working on “consciously uncoupling” for the past several months, she said.

“General Mills has been an amazing experience and I am so proud of the team and the work we accomplished at a very important point in the company's transformation.  I truly will leave a bit of my heart with this venerable company and its great people and brands,” she said.

“The last four years has been a sprint. My plans are to spend the summer with my family before my daughter goes to college, work on some interesting consulting projects, and take on a new CCO role at some point in the near future,” she said.

Rob Litt, head of General Mills corporate communications, said the company is in the process of recruiting Carver's replacement. "We appreciate the good work Mary Lynn did for General Mills and wish her every success in the future," he said.

Carver’s expertise in the job earned her a spot among Holmes Report’s 2018 Influence 100, the annual list of the industry's top in-house communications leaders.

During her tenure, she helped navigate the world’s largest flour recall and a campaign to remind consumers — despite the popularity of cookie dough — that eating raw flour and eggs can be harmful. She was also at the helm as General Mills brought in new CEO Jeff Harmening, who has a particular focus on modernizing the multibillion-dollar company that is now 150 years old.

As CCO and global VP of corporate communications, Carver has been responsible for communications strategy, corporate brand, employee and executive communications, as well as product brand PR and crisis communications.

Immediately prior to joining General Mills, Carver spent six years in non-profit health care and medical research organizations including serving as senior VP of communications and public affairs for the University of Maryland Medical System and as senior VP of communications and PR at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 

Before her non-profit work, she held a variety of public affairs and global corporate communications roles in the US and London with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.