Overview
Dairy Forum returns in 2024 to Phoenix, Arizona with the premier annual event for dairy industry leaders.
Presented by the International Dairy Foods Association, Dairy Forum convenes more than 1,000 leaders from across the dairy supply chain to ELEVATE their businesses, advance their expertise, and actively contribute to the conversation that will shape the future of the dairy industry.
Spread across four days, Dairy Forum includes main sessions, deep dive sessions, panel discussions, special presentations by conference partners, and numerous opportunities to connect with leaders in the dairy industry.
Elevate Your Business, Elevate the Industry
This year’s Dairy Forum will feature innovative and inspiring sessions that will elevate dairy leaders’ understanding of emerging trends in technologies, personalized health and nutrition, sustainability, domestic and international markets, policy and regulation, and leadership skills needed to attract and retain a diverse workforce.
Come prepared to advance your knowledge and unite with leaders from across the supply chain—from farmers to cooperatives, processors, suppliers, retailers, foodservice and government. Dairy Forum is the only event where the full industry convenes to collaborate, innovate, and ELEVATE the industry to meet the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix!
Agenda
*All Times Mountain Print Agenda
| January 21, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00am |
Morning Golf Tournament
Sponsored By:
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Wildfire Golf Club – Faldo Championship Course | |
| 8:00am |
Dairy Forum Pickleball Tournament
|
JW Marriott Pickleball Club | |
|
Grab your paddles and join us on Sunday morning, Jan. 21st, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. for the first annual Dairy Forum Pickleball Tournament at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort’s championship pickleball courts to benefit the IDFA Foundation. All pickleball enthusiasts and novices are welcome. Register in groups of two or on your own to have an opportunity to play pickleball while also fundraising to make a difference for our industry and the communities where we work. Newcomers and aficionados alike are welcome. The morning will include short clinics led by club pros for beginners and those who want to hone their skills, followed by a round-robin tournament and playoff with the top eight players, as well as an awards ceremony. The top two players at the end of the tournament will win an inscribed Silver Award Plate! 100% of the funds raised will support the IDFA Foundation, which promotes the health and wellbeing of people, communities, and our planet on behalf of U.S. dairy. |
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| 9:00am |
5K Fun Run
Sponsored By:
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Sunset Lawn | |
| 12:30pm |
Afternoon Golf Tournament
|
Wildfire Golf Club – Palmer Signature Course | |
| 2:00pm - 4:00pm |
IDFA Executive Council Meeting (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran F | |
| 5:00pm - 5:45pm |
Chairman's Reception (invitation only)
Sponsored By:
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Wildflower Ballroom | |
| 6:00pm - 7:00pm |
Chairman’s Lecture: Current Events Through the Eyes of a News Anchor
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
|
Scott Pelley, award-winning investigative reporter, correspondent, and news anchor, leads on a multi-media trip around the world through his unique insights and behind-the-scenes looks at the people and issues that shape our lives. From Iran to North Korea to US soil, Pelley shares his nuanced perspective of the major events of the day and explains what happens after the cameras stop rolling during his most well-known interviews. He will share a collection of inspiring and motivational stories that will capture the imagination, offer valuable life lessons, and excite with possibilities for tomorrow. Host: Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO, International Dairy Foods Association |
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| 7:00pm - 8:30pm |
Welcome Reception
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon Foyer | |
| January 22, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:30am - 9:10am |
President’s Breakfast: Elevating Dairy to Win the Future
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
|
Michael Dykes is an optimist who leads IDFA with a positive vision and firm belief in the power of U.S. dairy to feed, nourish, and sustain people and communities around the world. In his 2024 President’s Breakfast, Michael will map out how to ELEVATE U.S. dairy to win the future by embracing health and wellness, reigniting our industry’s competitive fire, putting people at the center of everything we do, and affirming sustainable practices. Michael believes in the power of each individual leader to ELEVATE our workforce, our businesses, and our industry to new heights. Michael’s dynamic presentation will examine new industry research, assess emerging trends among businesses and consumers, and weigh how a shifting political and regulatory landscape impacts U.S. dairy’s efforts to win the future. |
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| 9:10am - 9:30am |
Elevating New Voices for Dairy
|
Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
|
Join us for a rapid-fire discussion with representatives from the IDFA NextGen Leadership Program. Hear from these exceptional leaders as they share their unique perspectives and insights on how we Elevate New Voices for Dairy. During this focused conversation, you will hear their thoughts on the most valuable qualities in leadership, strategies to elevate the next generation of leaders, and their views on key challenges and opportunities in our industry. Let’s explore what’s possible as we aim to inspire and empower dairy industry leaders across the industry. Moderator: Colin Newman, Chief of Staff, International Dairy Foods Association |
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| 9:30am - 9:45am |
Networking Break
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon Foyer | |
| 9:45am - 10:45am |
Deep Dive Session – Highlighting Dairy in Health and Wellness Policy Making
Sponsored By:
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Grand Saguaro North | |
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Dairy foods have a well-deserved “health halo” reflecting the unique and robust mix of nutrients they contribute to healthy dietary patterns. But how do we ensure that dairy products are or remain elevated in future policy mandates and recommendations focused on improving consumer health and wellness and reducing food-related chronic disease? USDA updates to nutrition programs including WIC, SNAP and school meal programs and new or modified FDA nutrition policies including the healthy definition, dietary guidance statements and front of pack nutrition labeling must be underpinned by the most current version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and align with the current administration’s priorities spelled out in the National Strategy issued in conjunction with last year’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. The National Strategy embraces a whole of society approach and public-private partnerships—some with dairy companies—to move forward innovative ideas such as food as medicine and food prescriptions. Join this session as we discuss how to reinforce the importance of healthy diets and the role of dairy in them as nutrition policies and initiatives evolve. Moderator: Michelle Albee Matto, MPH, RDN, Associate Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition, International Dairy Foods Association |
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| 9:45am - 10:45am |
Deep Dive Session – Milk Pricing Regulation and Risk Management
Sponsored By:
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Grand Saguaro South | |
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Hear how federal order regulation affects dairy processors’ access to risk management tools across different milk classes. In this session, leading experts will highlight how the dairy industry is using price risk management tools to minimize price volatility and meeting the expectations of their retail and food service customers. |
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| 10:45am - 11:00am |
Networking Break
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon Foyer | |
| 11:00am - 12:00pm |
Deep Dive Session – Elevating Women in Dairy
|
Grand Saguaro North | |
|
Join us for a short presentation on the state of Women in Dairy, followed by a discussion between panelists about strategies and best practices for empowering women in the dairy industry. How can men ally with women? How can we better support emerging female leaders? We’ll cover these questions and more while seeking audience participation through the submission of their comments to IDFA throughout the day. Comments received will be summarized at the evening Women in Dairy reception. |
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| 11:00am - 12:00pm |
Deep Dive Session – Insetting is the New Offsetting
Sponsored By:
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Grand Saguaro South | |
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Companies around the world are building strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their operations and supply chains. Historically, a key strategy has been to purchase or sell offset “credits” through voluntary carbon markets or as part of governmental regulatory programs. “Offsetting” as a GHG-reduction strategy, however, faces intense scrutiny and questions arise about whether offsets perpetuate the practices of high-emitting industries. This panel explores another path to GHG reduction, using within-value-chain interventions, also known as “insetting.” With insetting, GHG reductions remain associated with the same industry that generated them for accounting purposes. Panelists will discuss barriers, best practices, technology, and potential financing innovations related to generating credible inset as opposed to offset credits. Session participants will learn why supply chain inset collaboration and investment will play an important role in Dairy’s climate mitigation work, especially considering the growing number of global dairy companies setting science-based emissions reduction targets. Moderator: Mike Aquino, Director, ESG, International Dairy Foods Association |
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| 12:15pm - 2:00pm |
Lunch Session: Elevated Leadership
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
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Doug Conant, Founder of ConantLeadership, former CEO of Campbell Soup Company, former President of Nabisco Foods, former Head of Corporate Strategy at Kraft, and former marketing associate at General Mills shares his remarkable leadership story and the insights learned over his 30+ years working in the CPG space. He says finding his leadership purpose is what helped him become the leader he wanted to be and to have the courage of his convictions when it mattered most. In 1984, Doug Conant was fired without warning and with barely an explanation. He felt hopeless and stuck but, surprisingly, this defeating turn of events was the best thing that ever happened to him. Embarking on a journey of self-reflection and discovery, he forged a path that revolutionized his leadership and transformed his career trajectory. Doug teaches leaders how to work through the same steps that he used on his transformational journey. Now, today’s leaders who feel stuck and overwhelmed finally have a blueprint for elevating their leadership to make meaningful change in their organizations and in the world. |
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| 2:00pm - 3:00pm |
Elevating, Evolving, and Excelling in a Global Dairy Market
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
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Join industry leaders as they share insights on how they have ELEVATED dairy to become some of the world’s largest suppliers of affordable, sustainable, nutrition. Learn how these leaders are managing in a marketplace with growing global demand for dairy products yet a business environment filled with many complexities, including rapidly evolving policies and regulations, workforce and supply chain challenges, and the need to address ESG. How do we ELEVATE dairy to capitalize on growing demand in an evolving global market? |
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| 3:00pm - 4:00pm |
International Trade Committee Meeting (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran F | |
| 3:00pm - 4:00pm |
Legal Community Meeting (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran I | |
| 3:15pm - 4:00pm |
Boost Your Bottom Line: Unlocking the Opportunity of Shelf-Stable Dairy
Sponsored By:
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Grand Saguaro North | |
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As the fluid milk industry faces a range of challenges, including supply chain disruptions, vertical integration in retail dairy, and changing consumer preferences, the case for transitioning to shelf-stable dairy is stronger than ever. In this session, we’ll review the current state of fluid milk and delve into what the future holds if current trends continue. Then we’ll explore the economics of shifting to shelf-stable processing and packaging and take a practical look at what it really takes to transition and maximize this growing opportunity. Join us to learn how shelf-stable milk can help you create a more sustainable and profitable future for your business. |
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| 3:15pm - 4:00pm |
Cows, Carbon Credits and Climate: How Carbon Credit Insetting Can Create Value for the Dairy Industry
Sponsored By:
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Grand Saguaro South | |
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The development of a first-of-its-kind insetting carbon credit marketplace for the livestock industry is a game-changer, helping make all aspects of sustainability—economic, environmental and social—a reality. This insightful panel will convene leaders across the protein value chain, including producers, animal health leaders, and protein and technology companies, who will discuss how a livestock carbon credit marketplace will work, what carbon credit insetting means and how this marketplace can help advance sustainability efforts at each step of the value chain. Moderator: Katie Cook, Vice President of Farm Animal Innovation & Marketing, Elanco Animal Health |
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| 3:30pm - 4:00pm |
Media Meet-and-Greet (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran K | |
| 4:00pm - 4:30pm |
Press Briefing
|
Grand Sonoran K | |
| 4:00pm - 5:00pm |
Women in Dairy Event
Sponsored By:
|
Wildflower Terrace | |
| 4:15pm - 5:15pm |
State Association Executive Meeting (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran H | |
| 5:30pm - 6:30pm |
PAC Reception (invitation only)
|
Tia Carmen – Salud Private Dining Room | |
| January 23, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:30am - 9:30am |
Breakfast Session: The Future of Work Begins with Conscious Leadership Today
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
