Before You Quit: What 20 Years at Kellogg Taught This Executive

About this episode

Kris Bahner discusses employee retention strategies and the impact of long-term relationships in a changing job market.

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Kris Bahner, senior advisor for Mars Snacking and former chief global corporate affairs officer at Kellanova, to explore the state of employee retention in 2026. Drawing on a 35-year career with two decades with Kellogg and Kellanova, Bahner shares why staying can be a powerful career strategy in an era defined by job hopping. She explains how long-term investments in relationships, trust, and institutional knowledge can accelerate growth and leadership impact. Bahner also reflects on leading through major transformations, including Kellogg’s spinoff in 2023 and the Mars acquisition of Kellanova in 2025. She offers insights on retaining talent and helping employees thrive through change. Resources from this Week's Episode - Toolkit: Managing Organizational Change https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/toolkits/managing-organizational-change Toolkit: Improving Employee Retention and Reducing Turnover https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/toolkits/managing-employee-retention Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox…

People in this episode

Guest: Kris Bahner

Topics covered

• employee retention
• career strategy
• job hopping
• organizational change
• leadership
• talent retention

Keywords

• employee retention
• job hopping
• leadership impact
• organizational change
• talent retention

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mars Snacking, Kellanova, Kellogg

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