ConAgra CEO Explains Why He's Optimistic Over A Trump Presidency

Conagra Brands Inc CAG CEO Sean Connolly was a guest on CNBC Tuesday to talk about the company's outlook during the upcoming administration.

Connolly explained that President-elect Donald Trump has outlined many priorities for his presidency and none of them are lacking in importance. He said the company is in the middle of a significant turnaround, so management will be paying extra close attention to any policy changes that could help spur further growth and innovation.

However, Connolly isn't paying as much attention towards developments in Washington as other companies me be doing.

"Issues one and two for us is get our cost structure in order and then grow," he explained. "There is a lot of 'maybe this maybe that' going on so we can't spend our energy getting distracted by speculation. We got to stay focused on executing our agenda and that is really about growth and innovation."

Innovation In Food Companies?

The CEO mentioned the word "innovation" several times during the interview and was asked to clarify how a food company can innovate.

Connolly explained that innovation is as important in the food business compared to any other business. He noted that the company operates more than 50 different brands if these brands aren't modernized and kept relevant they can become weak and see weak sales.

For example, one of ConAgra's brands sells the Pam cooking spray line. Some consumers don't like the idea of using an aerosol spray in the preparation of their food so the company is now in the process of launching an aerosol spray-free Pam product.