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Whisperings about the future of work have developed into full-fledged conversations. Still, we have not yet arrived at a consensus on what exactly the future of work entails and how leaders can position their organizations and their people for success during such a transformative period in the workplace and beyond. Bringing a holistic perspective from inside some of the world’s leading organizations, Ginny shares her insights and wisdom on the ways conscious, effective leaders can get the best out of their people and, in turn, create high-performing teams for the future. She will outline the importance of beginning with organizational health when guiding your workforce into the future — paying special attention to how to assess, attract, and hire the best talent, and establish a culture rooted in accountability, trust, integrity, and inclusion. Ginny goes beyond ideas and offers leaders practical tactics and processes for optimizing talent, resources, productivity, and profitability to create a disruption-proof workplace that is equipped for the long run. |
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| 9:30am - 9:45am |
Networking Break
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon Foyer | |
| 9:45am - 10:45am |
Equitable Access: How to Expand Equitable Access to Dairy Nutrition for All
Sponsored By:
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Grand Saguaro North | |
|
Ensuring dairy foods remain healthy, affordable, available, and accessible to a wide variety of people across different socio-economic groups is a priority for U.S. dairy processing. This deep dive discussion will leverage consumer insight research from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) on the diet- and nutrition-related attitudes of U.S. consumers to discuss how to improve equitable access to dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese throughout the day. For some, dairy is central to individual or familial customs, such as meals or celebrations. Others may have unanswered questions or concerns about how dairy fits into their diet and nutritional needs. In this panel, federal nutrition policy experts from the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation will join with food and nutrition insight experts from IFIC to examine how federal policy plays an important role in removing barriers. Moderator: Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President & CEO, International Food Information Council |
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| 9:45am - 10:45am |
Deep Dive Session – The Future is Now: Leveraging AI and Machine Learning to Transform Your Business
Sponsored By:
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Grand Saguaro South | |
|
Hear how companies have successfully used AI and Machine Learning to enhance the way they produce, transport and sell their product. Learn not only about AI advancements coming to market that will transform our industry, but also about the ways new technologies can be used in your business today, from production and logistics to sales and consumer trends. Sandeep Anand, Senior Director, Decision Science, Infor |
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| 10:45am - 11:00am |
Networking Break
|
Grand Canyon Foyer | |
| 11:00am - 12:00pm |
Deep Dive Session – Dairy Innovation: Building Future-Forward Products and Supply Chains While Meeting Evolving Consumer Preferences
Sponsored By:
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Grand Saguaro North | |
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Ever-changing consumer preferences and demands continue to drive product innovation in the dairy industry. This innovation spans the gamut and includes, in part, meeting consumers’ growing focus on health and wellness by developing new and novel dairy-based products to enhance cognitive wellness, mobility, immunity, and muscle health and support patients undergoing surgical procedures or cancer treatments like chemotherapy; and bringing to market probiotic offerings with benefits beyond digestive health. Dairy businesses also continue to innovate to meet consumer demand for additional varieties of dairy product options and plant-based dairy alternatives that provide new and unique flavor profiles. Then there is innovation to digitize supply chains to meet consumer demand for transparency with regard to products and packaging to inform purchasing decisions. Join this panel discussion to learn about these innovation trends in dairy. Moderator: Roberta Wagner, Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association |
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| 11:00am - 12:00pm |
Deep Dive Session – The Economics of Immigration: How an Immigrant Workforce Elevates the Rural Economy
|
Grand Saguaro South | |
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Join a group of experts as they explore the different methods to develop an immigrant-based workforce. The panelists will share their perspectives on the benefits to dairy processors and rural America from immigrant labor. How do we keep the U.S. Dairy industry competitive by solidifying our labor pool with immigrant guestworkers and refugees? Hear how an immigrant-based workforce elevates the rural economy and how we envision reforming the existing system to meet the current and future needs of the agriculture processing sector. |
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| 12:15pm - 2:00pm |
Lunch Session: The Next 730 Days: What to Expect in Technology, the Economy, and the Future of Work
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
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History has shown that we can only accurately predict two years ahead, or 730 days. So, while many are sharing their 5, 10, 15, 20-year forecasts, often with conflicting ideas and notions, this keynote is your antidote. Award-winning business and innovation visionary Leonard Brody leads a clear, narrowly focused exploration of the forces shaping our near future and how leaders and organizations can better prepare for it. He provides a data and research-driven look at this next critical period in technology, the economy, and the future of work, while also sharing proven best practices. This includes an in-depth exploration and analysis of: The secret to an economic and technological pattern that has repeated itself over the last 300 years; The next chapter of AI and blockchain and its immediate applicability; and The next two years of the economy and the drivers behind it. |
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| 2:00pm - 3:00pm |
The Next 730 Days for Dairy: Trends and Drivers Shaping Tomorrow
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
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Hear from a panel of experts for an in-depth review of the drivers and trends that will shape the dairy industry of the future. What should dairy leaders be thinking about as they develop their strategies moving forward? Why should they be excited about investing for the long term? Join us for an enlightening view on what an ELEVATED vision for dairy looks like in 2026 and beyond. |
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| 3:15pm - 4:45pm |
NextGen Leadership Roundtable (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran F | |
| 3:15pm - 4:45pm |
Power of People Roundtable (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran G | |
| 3:30pm - 4:30pm |
Economic Policy Committee Meeting (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran E | |
| 5:30pm - 7:00pm |
Cocktails and Conversation
Sponsored By:
|
Grand Saguaro East | |
| January 24, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:30am - 9:00am |
Elevating the Future of Dairy Trade with Ambassador Doug McKalip
|
Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
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As we enter the home stretch of this Administration and look toward a presidential election, join Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip to hear his reflections on what has been accomplished and this Administration’s “new tools” of trade policy. After his remarks, Ambassador McKalip will be joined by IDFA’s Vice President for Trade Policy and International Affairs Becky Rasdall for a fireside chat on the future of dairy trade policy. |
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| 9:00am - 10:00am |
Trade Roundtable with Ambassador Doug McKalip (invitation only)
|
Grand Sonoran A-C | |
| 9:00am - 10:00am |
The World of “Ands” in Consumer Trends and Business Imperatives
Sponsored By:
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Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
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Consumer behaviors are diverging in sometimes paradoxical directions. How can companies quickly detect—and respond to—these trends? Leading businesses place a lot of emphasis on listening to consumers, as they should. Consumer sentiment and behavior can be fast changing, confusing, and sometimes contradictory. Today’s consumers, for instance, are both trading down and selectively splurging. They’re buying big, established brands and exploring newer, smaller ones. Many of their buying decisions are a matter of “and,” not “or.” Staying attuned to these trends in consumer behavior can be difficult for companies but doing so is absolutely critical—even (or perhaps especially) when the ands seem paradoxical. Quick decision making on how to meet consumers’ expectations in this world of ands must be at the top of a company’s agenda. In addition, businesses must prioritize a series of ands themselves to grow profitably and outperform competitors. This session will highlight the ands that McKinsey is seeing playing out in consumer behavior, along with the ands that business leaders need to act on. Speaker: Sajal Kohli, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company |
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| 10:00am - 11:00am |
Harnessing the Digital Shelf: Opportunities and Challenges for Brand Owners and Retailers
|
Grand Canyon 6-8 | |
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The digital shelf continues to reshape the dairy industry as more manufacturers offer their products direct to consumers. An added benefit to this model is that manufacturers can obtain real-time information from consumers to inform innovation or marketing strategies. Successful brand owners recognize that the digital shelf can also drive success at brick-and-mortar retail stores. At the same time the primary function of retail stores is transitioning away from purely transactional to meeting consumers’ desire for an enjoyable in-store experience and interacting with products before buying them. Join brand owners and retailers to learn how they are leveraging the digital shelf to grow their businesses while addressing challenges such as inflation and costs of transportation for perishable products. Moderator: Roberta Wagner, Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association |
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Dairy Forum Pickleball Tournament
Grab your paddles and join us on Sunday morning, Jan. 21st, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. for the first annual Dairy Forum Pickleball Tournament at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort’s championship pickleball courts to benefit the IDFA Foundation. All pickleball enthusiasts and novices are welcome. Register in groups of two or on your own to have an opportunity to play pickleball while also fundraising to make a difference for our industry and the communities where we work. Newcomers and aficionados alike are welcome. The morning will include short clinics led by club pros for beginners and those who want to hone their skills, followed by a round-robin tournament and playoff with the top eight players, as well as an awards ceremony. The top two players at the end of the tournament will win an inscribed Silver Award Plate! 100% of the funds raised will support the IDFA Foundation, which promotes the health and wellbeing of people, communities, and our planet on behalf of U.S. dairy.
Chairman’s Lecture: Current Events Through the Eyes of a News Anchor
Scott Pelley, award-winning investigative reporter, correspondent, and news anchor, leads on a multi-media trip around the world through his unique insights and behind-the-scenes looks at the people and issues that shape our lives. From Iran to North Korea to US soil, Pelley shares his nuanced perspective of the major events of the day and explains what happens after the cameras stop rolling during his most well-known interviews. He will share a collection of inspiring and motivational stories that will capture the imagination, offer valuable life lessons, and excite with possibilities for tomorrow.
Host: Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO, International Dairy Foods Association
Speaker: Scott Pelley, Award-Winning 60 Minutes Correspondent & Former CBS News Anchor and Managing Editor
Michael Dykes, D.V.M.
Michael Dykes, D.V.M., a long-time government affairs strategist, agricultural policy expert, and veterinarian, became president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association in January 2017. In this role, he represents members that make more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. Since joining IDFA, Dykes has been a strong advocate for the importance of global competitiveness to the future of the U.S. dairy industry. He has made preserving trade partnerships with Mexico and improving Canadian market access for U.S. dairy exports in all future trade agreements a priority for IDFA. Prior to assuming his role at IDFA, Dykes served as vice president of government affairs for Monsanto, where he was responsible for developing and implementing a portfolio of U.S. government relations strategies and programs that included agricultural biotechnology policy. He led Monsanto's office in Washington, D.C., and served as the company's primary point of contact for elected officials, regulatory authorities, U.S. farm organizations, key industry participants, trade associations, international organizations and embassies. He directed the company's efforts in state and local government affairs, in addition to government affairs in Mexico and Canada. Dykes is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Academy of Practitioners. He has served on the Farmhouse Fraternity board for 3+ years. He is also a member of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and has served on the USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).
Dykes grew up on a small dairy and tobacco farm in Kentucky. He earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University. He also attended the University of Kentucky where he received a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science.
Scott Pelley
After covering the most compelling and historic stories of the last 40 years, 60 Minutes correspondent and former CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley is one of the most recognizable faces in American journalism today.
Pelley has been reporting for 60 Minutes, America’s number one news program, for nearly 25 years. During that time, half of all the major awards won by 60 Minutes have been for stories he has reported. His reporting for 60 Minutes has taken him to the battlefields of Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and also includes news-making interviews with presidents, kings, and global celebrities. He captured the nation’s attention with exclusive interviews of President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as his interview with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, which took place in Zelensky’s blacked-out bunker near the beginning of the Russian invasion.
Pelley previously served as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from 2011 to 2017. In that time, he made the storied flagship of CBS News the fastest growing evening news broadcast in America and grew the broadcast by an additional 1.5 million viewers.
