Michael La Kier

VP Brand Development - IGA

Michael La Kier has a diverse work experience spanning various roles and industries. Michael has served as the Vice President of Brand Development at IGA, INC. since 2023. Previously, they founded and served as the President of What Brands Want, LLC since 2013, where they provided strategic marketing and implementation services. Michael also worked as an Adjunct Instructor at Georgia State University, teaching Data-Driven Marketing to graduate-level students. Michael was the Chief Marketing Officer at World Select Cuts, LLC, where they introduced a new line of premium charcuterie meats. Additionally, they served as the CPG COE Lead at Response Media, overseeing the development of reusable strategies and solutions for CPG brands. Michael founded and managed Shopper Matters, a platform that covered insights and best practices from the retail and CPG industries. Before that, they held various roles at The Coca-Cola Company, including serving as Group Director of Shopper Marketing Strategy & Capability. Michael was also the Corporate Lead for Shopper Marketing & Retail Strategy at Gannett - USA TODAY NETWORK. In the early stages of their career, they worked as an Account Executive at Bennett Kuhn Varner.
Michael La Kier holds a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising from The University of Texas at Austin. Michael also has a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with a specialization in Marketing from Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business. In terms of certifications, they are Edge Academy Certified in Data-Driven Planning and Marketing Foundations from The Trade Desk. Michael has also obtained certifications in Social Media Marketing and Inbound Marketing from HubSpot, and a Retail Media Platform Certification from Criteo.