A special Human Capital edition of “CFO” magazine describes how General Mills has upgraded its training for financial professionals since the acquisition of Pillsbury in 2001, and with the full support of CFO James Lawrence, who was hired in 1998. The company’s finance leaders identified the four most important focus areas: new-hire training and orientation, midcareer training, strategic thinking and training on financial reporting regulatory changes. General Mills uses a mix of eLearning and classroom-based training. The curriculum is highly relevant to the work of General Mills attendees, and the teachers – in-house subject matter experts – are given special training themselves, so they are prepared to engage, and not simply lecture the students.