Pelley’s is also the author of the book, Truth Worth Telling, which offers a collection of inspiring tales, reminding us of the importance of values in our uncertain times. Pelley provides audiences with his expert and insightful perspective from a career on the front lines of history.
Throughout his illustrious career, Pelley has been honored with 43 Emmy Awards, four prestigious duPont-Columbia Awards, three George Foster Peabody Awards and the Walter Cronkite Award among many others.
Critical reviews. The Washington Post wrote, “Pelley’s tenure has been marked by his intelligent, truth-seeking approach to the news, pulling no punches while still remaining impartial.” The Columbia Journalism Review called Pelley, “The most well-qualified and proven television journalist ever to ascend to the anchor job.” Variety praised his, “Genuine gravitas and commitment to his craft” while the Washington Times wrote, “The legacy of Edward R. Murrow lives in the daring, long-range investigations of Scott Pelley.” Salon.com said, “He restores a little of our faith in TV news while performing hugely-important, world-bettering reports along the way.”
President’s Breakfast: Elevating Dairy to Win the Future
Michael Dykes is an optimist who leads IDFA with a positive vision and firm belief in the power of U.S. dairy to feed, nourish, and sustain people and communities around the world. In his 2024 President’s Breakfast, Michael will map out how to ELEVATE U.S. dairy to win the future by embracing health and wellness, reigniting our industry’s competitive fire, putting people at the center of everything we do, and affirming sustainable practices. Michael believes in the power of each individual leader to ELEVATE our workforce, our businesses, and our industry to new heights. Michael’s dynamic presentation will examine new industry research, assess emerging trends among businesses and consumers, and weigh how a shifting political and regulatory landscape impacts U.S. dairy’s efforts to win the future.
Speaker: Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO, International Dairy Foods Association
Michael Dykes, D.V.M.
Michael Dykes, D.V.M., a long-time government affairs strategist, agricultural policy expert, and veterinarian, became president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association in January 2017. In this role, he represents members that make more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. Since joining IDFA, Dykes has been a strong advocate for the importance of global competitiveness to the future of the U.S. dairy industry. He has made preserving trade partnerships with Mexico and improving Canadian market access for U.S. dairy exports in all future trade agreements a priority for IDFA. Prior to assuming his role at IDFA, Dykes served as vice president of government affairs for Monsanto, where he was responsible for developing and implementing a portfolio of U.S. government relations strategies and programs that included agricultural biotechnology policy. He led Monsanto's office in Washington, D.C., and served as the company's primary point of contact for elected officials, regulatory authorities, U.S. farm organizations, key industry participants, trade associations, international organizations and embassies. He directed the company's efforts in state and local government affairs, in addition to government affairs in Mexico and Canada. Dykes is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Academy of Practitioners. He has served on the Farmhouse Fraternity board for 3+ years. He is also a member of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and has served on the USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).
Dykes grew up on a small dairy and tobacco farm in Kentucky. He earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University. He also attended the University of Kentucky where he received a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science.
Elevating New Voices for Dairy
Join us for a rapid-fire discussion with representatives from the IDFA NextGen Leadership Program. Hear from these exceptional leaders as they share their unique perspectives and insights on how we Elevate New Voices for Dairy. During this focused conversation, you will hear their thoughts on the most valuable qualities in leadership, strategies to elevate the next generation of leaders, and their views on key challenges and opportunities in our industry. Let’s explore what’s possible as we aim to inspire and empower dairy industry leaders across the industry.
Moderator: Colin Newman, Chief of Staff, International Dairy Foods Association
Ebru Başaran-Shull, Executive Vice President, Compliance, Sargento Foods, Inc.
Kelly Kerrigan, PHR, SHRM-CP, CLRL, HR Director, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Jose Quijada, Sr. Director, Customer Experience, Ecolab
Sarah Schmidt, Vice President of Marketing, Associated Milk Producers Inc.
Colin Newman
Colin Newman serves as IDFA’s Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff where he directs the organization’s key initiatives and leads day-to-day operations of the executive office. In this role, Newman executes on the strategic priorities of President and CEO, Michael Dykes, D.V.M and serves as strategist and consultant, facilitating collaboration and inclusiveness across the association to achieve organizational goals.
Newman is the executive office’s liaison with IDFA members and members of the IDFA Executive Council and Industry Segment Boards. He also leads the association’s Political Action Committee (IDFA PAC) and all grassroots political activities. These activities include strategic fly-ins, legislative fly-outs, Congressional facility tours, IDFA’s annual leadership awards and other special events.
Newman designed, implemented, and leads the IDFA NextGen Leadership Program, a signature program of the IDFA People Strategy. The NextGen Leadership Program supports, guides, and prepares mid-senior level dairy industry professionals ready to take the next step in their leadership journey.
Newman joined IDFA in 2017 from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where he served as manager for corporate relations. Before that, he worked at Morgan Meredith & Associates, a fundraising firm on Capitol Hill, where he fundraised for members of Congress, PACs and nonprofits. Newman also led a grassroots effort as a field director for Senator Mitt Romney during Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. Newman earned a bachelor’s degree in management at Gettysburg College.
Ebru Basaran-Shull
Ebru is the EVP - Compliance at Sargento Foods. She has a BS degree in Food Engineering, Master of Jurisprudence in Global Food Law and Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University Chicago. In her 28- year career, Ebru worked in multiple fields such as Food Safety and Quality, R&D, Regulatory, Government Affairs, Legal and Compliance. She had the opportunity to work with business owners, customers, suppliers and regulators in the US and internationally. In her most current role, she is responsible for developing and managing compliance initiatives, controls, and processes by providing expertise and leadership in collaboration with other functions. She operates as an independent and objective body that reviews and evaluates compliance issues within the company. Ebru also oversees Corporate Social Responsibility, Regulatory Affairs and Food Safety and Quality functions.
Kelly Kerrigann, PHR, SHRM-CP, CLRL
Kelly Kerrigan is the Director of Human Resources at Michigan Milk Producers Association where she negotiates union contracts with MMPA plants, manages employee benefits and serves as a resource to MMPA’s 600 employees. With previous experience working in the automotive industry, Kelly transitioned to dairy in 2019 after joining MMPA. Kelly is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a master’s degree in human resources administration and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan Dearborn in workforce development.
Jose Quijada
Jose Quijada started his career at Ecolab as an Assistant Marketing Manager in 2011 where he was working on product launches and Voice-of-Customer for the Food & Protein segments in Asia Pacific, China, and Latin-America. After several marketing rotations, Jose became the first Global Dairy Marketer for Ecolab.
In September 2017, Jose transitioned into a Corporate Account Manager role for the North America market. In this position, Jose was the main point of contact to multiple Dairy companies in the US and Canada as their try to achieve their goals of manufacturing high quality and safe food at the lowest possible cost.
Due to the results delivered by Jose as a Corporate Account Manager, Jose became an Assistant Vice President for the North America market. In this role, Jose manages a team of Corporate Account Managers and a Dairy portfolio of over $120M in the United States and Canada.
In 2021, Jose was honored to be selected for the Next Generation Leadership Program of IDFA. This leadership program allowed Jose to work with multiple key leaders in the dairy industry around multiple important areas including dairy advocacy, sustainability targets and, especially, how to improve diversity in the dairy industry. Also, Jose has been working closely with IDFA to build the Dairy Diversity Coalition to attract and retain talent in the Dairy industry.
In September 2023, Jose was tasked to create and lead the Customer Experience team for Food & Beverage NA. In this new role, Jose will be responsible for designing and implementing processes and initiatives to deliver value for Ecolab customers, by integrating, among other things, digital innovations that will enhance customer satisfaction.
Before Ecolab, Jose worked in the digital industry for 5 years in Latin-America.
Jose got his MBA degree from University of St. Thomas in 2011 and his Computer Engineering degree from Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela in 2005. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and his twins.
Sarah Schmidt
Sarah Schmidt is vice president of marketing for Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI),
a dairy cooperative headquartered in New Ulm, Minn. In this role, she shares AMPI’s story with a variety of audiences to help grow revenue and foster relationships, and identify and develop new opportunities. She leads the cooperative’s marketing, communications, government relations, and stewardship and sustainability efforts.
Schmidt graduated with summa cum laude honors from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with an animal science degree. She is a past recipient of the Cooperative Communicators Association's Michael Graznak Award and three-time recipient of the National Milk Producers Federation Outstanding Achievement in Communications Award. In 2022, she was presented the Golden Graduate Award by the University of Minnesota’s Gopher Dairy Club. She currently serves on the National Dairy Shrine Board of Directors.
Schmidt and her husband, Kelly, live on a farm near New Ulm where they are raising three daughters. The family enjoys raising and showing beef and dairy heifers and hogs. They are active in 4-H, FFA and junior livestock associations.
AMPI is owned by dairy farm families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. The cooperative’s award-winning cheese, butter and powdered dairy products are marketed to foodservice, retail and food ingredient customers. The co-op launched its Dinner Bell Creamery® brand and accompanying Co-op Crafted® promise in 2019, highlighting more than 50 years of dairy farm families partnering with skilled dairy craftsmen to make great-tasting, award-winning products.
Deep Dive Session – Highlighting Dairy in Health and Wellness Policy Making
Dairy foods have a well-deserved “health halo” reflecting the unique and robust mix of nutrients they contribute to healthy dietary patterns. But how do we ensure that dairy products are or remain elevated in future policy mandates and recommendations focused on improving consumer health and wellness and reducing food-related chronic disease? USDA updates to nutrition programs including WIC, SNAP and school meal programs and new or modified FDA nutrition policies including the healthy definition, dietary guidance statements and front of pack nutrition labeling must be underpinned by the most current version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and align with the current administration’s priorities spelled out in the National Strategy issued in conjunction with last year’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. The National Strategy embraces a whole of society approach and public-private partnerships—some with dairy companies—to move forward innovative ideas such as food as medicine and food prescriptions. Join this session as we discuss how to reinforce the importance of healthy diets and the role of dairy in them as nutrition policies and initiatives evolve.
Moderator: Michelle Albee Matto, MPH, RDN, Associate Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition, International Dairy Foods Association
Alicia Powers, Managing Director, Hunger Solutions Institute, Auburn University
Will McIntee, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement, The White House
Katie Wilson, Ph.D., Executive Director, Urban School Food Alliance
Michelle Albee Matto, MPH, RDN
Michelle provides technical and regulatory leadership to advance IDFA’s nutrition and health advocacy, ensuring dairy’s role in federal nutrition programs and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). In addition, she delivers training on dairy standards and labeling, and provides guidance to IDFA members related to product labeling.
She has worked closely with IDFA over the years, serving on staff between 2002-2010, and then as founder and principal of AM Food & Nutrition consulting, where she worked closely with IDFA providing regulatory support on federal rulemaking and nutrition programs, led IDFA labeling training, and advised IDFA members on labeling requirements. Prior to 2002, Michelle worked at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) in Washington, D.C. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition at Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y., and her Master of Public Health degree in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Society for Nutrition and is a past board member of the DC Chapters of both the Institute of Food Technologists and the Society for Nutrition Education.
Alicia Powers
Dr. Powers holds a PhD in Nutrition and Food Systems from The University of Southern Mississippi as well as a MS and BS in Nutrition and Food Sciences from Auburn University.
During her five years as Managing Director, Powers has elevated Hunger Solutions Institute as a true academic center providing steadfast leadership in teaching, research, and service in food security and healthy food access. HSI currently has $5 million in active grants and gifts. Prior to joining HSI, Powers worked as Community Health Coordinator with the Alabama Extension Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education (SNAP-Ed) at Auburn University. In this role, Powers developed, implemented and evaluated policy, systems and environmental strategies to increase access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities for limited resource populations throughout Alabama. From 2007-2016, Powers served as an associate professor of Health Sciences at Furman University. During this time, Powers co-founded Live Well Greenville, a coalition of organizations partnering to ensure access to healthy eating and active living opportunities for every Greenville County, South Carolina resident. Powers recently received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for Auburn University.
Katie Wilson, Ph.D.
Dr. Wilson has a passion for child nutrition and has dedicated her career to improving access to healthy food for all children and their families. She has spent 23 years as a school nutrition director, 5 years as the Executive Director for the Institute of Child Nutrition, 2 years as the Deputy Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by President Obama and is presently the Executive Director of the Urban School Food Alliance.
Katie has shared her expertise throughout the United States and around the world as an invited speaker. She also on the Board of Directors for the international group, Eating City.
Dr. Wilson holds a bachelor’s of science degree in dietetics, a master’s degree in food science and nutrition from the University of WI – Stout, and a doctoral degree in foodservice and lodging management from Iowa State University. She is credentialed as a School Nutrition Specialist.
She has received many peer nominated awards throughout her career and has recently been honoured with The Dr. Katie Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award given annually in WI.
Will McIntee
Will McIntee serves as Senior Advisor for Public Engagement at The White House handling rural, agriculture, food, nutrition, and sports engagement. In this role he managed public engagement around the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health that President Biden hosted last year bringing communities across the country together to address hunger and diet-related disease. He served as the Midwest Political Director and National Rural Engagement Director on the Biden-Harris campaign, and also previously served at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Obama-Biden Administration, in the Office of Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) in Iowa, and as the Midwest Outreach Director for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. A native of northeast Iowa, Will is an alum of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.
Deep Dive Session – Milk Pricing Regulation and Risk Management
Hear how federal order regulation affects dairy processors’ access to risk management tools across different milk classes. In this session, leading experts will highlight how the dairy industry is using price risk management tools to minimize price volatility and meeting the expectations of their retail and food service customers.
Moderator: Mike Brown, Chief Economist, International Dairy Foods Association
Panelists: Jordan Clark, Director of Dairy Commodities, Albertsons Companies
Catherine de Ronde, Vice President, Economics & Legislative Affairs, Agri-Mark, Inc.
Christopher Herlache, Risk Management Team Leader, Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Prince Jibunor, Senior Director, Cargill Risk Management
Mike Brown
Mike Brown was named Chief Economist for IDFA on Jan. 17, 2023. In that role, Brown leads economic and policy analysis and strategy development related to dairy policy and pricing.
He is a recognized expert on milk pricing policy and has worked for both farmer-owned cooperatives and proprietary businesses, all of which are current IDFA members. Before joining IDFA, Brown led the milk and dairy procurement team for The Kroger Co. as director of dairy supply chain. Prior to Kroger, Brown served as a dairy economist for well-known dairy brands and organizations including Glanbia, Darigold and National All-Jersey, Inc.
As director of dairy economics and policy for Glanbia, he was responsible for market and farm cost analysis, supported Glanbia’s producer risk management programs and company efforts on U.S. dairy and trade policy, along with other industry initiatives. Prior to Glanbia, he was director of membership services for Northwest Dairy Association. From 1993-2001, Brown was general manager of National All-Jersey, Inc, a dairy producer trade association, where he led efforts to expand multiple component pricing through private plant incentives and through federal milk marketing order reform. Brown was raised on small dairy farm in Western, N.Y. and earned his bachelor’s degree in dairy science from Virginia Tech.
Jordan Clark
Jordan leads the sourcing and supply chain strategy for fluid dairy products at Albertsons, a company with 9 Class I & II dairy plants that services its own retail stores and numerous external customers. His work has taken him through many dairy farms and dairy processing and manufacturing plants, as well as distribution centers and store receiving bays and dairy coolers. He has a Masters in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota where he conducted dairy markets and policy research with his graduate advisor, Dr. Marin Bozic. Prior to Albertsons Jordan performed dairy commodity market research and risk management duties at Land O’Lakes.
Catherine de Ronde
Catherine de Ronde is the Vice President of Economics & Legislative Affairs at Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative. Catherine joined Agri-Mark in 2017 and is responsible for watching dairy market trends, forecasting milk prices, and working on state and federal legislation affecting Agri-Mark members. Catherine was previously employed as the Agricultural Economist with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Catherine holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Resource Economics from the University of Connecticut.
Christopher Herlache
Chris has been involved with the dairy industry his entire life. Growing up on a dairy farm, he learned the fundamentals of dairy farming from the ground up. Chris attended the University of Wisconsin, where he received his degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics in 2000 and has been working for Schreiber Foods since 2000 where he has led the company’s risk management and dairy economic responsibilities since 2003. In this role he has been developing dairy risk management strategies and programs for some of the world’s largest foodservice and retail companies. In addition to these responsibilities, Chris has been involved in US dairy pricing and policy discussions, along with helping to educate and improve dairy spot and futures markets in the US and Europe.
Prince Jibunor
Prince Jibunor is a Senior Director supporting the North America Agriculture team for Cargill Risk Management, which provides risk management solutions for customers that help mitigate risk and volatility, reduce costs and diversify portfolios to navigate uncertainty. His key focus is leading strategy and business development efforts in the food, beverage, and dairy sector across North America.
Deep Dive Session – Elevating Women in Dairy
Join us for a short presentation on the state of Women in Dairy, followed by a discussion between panelists about strategies and best practices for empowering women in the dairy industry. How can men ally with women? How can we better support emerging female leaders? We’ll cover these questions and more while seeking audience participation through the submission of their comments to IDFA throughout the day. Comments received will be summarized at the evening Women in Dairy reception.
Moderator: Becky Rasdall, Vice President, Trade Policy and International Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association
Panelists: David Ahlem CEO and President, Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc.
Robin Kane, Chief People Officer, Aurora Organic Dairy
Annie Waring, Director of Business Development, Americold
Becky Rasdall
Becky Rasdall joined the International Dairy Foods Association in July 2020 as Vice President, Trade Policy and International Affairs where she is responsible for advocacy strategy on international trade and supply chain policy issues impacting the global competitiveness of U.S. dairy products. Becky also currently leads IDFA’s Women in Dairy initiative.
Before she joined IDFA, Becky served as a Senior Advisor with the Foreign Agricultural Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a Deputy Director for Agricultural Affairs in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Throughout her government career, she obtained extensive experience in negotiating technical resolutions to trade barriers for U.S. dairy exports, as well as representing the United States in trade agreement negotiations, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), China Phase One Agreement, and other negotiations with the European Commission and India.
Prior to joining the U.S. government, Becky managed regulatory compliance for ConAgra Foods’ export business and also worked for the International Food Information Council and former Congressman Dave Camp (MI-04). Becky holds a Master of the Arts in International Relations from the University of Warwick in England, and a Bachelor of the Arts in International Political Science from Hope College in Michigan, and speaks German and Spanish.
David Ahlem
David Ahlem is the Chief Executive Officer and President for Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. He came to the Company in 2004. Since then, Ahlem has served in several leadership roles, which have deepened his passion for the dairy business and expanded his experience. His expertise includes dairy policy, strategic management, and customer relations.
A proactive member of the dairy industry, Ahlem participates with leadership peers in a variety of associations. He currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the International Dairy Foods Association Executive Council, and as a board member of the Innovation Center for US Dairy and the Dairy Institute of California. Ahlem also actively participates in several other industry-related groups.
Ahlem was born and raised in California’s Central Valley where his involvement in the dairy industry began on his family’s dairy farm in Hilmar, California. He attended Westmont College, earning a B.A. in Philosophy and later earned an M.B.A from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
David and his wife, Cari, have four children and reside in Turlock, California.
Robin Kane
Robin joined Aurora Organic Dairy in 2019 and leads the Company’s Human Resources, which includes employee programs and benefits, recruiting, training and culture.
Robin’s extensive HR leadership experience spans more than 25 years across various global organizations, including organic dairy, manufacturing, hospitality, consumer packaged goods, computer software & hardware, and public education. She has led large-impact organizational changes and has developed global leadership practices in Europe, Mexico, Canada and South America. Robin’s expertise includes benefits and compensation management, employee engagement, talent acquisition, leadership training and organizational change.
In addition to her role as Senior Vice President of People at Aurora Organic Dairy, Robin teaches human capital management in the Executive MBA program at the University of Denver, and holds various senior HR certifications. She earned her MBA from the University of Colorado – Denver, a Master of Science Degree in Education and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French from the University of Pennsylvania.
Annie Waring
Annie Waring has spent her career in the dairy industry or supporting it. Currently a Director of Business Development for Americold Logistics, Annie works with dairy production companies supporting warehousing and supply chain needs. Annie focuses on producer goals for day-to-day supply chain operations and long term strategic performance objectives of dairy producers, as well as other commodity markets. Prior to Americold Annie worked at Leprino Foods Company in Denver, CO. Annie has participated in 3 IDFA organized legislative fly in sessions to focus on supply chain related issues, and is part of IDFA NextGen Leadership Cohort 5. Annie currently lives in the New Orleans area with her husband and daughter.
Deep Dive Session – Insetting is the New Offsetting
Companies around the world are building strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their operations and supply chains. Historically, a key strategy has been to purchase or sell offset “credits” through voluntary carbon markets or as part of governmental regulatory programs. “Offsetting” as a GHG-reduction strategy, however, faces intense scrutiny and questions arise about whether offsets perpetuate the practices of high-emitting industries. This panel explores another path to GHG reduction, using within-value-chain interventions, also known as “insetting.” With insetting, GHG reductions remain associated with the same industry that generated them for accounting purposes. Panelists will discuss barriers, best practices, technology, and potential financing innovations related to generating credible inset as opposed to offset credits. Session participants will learn why supply chain inset collaboration and investment will play an important role in Dairy’s climate mitigation work, especially considering the growing number of global dairy companies setting science-based emissions reduction targets.
Moderator: Mike Aquino, Director, ESG, International Dairy Foods Association
John Dardis, Senior Vice President, Sustainability, Glanbia Nutritionals
Terryn Lawrence, Chief Sustainability Officer, Rabobank North America
Paul Myer, CEO, Athian
Nicole Rakobitsch, Director of Sustainability, Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative
Mike Aquino
Mike Aquino joined IDFA as Director, ESG in January 2023. Mike was trained as a food scientist at Drexel University and has since held several professional positions in the food and agriculture space, including with Danone’s research and development pilot facility in White Plains, N.Y., and on the Global Sustainability Team at General Mills addressing corporate citizenship issues such as Scope 3 emissions reduction planning and animal welfare. At IDFA, Aquino helps to manage the trade association’s work in sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and ESG policy and programming within the U.S. dairy supply chain. He is part of the IDFA Regulatory Affairs team and works cross-functionally with colleagues on the legislative, public affairs, communications, and membership teams, and in close collaboration with IDFA members. IDFA members are working each day to make progress on environmental, social, and governance issues facing their communities, people, and products. The IDFA Sustainability Initiative, which Mike helps to lead, positions IDFA members to play a vital role in sustainable, equitable and secure food systems by nourishing people, communities, and the planet.
Mike earned a master’s degree in sustainability management from Columbia University and, presently, is working toward an advanced degree in public affairs at American University, where his doctoral research focuses on analysis of environmental policy and the development of the ESG space.
In his free time, Mike enjoys learning about specialty cheeses and artistic printmaking techniques.
John Dardis, Ph.D.
Dr. John Dardis is Senior Vice President for Policy & Sustainability with Glanbia, a global nutrition company. Based in Illinois, John oversees Glanbia’s public policy and sustainability agenda providing strategic leadership across a diverse range of businesses that are part of Glanbia’s growing footprint in the United States. He represents Glanbia on a range of industry organizations including serving as a board member of the US Dairy Export Council.
John previously served as Ireland’s First Secretary for Agriculture, Food and the Marine at the Irish Embassy in Washington DC where he managed Irish agri food trade interests including involvement in the TTIP negotiations. John holds an honors degree in agricultural science from University College Dublin, and a Ph.D. in wheat breeding from UCD. He worked at NC State University as a visiting scientist. John is a 4th generation farmer with a farm in County Kildare, Ireland.
Terryn Lawrence
Terryn Lawrence is the Chief Sustainability Officer for Rabobank North America. Lawrence brings over a decade of executive experience and recently served as Managing Director, leading key partnerships at Persefoni, a carbon management software platform that enables financial institutions and corporations to measure, manage and report their carbon emissions.
Lawrence builds on working across the food value chain - on products and businesses like regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and greener innovations. Her department is developing a North American sustainability strategy and objectives in alignment with Rabobanks’s global ambition to integrate sustainable solutions that are good for customers, society and the world. Lawrence drives the execution of sustainability initiatives across Rabobank's rural and corporate and investment banking businesses. In addition, she collaborates closely with the global Rabo Carbon Bank and Food System Transition teams to accelerate sustainable food production with climate-smart initiatives that reduce emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Early in her career, Terryn worked for one of the largest American member-owned agricultural cooperatives. Since then, she has built and scaled several ESG-focused technology startups, including one of her own, and has worked with many large financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies. While on assignment in London, Terryn earned a certificate from the University of Cambridge's Business Sustainability Management program within the Institute of Sustainability Leadership. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas' Walton College. Lawrence now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Paul Myer
Paul is the CEO and Founder of Athian, a sustainability software company that is building the world’s first carbon Marketplace for the livestock industry. Athian’s platform provides quality greenhouse gas insetting credits that fund livestock producers’ sustainability measures. Athian was funded by industry leading companies in animal health (Elanco & DSM Venturing), Dairy (Newtrient & California Dairies Inc.), and Beef (Tyson Ventures).
Paul comes from three generations of cattle ranchers in the 4-corners region of the US Southwest. As an accomplished technology leader who has built multiple Software as a Service (SaaS) companies, Paul brings over 25 years of experience in executive management, operations, and technology to his role at Athian.
Paul’s career has been focused in the network security and big data/predictive analytics software market, including Veracity (Industrial Network Security), Public Engines (Cloud-based crime data visualization and predictive analytics), and M86 Security (Web and Email Security). Mr. Myer holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BA in International Relations from Brigham Young University.
Nicole Rakobitsch
Nicole Rakobitsch is the Director of Sustainability at Organic Valley, America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands. She leads the Cooperative’s Climate Action plan both on-farm and throughout the cooperative, transitioning the Coop to carbon neutrality by 2050. Nicole co-leads the Coop’s Carbon Insetting Program, an innovative program that compensates its farmer members for every ton of carbon reduced or sequestered through new, or recently implemented climate smart farming practices. Previously Nicole assisted farmers and other landowners in her home state of New York with conservation practice planning, design and installation. Nicole and her husband live in Southwest Wisconsin in an off-grid homestead powered 100% by the wind and sun.
Lunch Session: Elevated Leadership
Doug Conant, Founder of ConantLeadership, former CEO of Campbell Soup Company, former President of Nabisco Foods, former Head of Corporate Strategy at Kraft, and former marketing associate at General Mills shares his remarkable leadership story and the insights learned over his 30+ years working in the CPG space. He says finding his leadership purpose is what helped him become the leader he wanted to be and to have the courage of his convictions when it mattered most. In 1984, Doug Conant was fired without warning and with barely an explanation. He felt hopeless and stuck but, surprisingly, this defeating turn of events was the best thing that ever happened to him. Embarking on a journey of self-reflection and discovery, he forged a path that revolutionized his leadership and transformed his career trajectory. Doug teaches leaders how to work through the same steps that he used on his transformational journey. Now, today’s leaders who feel stuck and overwhelmed finally have a blueprint for elevating their leadership to make meaningful change in their organizations and in the world.
Speaker: Doug Conant, Founder and CEO, Conant Leadership & Former President and CEO, Campbell Soup Company & Former President of Nabisco Foods
Doug Conant
Doug is the only former Fortune 500 CEO who is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, a Top 50 Leadership Innovator, a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and one of the 100 Most Influential Authors in the World.
A devoted leadership practitioner and teacher, Doug’s 45-year career is defined by achieving high performance through an intentional commitment to studying, practicing, improving, and spreading the tenets of “leadership that works.”
He is Founder and CEO of ConantLeadership, former President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, former President of Nabisco Foods, and former Chairman of Avon Products. He has also served on multiple corporate boards including AmerisourceBergen and RHR International. He began his career in marketing at General Mills and held leadership positions in marketing and strategy at Kraft.
Doug is also Chairman of CECP—Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, a member of the board of The Partnership for Public Service, and a member of the board at Hope College. He recently retired as Chairman of The Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance, and as a board member of the National Organization on Disability. Previously, he was Chairman of The Conference Board, Chairman of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and Chairman of Enactus.
His latest Wall Street Journal bestselling book, co-authored with Amy Federman, The Blueprint: 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights, is a seminal treatise on leadership and a practical guide for leading effectively in a chaotic world. He is also the New York Times bestselling co-author with Mette Norgaard of TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments.
Doug is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and served as the Chairman of Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute for five years. He is a former instructor of leadership at the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance and he teaches the concepts advanced in The Blueprint to seasoned and aspiring leaders in his signature leadership development course, The BLUEPRINT Boot Camp by ConantLeadership. He is also a LinkedIn Learning Instructor whose inaugural course, “Finding Your Leadership Purpose with Doug Conant,” launches in early summer 2023.
Doug is the 2022 recipient of the Stephen R. Covey Principle-Centered Leader Award and a Top Thought Leader in Trust Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. He has also been lauded as a Top 100 Leadership Speaker by Inc. Magazine; a Top 100 Most Influential Author in the World; a Top 30 Leadership Professional by Global Gurus; a Leader to Watch by the American Management Association (AMA); a Top 50 Leadership Innovator Changing How We Lead; and a Top 75 Human Business Champion.
Finally, Doug is the ever-so-proud husband of Leigh and father to their three remarkable children. Find him at conantleadership.com, on LinkedIn, and on Twitter at @DougConant.
Elevating, Evolving, and Excelling in a Global Dairy Market
Join industry leaders as they share insights on how they have ELEVATED dairy to become some of the world’s largest suppliers of affordable, sustainable, nutrition. Learn how these leaders are managing in a marketplace with growing global demand for dairy products yet a business environment filled with many complexities, including rapidly evolving policies and regulations, workforce and supply chain challenges, and the need to address ESG. How do we ELEVATE dairy to capitalize on growing demand in an evolving global market?
Moderator: Mary Ledman, Global Sector Strategist – Dairy, Rabo AgriFinance, Global
Panelists: Ron Dunford, President & CEO, Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Miles Hurrell, Chief Executive Officer, Fonterra
Sheryl Meshke, President and CEO, Associated Milk Producers Inc.
Patricia Stroup, Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, Nestle S.A./Chief Executive Officer, Nestrade S.A., Nestle S.A., IDFA Chair
Mary Ledman
Mary is a thought leader who has extensive knowledge of domestic and international dairy markets and policy and over thirty years of experience in production agriculture, food processing, government service, agricultural policy, dairy risk management, market information and dissemination, and milk and dairy product price forecasting.
Prior to Rabobank, Mary held positions at the USDA, Kraft Foods, and Stella. She later founded Keough Ledman Associates, an economic consulting firm serving the dairy industry since 1995.
Mary holds a Bachelor of Science in agricultural journalism and a Master of Science degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University. Early in her career, she was awarded a Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship to conduct comparative research on US and European dairy policies.
Ron Dunford
Ron Dunford was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Schreiber Foods in 2019. He is Schreiber’s eighth President and CEO. Ron spent more than 40 years in the dairy industry.
Ron joined Schreiber in 1996 at the Green Bay, Wisconsin, home office. He was named a Vice President in 2000, Senior Vice President in 2002, President & COO of Schreiber Chain Sales in 2003, President & COO Operations in 2006, and President Schreiber U.S. in 2014. Additionally, Ron was elected to the Schreiber Foods Board of Directors in 2003.
Ron serves as a Board Member for the Utah State University Center for Entrepreneurship, the International Dairy Foods Association, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy where he serves as Food Safety Vice Chair. He also served a 2-year term as the Chairman of the National Cheese Institute. In the community, Ron is actively involved with non-profits and in serving the needs of others.
He earned a B.S. in Geology from Utah State University in Logan, Utah.
He and his wife Dana have two married sons and have been blessed with four grandchildren. Ron enjoys spending time in the mountains; skiing, hiking, and biking. He is also a life-long learner with a passion for helping others achieve their dreams.
Schreiber Foods strives to do good through food every day. Based in North America, we’re a customer-brand leader in cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, shelf-stable beverages and yogurt. Our more than 10,000 employees and presence on five continents enable us to be an essential ingredient in our customers’ success. With annual sales of more than $7 billion, we partner with the best retailers, restaurants, distributors and food manufacturers around the globe. We also recognize our responsibility to do good in the world and are driven to make a difference in everything we do.
Miles Hurrell
Miles was appointed Chief Executive in 2018. He is responsible for leading the organization, delivering strategy and financial performance, and engaging with our farmer owners, employees, customers, and shareholders. As Chief Executive, Miles has led the Co-operative through strategic reviews into a new growth phase focused on New Zealand’s pasture-based milk, dairy innovation and science and sustainability. Previously, Miles held the role of Chief Operating Officer, Farm Source, with responsibility for farmer services and engagement, milk sourcing and the operation of New Zealand’s 70 Farm Source™ retail stores.
Miles has also held a number of leadership roles across the Co-op, including Group Co-operative Affairs Director and General Manager Middle East, Africa, Russia and Eastern Europe where he led a period of sustained growth across the region. Earlier in his career, Miles worked as the General Manager of Global Sourcing, building relationships with many of our global partners of today.
Miles has completed management programmes at INSEAD (International Executive Development), London Business School (Finance), Kellogg’s Northwestern University (Global Sales) and IMD Switzerland (Global Marketing).
Sheryl Meshke
Sheryl Meshke is president and chief executive officer of Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI), the largest cheese cooperative based in the U.S. Appointed to the role in January 2023 following eight years as co-president and CEO, the position caps more than three decades with the company. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to be named CEO of a U.S. dairy cooperative. Personal Meshke currently serves on the boards of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council.
She is past chairman of the Minnesota Dairy Research, Teaching and Consumer Education Authority, The Cooperative Foundation, Cooperative Communicators Association and the Minnesota FFA Foundation. Meshke holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from South Dakota State University and a master’s degree in business from the University of St. Thomas. She is a fifthgeneration farmer, operating a hog and sheep farm near Lake Crystal, Minn., with her husband Blake Meshke, son Brent and his wife Leslie. Another son Derek and his wife Tori live in Brookings, S.D.
Patricia Stroup
Patty Stroup is senior vice president and chief procurement officer at Nestlé and chief executive officer of Nestrade S.A. She has a long history in the dairy industry, with previous experience heading both North American and global dairy procurement for Nestle, as well as prior leadership roles at Hilmar Cheese Company in California and Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers in Virginia. Her career started as co-owner and manager of dairy farms in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
She holds a bachelors degree in communications with a cognate in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech, an MBA focused on Food and Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and a leadership certificate from the London Business School.
Boost Your Bottom Line: Unlocking the Opportunity of Shelf-Stable Dairy
As the fluid milk industry faces a range of challenges, including supply chain disruptions, vertical integration in retail dairy, and changing consumer preferences, the case for transitioning to shelf-stable dairy is stronger than ever. In this session, we’ll review the current state of fluid milk and delve into what the future holds if current trends continue. Then we’ll explore the economics of shifting to shelf-stable processing and packaging and take a practical look at what it really takes to transition and maximize this growing opportunity. Join us to learn how shelf-stable milk can help you create a more sustainable and profitable future for your business.
Moderator: Larine Urbina, Vice President of Communications, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada
Pedro Goncalves, Vice President of Marketing, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada
Michael Bertolino, Vice President of Chilled Sales, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada
Boyd Hall, Account Manager, Contract Manufacturing, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada
Larine Urbina
Larine Urbina is the Vice President of Communications for Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. She leads a dynamic team focused on bringing the company’s values and purpose to life and has responsibility for all aspects of corporate communications, including social media, public relations, sustainability communications, brand marketing, events and employee communications.
Prior to joining Tetra Pak in 2014, Larine held a range of communications roles with GameStop and Rexel Holdings USA. With over 15 years of communication and brand management experience across several industries, Larine brings a broad view to brand storytelling that centers on authenticity and always puts the audience first.
Always curious and a relentless knowledge-seeker, Larine spends her free time travelling, experimenting with new foods and drinks, and going down the online research rabbit hole.
Pedro Goncalves
Michael Bertolino
Boyd Hall
Cows, Carbon Credits and Climate: How Carbon Credit Insetting Can Create Value for the Dairy Industry
The development of a first-of-its-kind insetting carbon credit marketplace for the livestock industry is a game-changer, helping make all aspects of sustainability—economic, environmental and social—a reality. This insightful panel will convene leaders across the protein value chain, including producers, animal health leaders, and protein and technology companies, who will discuss how a livestock carbon credit marketplace will work, what carbon credit insetting means and how this marketplace can help advance sustainability efforts at each step of the value chain.
Moderator: Katie Cook, Vice President of Farm Animal Innovation & Marketing, Elanco Animal Health
Greg Bethard, CEO, High Plains Ponderosa Dairy
Jackie Klippenstein, Senior Vice President, Chief Government and Industry Relations Officer, Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.
Daniel Peerless, Dairy Sustainable Sourcing Lead, Nestle S.A.
Corey Scott, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Athian
Katie Cook
Growing up in Michigan on a purebred cow/calf operation, Katie earned a dual degree from Michigan State University in animal science and marketing. After graduation, she started her career with Elanco in a cattle sales territory in southwest Oklahoma. She spent the next 10 years in the US Beef Marketing and Beef Management team with a variety of roles in marketing and sales management. During this time, she also earned a dual Indiana University-Purdue University M.B.A. and M.S. in agricultural economics. In 2016, Katie led the Elanco Global Sales Force Excellence Strategy & teams focused on enabling a best in class selling organization. Followed by 2 years in Canada where she was the General Manger for Elanco Canada. In the fall of 2020, Katie returned to Indiana and currently leads the Elanco Global Farm Animal Innovation & Cattle teams and the US Farm Animal Marketing Organization overseeing the innovation strategy for the global farm animal business and the US specific marketing strategies for the US Poultry, Cattle and Swine businesses.
Greg Bethard
Greg Bethard grew up in New Jersey USA and developed a passion for agriculture at a young age. He received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees from Virginia Tech in dairy nutrition and management and has spent his entire career in the dairy industry. He has served on faculty at New Mexico State University and North Carolina State University, and as a technical services specialist for Monsanto Dairy Business. From 2000 to 2014, Greg and his wife Rachel operated G&R Dairy Consulting, Inc., an international dairy consulting business based in Blacksburg, VA. Greg consulted with dairy producers and allied industry throughout the US and around the globe, working in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Greg spent a few years in Wisconsin, serving as CFO for the Pagel Family Businesses in Kewaunee, WI from 2014 to 2016. In 2017 Greg moved to Kansas and realized his lifelong dream of becoming a dairyman. Since 2017 he has been managing partner in High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Plains KS and currently serves as CEO.
Jackie Klippenstein
Since joining DFA in 2008, Jackie has led the Cooperative’s public policy efforts and has played an active role in member services and community initiatives. In her current role, she leads DFA’s government affairs and industry relations and oversees the Cooperative’s sustainability strategy and farm practices team. Prior to joining DFA, Jackie spent nearly 15 years in Washington, D.C. as a congressional aide and then representing agricultural interests before Congress and regulatory agencies. She is currently chair of the board of Newtrient and also serves on the boards of National Milk Producers Federation, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture, National Cooperative Business Association and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City.
Daniel Peerless
Daniel Peerless is the Global Sustainable Sourcing Lead for Dairy, Meat, Poultry and Eggs with Nestlé. As part of the ESG Climate and Sustainable Sourcing team, he oversees responsible sourcing standards and reporting within the Nestlé global supply chain and coordinates work to reduce emissions on the farms that produce ingredients for Nestlé products. Before joining Nestlé in 2021, he was a member of the environmental research team at Dairy Management Inc., the national dairy checkoff program.
Corey Scott
Corey Scott is Athian's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Scott is an experienced livestock sustainability professional who understands how to bridge the gap between farmers and ranchers and the remainder of the animal agriculture value chain. Prior to joining Athian, Scott spent 15 years in food agriculture, most recently with Truterra LLC, the sustainability division of Land O'Lakes. She received her Executive MBA and undergraduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and Carlson School of Business. In 2023, she was selected as one of GreenBiz's 12 Women Cultivating Sustainable Food Systems and earned a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award for her work in collaborating across the dairy supply chain to provide on-farm investment in sustainable practices and reduce dairy's overall environmental footprint.
Breakfast Session: The Future of Work Begins with Conscious Leadership Today
Whisperings about the future of work have developed into full-fledged conversations. Still, we have not yet arrived at a consensus on what exactly the future of work entails and how leaders can position their organizations and their people for success during such a transformative period in the workplace and beyond. Bringing a holistic perspective from inside some of the world’s leading organizations, Ginny shares her insights and wisdom on the ways conscious, effective leaders can get the best out of their people and, in turn, create high-performing teams for the future. She will outline the importance of beginning with organizational health when guiding your workforce into the future — paying special attention to how to assess, attract, and hire the best talent, and establish a culture rooted in accountability, trust, integrity, and inclusion. Ginny goes beyond ideas and offers leaders practical tactics and processes for optimizing talent, resources, productivity, and profitability to create a disruption-proof workplace that is equipped for the long run.
Speaker: Ginny Clarke, Former Director, Executive Recruiting, Google & Holistic Leadership Strategist
Ginny Clarke
Dedicated to helping leaders create the conscious workplace for tomorrow, Ginny Clarke has advised at the highest levels of corporate America for decades. A proven expert in driving diverse leadership, she is the former director of executive recruiting at Google, where she led the company’s diversity, non-tech recruiting, and leadership internal mobility teams – finding and hiring senior leaders across the company. She also built a scaled internal mobility program for Google’s senior leaders to advance within the organization, and designed much of the infrastructure that supports their executive recruiting function today.
In speeches, Clarke draws on her unparalleled experience inside corporate C-Suites and boardrooms helping thousands of executives up their game and elevate their careers to bring a unique, holistic approach to leadership that is essential now more than ever. Her Five Dimensions of Conscious Leadership encourage leaders to deepen their self-awareness, speak their truth, inspire love, expand their consciousness, and activate mastery. A systems thinker who deconstructs processes and behaviors to carefully assess organizational and individual capability, she inspires and uplifts groups by helping them scale mobility opportunities for all, bring conscious awareness to both the workplace and life, and navigate the future of work. Clarke delivers “no-holds-barred” discussions on the root causes that lead to a lack of diversity in organizations, and provides the thoughtful, integrated solutions that anyone can use to affect change as we transition into a new era in the workplace.
Prior to Google, Clarke was a partner at Spencer Stuart, the global executive search firm based in Chicago. For 12 years, she worked in the firm’s financial services and financial officer practices, and co-founded and led their global diversity practice. Drawing upon her breadth and depth of experience, Clarke wrote the book titled Career Mapping: Charting Your Course in the New World of Work, providing a framework that empowers individuals to plot and assess their professional competencies and strategically navigate their careers. After the book was published, she ran her own executive search and talent management firm for three years before becoming a senior partner for executive search in the U.S. at Knightsbridge, a Canadian human capital solutions firm.
Clarke started her career in banking at First National Bank of Chicago (now Chase). After a short stint, she spent a number of years in the real estate investment management business with Jones Lang LaSalle and Prudential Real Estate Investors, where she was responsible for asset management, portfolio management, capital raising, and client servicing.
She is now the CEO of Ginny Clarke, LLC, her own talent and leadership consulting business, as well as the host of Fifth Dimensional Leadership, a podcast for leaders, thinkers, and future-makers covering topics like power, personal branding, self-awareness, networking, fear, and career management. Clarke previously served as an entrepreneur in residence for HearstLab, advising the organization’s leaders on the future of work and how to approach areas such as culture, hiring, and performance evaluation as the way we work continues to evolve.
Clarke earned her BA in French and Linguistics from the University of California at Davis, and her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School. She is the single mother of an adult son, Julian, who works in the entertainment industry.
Equitable Access: How to Expand Equitable Access to Dairy Nutrition for All
Ensuring dairy foods remain healthy, affordable, available, and accessible to a wide variety of people across different socio-economic groups is a priority for U.S. dairy processing. This deep dive discussion will leverage consumer insight research from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) on the diet- and nutrition-related attitudes of U.S. consumers to discuss how to improve equitable access to dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese throughout the day. For some, dairy is central to individual or familial customs, such as meals or celebrations. Others may have unanswered questions or concerns about how dairy fits into their diet and nutritional needs. In this panel, federal nutrition policy experts from the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation will join with food and nutrition insight experts from IFIC to examine how federal policy plays an important role in removing barriers.
Moderator: Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President & CEO, International Food Information Council
Michelle Albee Matto, MPH, RDN, Associate Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition, International Dairy Foods Association
Tamika Sims, PhD, Senior Director, Food Technology Communications, International Food Information Council
Claudia Larson, PhD, Senior Director, Government Relations & Head of Nutrition Policy, National Milk Producers Federation
Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak
Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN is President and CEO of the International Food Information Council (IFIC), a nonprofit education organization focused on effectively communicating science-based information about sustainable food systems, with an emphasis on food safety and nutrition.
Prior to joining IFIC, Wendy served as the President and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). At PBH, she guided the Foundation’s efforts with hundreds of public and private partners to advance fruit and vegetable consumption for happier, healthier lives. Under her leadership and through a two-year transformation, the organization launched the Have A Plant® Movement in 2019, which today, inspires millions of consumers to eat and enjoy more fruits and vegetables each and every day.
From 2012 to 2016, Reinhardt Kapsak held multiple leadership positions in the Food, Nutrition & Health Partnerships and Corporate Engagement verticals in what is now collectively known as Bayer Crop Science. While in these roles, her efforts focused on connecting the food, nutrition, culinary, and agriculture communities for greater understanding, collaboration, and innovation.
Wendy returned to IFIC after a previous tenure from 2000–2012, including service as Senior Director, Health & Wellness. While at IFIC, she directed food and nutrition communication strategies, including consumer research, opinion leader and media outreach, as well as publications and partnerships, for multiple food, agriculture, and nutrition issues.
Wendy earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Nutrition and Exercise Science from the University of Missouri, Columbia and James Madison University, respectively. She completed her dietetic internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital — an affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine.
Michelle Albee Matto, MPH, RDN
Michelle provides technical and regulatory leadership to advance IDFA’s nutrition and health advocacy, ensuring dairy’s role in federal nutrition programs and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). In addition, she delivers training on dairy standards and labeling, and provides guidance to IDFA members related to product labeling.
She has worked closely with IDFA over the years, serving on staff between 2002-2010, and then as founder and principal of AM Food & Nutrition consulting, where she worked closely with IDFA providing regulatory support on federal rulemaking and nutrition programs, led IDFA labeling training, and advised IDFA members on labeling requirements. Prior to 2002, Michelle worked at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) in Washington, D.C. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition at Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y., and her Master of Public Health degree in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Society for Nutrition and is a past board member of the DC Chapters of both the Institute of Food Technologists and the Society for Nutrition Education.
Tamika Sims, PhD
Claudia Larson, PhD
Deep Dive Session – The Future is Now: Leveraging AI and Machine Learning to Transform Your Business
Hear how companies have successfully used AI and Machine Learning to enhance the way they produce, transport and sell their product. Learn not only about AI advancements coming to market that will transform our industry, but also about the ways new technologies can be used in your business today, from production and logistics to sales and consumer trends.
Sandeep Anand, Senior Director, Decision Science, Infor
Chirag Pandya, Partner, McKinsey and Company
Bart Toirkens, Cheese Technology Specialist, Amalthea Group
Sandeep Anand
15+ years of experience in managing high performance decision science teams responsible for building scalable AI/ML solutions. Experience in solutions around yield/scrap, supply chain improvements and smart asset management strategies.
Chirag Pandya
Chirag is a partner at McKinsey’s Silicon Valley office in the Bay Area and is a global leader with meaningful global exposure in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Asia. He is passionate about transforming organizations and focuses on value creation both in institutional investor and industrial settings.
With his experience within consumer-facing and technology businesses, Chirag has led multinational teams with global business exposure in North America, Southeast Asia, and EMEA. He is experienced in working with people of various levels of seniority in organizations and has a high degree of affinity to consumer-facing industries and topics related to strategy and operations. This includes turnarounds and whole organization transformations.
He is passionate and has deep expertise with food ecosystems—including alternative milk and proteins—manufacturing equipment and systems, technology and latest disruptions, product development and consumer-insight-backed design innovations, recipe and formula platforming, ingredients, and novel foods.
Bart Toirkens
Deep Dive Session – Dairy Innovation: Building Future-Forward Products and Supply Chains While Meeting Evolving Consumer Preferences
Ever-changing consumer preferences and demands continue to drive product innovation in the dairy industry. This innovation spans the gamut and includes, in part, meeting consumers’ growing focus on health and wellness by developing new and novel dairy-based products to enhance cognitive wellness, mobility, immunity, and muscle health and support patients undergoing surgical procedures or cancer treatments like chemotherapy; and bringing to market probiotic offerings with benefits beyond digestive health. Dairy businesses also continue to innovate to meet consumer demand for additional varieties of dairy product options and plant-based dairy alternatives that provide new and unique flavor profiles. Then there is innovation to digitize supply chains to meet consumer demand for transparency with regard to products and packaging to inform purchasing decisions. Join this panel discussion to learn about these innovation trends in dairy.
Moderator: Roberta Wagner, Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association
Marina Crocker, Senior Director, Product Category and Marketing, Hilmar
Ravi Jhala, Global Head – Commercial Bio, Perfect Day
Loren Ward, Chief Innovation Officer, Glanbia Nutritionals
Roberta Wagner
Roberta Wagner is the Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association.
Prior to IDFA, Roberta served as vice president of regulatory and technical affairs for the Consumer Brands Association, formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association since 2019.
Wagner spent 33 years in public service, most recently as the assistant administrator of the Office of Policy and Program Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Previously, Wagner served as the deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Field Operations at FSIS where she oversaw a workforce of 7,800 inspection program personnel, including consumer safety officers, public health veterinarians and food inspectors. Wagner also spent more than 25 years with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), working in a variety of roles from analytical chemist to associate commissioner for Food Safety Modernization Act implementation.
Marina Crocker
Ravi Jhala
Ravi Jhala serves as the Global Head of Commercial- nth Bio for Perfect Day, the global precision fermentation leader on a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow through the harmony of nature and science.
Ravi has nearly two decades of experience managing product development, R&D, and commercialization functions. Ravi joined Perfect Day as the Head of Food Development, and was then asked to build and lead the Commercial team and nth Bio. He joined from Schreiber Dynamix Dairies, where he served as the Head of R&D and Product Development, responsible for new product development and innovations. Prior to that, he held R&D roles at Chobani, Wells’ Enterprises, and Sargento Foods.
Ravi earned his MS in Food and Biomaterials Processing from South Dakota State University and his Bachelor’s in Dairy Technology from Anand Agricultural University.
Loren Ward
Loren has worked in the dairy industry throughout his life. As a young boy he worked on a dairy farm where he learned to milk cows. After graduating from Utah State University with a Bachelors Degree in Food Science, he attended the University of Minnesota where he received a Doctorate Degree in Food Science with an emphasis in dairy chemistry. Loren is the Chief Innovation Officer for Glanbia Nutritionals. He is responsible for customer collaboration and innovation projects at Glanbia’s sixteen Innovation and Collaboration Centers located in Asia, Europe and North America. Glanbia’s Innovation and Collaboration Centers provide sites where customers can come to collaborate and work in a rapid prototyping environment to develop new concepts and products. These sites are well equipped to make protypes across snacking, bakery, nutritional bars, beverages and other food applications. The prototypes incorporate the latest innovations in science, nutrition and technology resulting in new and innovative products that are ready for commercialization.
Deep Dive Session – The Economics of Immigration: How an Immigrant Workforce Elevates the Rural Economy
Join a group of experts as they explore the different methods to develop an immigrant-based workforce. The panelists will share their perspectives on the benefits to dairy processors and rural America from immigrant labor. How do we keep the U.S. Dairy industry competitive by solidifying our labor pool with immigrant guestworkers and refugees? Hear how an immigrant-based workforce elevates the rural economy and how we envision reforming the existing system to meet the current and future needs of the agriculture processing sector.
Moderator: Donald Grady, Senior Director, Legislative Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association
Panelists: Kristi Boswell, Counsel, Alston & Bird LLP
Dave Coble, Senior Vice President, Human Resource Systems and Strategy, Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Rebecca Dittrich, Vice President of Impact, Chobani
Donald Grady
As Senior Director, Legislative Affairs, Donald Grady advocates for IDFA’s legislative policies and objectives with policymakers and other stakeholders, as well as assists with developing IDFA’s legislative goals and strategies. He comes to IDFA from the office of U.S. Representative Jim Costa (D-Calif.) where Grady served as a legislative assistant. He coordinated and managed all legislative efforts and constituent services related to the agriculture industry and the House Agriculture Committee. Before that, he was a legislative correspondent for U.S. Representative Jim Marshall (D-Ga.). Grady earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Denison University.
Kristi Boswell
Kristi Boswell is counsel in the Legislative & Public Policy Group and a member of the Food, Beverage & Agribusiness Team. Kristi advises and advocates for agricultural and food clients on complex regulatory and legislative issues including labor, immigration, the Farm Bill, trade promotion, agricultural innovation, food supply management, conservation, and sustainability.
Kristi is a preeminent agricultural labor and immigration policy advisor and was instrumental in streamlining long standing agriculture labor regulatory reforms in the H-2A visa program and drafting immigration legislation. She was active in implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill and orchestrated the development of COVID-19 and trade mitigation assistance under Commodity Credit Corporation authorities. Along with her enterprise-wide USDA experience, she has worked with the Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, State Department, Food & Drug Administration, and Congressional committees.
Before joining Alston & Bird, Kristi served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she implemented the secretary’s priorities and advised the secretary on decision-making. Kristi also held policy roles at the White House and served as the director of congressional relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Growing up on a farm, Kristi has a natural passion for agriculture and rural America. She received an agricultural legal certificate in law school and focused undergraduate studies on agricultural economics and public policy.
Dave Coble
Dave Coble is Senior Vice President of Human Resource Systems and Strategy. Dave earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ohio University and his MBA in Labor Relations and Human Resource Management from Ohio State University. He also served in the Air National Guard.
He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management. In the community, Dave is involved with CASA of Brown County, serving as a member of the corporate board and advisory council. Dave and his wife, Chris, live in the Green Bay area in Wisconsin. They have three children. Away from work, Dave enjoys biking, running, skiing (downhill and cross country), golfing, and reading military books and biographies.
Rebecca Dittrich
Becca Dittrich is the VP of Impact at Chobani, where she leads the company’s commitment to doing well by doing good. This includes overseeing investments to strengthen community wellness in the communities where Chobani operates, and initiatives to fight food insecurity – especially child hunger. She also manages relationships with critical partners and stakeholders to advance Chobani’s mission of better food for more people and its focus on the employment of refugees.
Becca started her career working for the nonprofit UpLift Solutions, founded by a ShopRite Supermarkets grocer who relied upon financing incentives, grassroots community engagement, and innovative store policies to successfully operate grocery stores in what had historically been food deserts in Greater Philadelphia. Inspired by the power of business to alter the course of a community’s health outcomes, she moved to DC to receive her JD at Georgetown Law and her Master of Public Health (MPH) at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. There, she focused on health policy solutions at the intersection of legal and regulatory change, social innovation, and private-public partnership. Before coming to Chobani, she practiced healthcare regulatory law at Reed Smith where she counseled healthcare companies on developing innovative operating models against the backdrop of stale regulation, and managed clients’ response to government investigation.
Becca brings her public health perspective to Chobani’s Impact team, because she believes that if all businesses focused on the wellness of their employees and their communities as Chobani does, then we could transform the well-being of the world.
Lunch Session: The Next 730 Days: What to Expect in Technology, the Economy, and the Future of Work
History has shown that we can only accurately predict two years ahead, or 730 days. So, while many are sharing their 5, 10, 15, 20-year forecasts, often with conflicting ideas and notions, this keynote is your antidote. Award-winning business and innovation visionary Leonard Brody leads a clear, narrowly focused exploration of the forces shaping our near future and how leaders and organizations can better prepare for it. He provides a data and research-driven look at this next critical period in technology, the economy, and the future of work, while also sharing proven best practices. This includes an in-depth exploration and analysis of: The secret to an economic and technological pattern that has repeated itself over the last 300 years; The next chapter of AI and blockchain and its immediate applicability; and The next two years of the economy and the drivers behind it.
Speaker: Leonard Brody, Award Winning Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist, Best-Selling Author, and Innovation Expert
Leonard Brody
Regarded as one of the “top 30 management thinkers in the world” and “a controversial leader of the new world order,” Leonard Brody is an award-winning techno-economist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and two-time Emmy-nominated media visionary. He has played a key role in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in capital for startup companies, been through one of the largest IPOs in history, and has been involved in the founding and successful exit of numerous companies to date.
Brody is the person behind the scenes and in front of the trends when it comes to innovation, technology, and the future of things. Drawing from his work as a creator in the future tech space, he leads a gripping discussion on “The Great ReWrite,” the confluence of events that have ignited the massive cultural and technological shifts driving the current disruption in business and the world. In his talks, Brody provides future-focused insights for organizations to stay relevant, thrive, and rewrite their worlds in the post-innovation era. He possesses expert-level understanding of various industries, including finance, real estate, tech, media, and consumer goods, and has advised clients ranging from tech giants, high-powered entrepreneurs, and the British Royal Family.
Brody is the co-founder and executive chairman of Caravan, a joint venture with the Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where he oversees the building of new ventures for some of the most well-known celebrities and political leaders in the world, including Carrie Underwood, Tom Hanks, and Joe Biden. He is also one of the proud owners of the professional soccer team Coventry City in England.
Previously, Brody was the president of the Innovation and Digital Group for Anschutz Corporation, one of the largest live sports and entertainment businesses in the world. The company is one of the premiere concert promotion businesses in the world and owns assets such as the O2 Arena in London and the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center), as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Galaxy, and Los Angeles Kings sports teams. Before that, he was a co-founder and CEO of NowPublic.com, a media company that was later sold to Anschutz.
Brody’s insights on macroeconomic tech trends and where the world is headed have been featured in leading publications, including Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and BBC. He is the co-author of the best-selling books, Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership from Jurassic Park to Java and Everything I Needed to Know About Business … I Learned from a Canadian, both published by Wiley and Sons. Brody’s latest book, in partnership with Forbes, is called The Great Re:Write and is based on the successful documentary he and Forbes co-produced that has garnered more than four million views.
Brody holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Queens University, a law degree from Osgoode Hall and is a graduate of the Private Equity Program at the Harvard Business School.
The Next 730 Days for Dairy: Trends and Drivers Shaping Tomorrow
Hear from a panel of experts for an in-depth review of the drivers and trends that will shape the dairy industry of the future. What should dairy leaders be thinking about as they develop their strategies moving forward? Why should they be excited about investing for the long term? Join us for an enlightening view on what an ELEVATED vision for dairy looks like in 2026 and beyond.
Moderator: Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO, International Dairy Foods Association
Panelists: Terry Brockman, Senior Vice President, Dairy Procurement, Ingredients & Industry Affairs, Saputo Dairy Division USA
Kristina Cole, Chief Commercial/Customer Officer, Danone North America
Daragh Maccabee, Chief Executive Officer, Idaho Milk Products
Yin Woon Rani, CEO, MilkPEP
Michael Dykes
Michael Dykes, D.V.M., a long-time government affairs strategist, agricultural policy expert, and veterinarian, became president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association in January 2017. In this role, he represents members that make most of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts, and dairy-derived ingredients produced in the United States and marketed throughout the world. Since joining IDFA, Dykes has been a strong advocate for putting U.S. dairy at the center of health and wellness, innovation, sustainability, a vibrant U.S. economy, a stable and diverse workforce, and leading the world in global dairy exports. Prior to assuming his role at IDFA, Dykes served as vice president of government affairs for Monsanto, where he was responsible for developing and implementing a portfolio of U.S. government relations strategies and programs that included agricultural biotechnology policy. He led Monsanto's office in Washington, D.C., and served as the company's primary point of contact for elected officials, regulatory authorities, U.S. farm organizations, key industry participants, trade associations, international organizations and embassies. He directed the company's efforts in state and local government affairs, in addition to government affairs in Mexico and Canada. Dykes is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Academy of Practitioners. He is also a member of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC), which provides U.S. trade policy advice to the current presidential administration.
Dykes grew up on a small dairy and tobacco farm in Kentucky. He earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University. He also attended the University of Kentucky where he received a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science.
Terry Brockman
Terry joined Saputo 27 years ago and has held a variety of roles within the organization. Starting in Human Resources before serving as President and Chief Operating Officer for Saputo Cheese USA for 14 years. Terry is a well-respected dairy industry executive and has developed key relationships with industry stakeholders. He continues to contribute to Saputo’s success by playing a key role in our divisional business development, dairy procurement, whey-based ingredients, industry affairs, mergers, and acquisitions.
Saputo USA is among the top mozzarella, string cheese, and domestic blue and goat cheese producers and is one of the largest producers of extended shelf-life and cultured dairy products in this region. Saputo produces, markets, and distributes dairy ingredients in the USA and on the international market. Products are sold under a variety of the Company’s brand names, as well as under customer brand names.
Kristina Cole
Kristina has more than 30 Years in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Industry, holding key leadership roles in Commercial/Sales and General Management. She currently serves as President-Chief Commercial/Customer Officer for Danone North America, where she is responsible for $7B in revenue across all classes of trade to include Foodservice and Ecommerce. She leads a commercial/sales team of 400+ passionate Danoners focused on, Revenue Growth Management, Category and Commercial Strategy-all aligned with Danone’s mission of Bringing Health Through Food To As Many People As Possible.
Kristina has been with Danone (then WhiteWave Foods) since 2008, where she held several sales leadership roles, including President of VEGA and President/GM Danone Away from Home business. Prior to joining Danone/Whitewave she also held various topline sales leadership positions at Conagra Foods
Kristina also serves as the Executive Sponsor of the company’s LIFT (Leading and Inspiring Female Talent) Employee Resource Group (ERG) where she helps foster diversity and inclusion by creating an environment where women at Danone can flourish through inspiration and empowerment. She has also been recognized as a Dress for Success Honoree, which honors 19 “force-of-nature” women who embody Dress for Success’s mission of providing job access, career advancement and financial wellness for women. You can read more about Kristina’s work and impact in Progressive Grocer, Today’s Grocer and Modern Retail.
She lives in Broomfield, Colorado where she enjoys all the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer.
Daragh Maccabee
Daragh Maccabee was appointed CEO of Idaho Milk Products in October 2017. He has been a resident of Idaho’s Magic Valley for over 17 years since arriving there from Ireland in 2006.
Prior to joining Idaho Milk Products, Daragh spent 18 years with Glanbia, most recently as SVP Procurement & Dairy Economics at Glanbia Nutritionals. He served on the Board of Southwest Cheese and from 2006 to 2015 held the position of Executive Vice President & CFO of Glanbia’s US Cheese and Whey business. He started his career with Glanbia as Financial Controller of Glanbia’s Irish Consumer Foods business. Prior to Glanbia, Daragh worked with Coca-Cola in Russia in the startup of a manufacturing facility and distribution business in Central Siberia. He graduated from Griffith College Dublin and the Dublin Business School and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Daragh serves on the Board of the Idaho Milk Processors Association (IMPA) and took on the role of IMPA President in 2019 and served in that position until the end of 2021. He currently serves as Chair of the Ingredients Segment Board of IDFA and has served on the Board and Executive Committee of the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI). He also serves as Vice President of the Unity Alliance of Southern Idaho, an organization that promotes the importance of immigrants to the continued success of our dairy industry.
He is married to Dolores, and they have 3 daughters. When not working, he enjoys the challenge of long-distance running.
Yin Woon Rani
Rani brings nearly 25 years of integrated marketing experience across CPG companies and marketing agencies to MilkPEP. As CEO, she is excited to address the challenges ahead with thoughtful, sustained solutions and looks forward to working with the entire industry to help ensure a positive impact.
Prior to joining MilkPEP, Rani was VP, Chief Customer Experience Officer for the Campbell Soup Company, where she was instrumental in modernizing the company’s marketing across content, media, design, martech and digital – as well as improving the business trajectory for important core brands and new launches. Before joining Campbell Soup, Rani was president, North America of Universal McCann, the largest operating unit within IPG’s Mediabrands group.
Rani earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from the Stern School of Business, New York University. She is active and respected within the marketing industry, earning recognition from a range of industry awards, both as a marketer and as an advocate for diversity – including YWCA’s Women of Year, SheRunsIt “Working Mother of the Year,” Brand Innovators Top 50 Women in Marketing, Path to Purchase Institute “Who’s Who in Shopper Marketing,” among others.
Elevating the Future of Dairy Trade with Ambassador Doug McKalip
As we enter the home stretch of this Administration and look toward a presidential election, join Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip to hear his reflections on what has been accomplished and this Administration’s “new tools” of trade policy. After his remarks, Ambassador McKalip will be joined by IDFA’s Vice President for Trade Policy and International Affairs Becky Rasdall for a fireside chat on the future of dairy trade policy.
Host: Becky Rasdall, Vice President, Trade Policy and International Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association
Speaker: Ambassador Doug McKalip, Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade Representative
Ambassador Doug McKalip
Doug McKalip is the Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Before joining USTR, he served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on all agricultural matters relating to trade, national security, animal and plant health regulations, and a wide portfolio of domestic and international issues. McKalip formerly served in a leadership capacity in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Biotechnology Regulatory Services. He served as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture from 2015 to September 2016, and also as Acting Chief of Staff. McKalip was Senior Advisor for Agriculture and Rural Affairs at the White House Domestic Policy Council, where he counseled President Barack Obama on issues involving farm, ranch, and rural policy. He served as the Director of the White House Rural Council and coordinated the Executive Branch-wide response to the 2012-2013 drought. McKalip has served in a variety of other roles at USDA, including as Confidential Assistant to the Secretary, and Director of Legislative and Public Affairs for the National Resources Conservation Service at USDA.
McKalip has a Master’s in Public Policy from the American University in Washington D.C. and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a graduate of the Executive Fellows Program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2020), a Fellow in the California Agricultural Leadership DC Exchange (2018), and a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA (2005). He was also a participant in the Student Council for U.S. Affairs at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Becky Rasdall
Becky Rasdall joined the International Dairy Foods Association in July 2020 as Vice President, Trade Policy and International Affairs where she is responsible for advocacy strategy on international trade and supply chain policy issues impacting the global competitiveness of U.S. dairy products. Becky also currently leads IDFA’s Women in Dairy initiative.
Before she joined IDFA, Becky served as a Senior Advisor with the Foreign Agricultural Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a Deputy Director for Agricultural Affairs in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Throughout her government career, she obtained extensive experience in negotiating technical resolutions to trade barriers for U.S. dairy exports, as well as representing the United States in trade agreement negotiations, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), China Phase One Agreement, and other negotiations with the European Commission and India.
Prior to joining the U.S. government, Becky managed regulatory compliance for ConAgra Foods’ export business and also worked for the International Food Information Council and former Congressman Dave Camp (MI-04). Becky holds a Master of the Arts in International Relations from the University of Warwick in England, and a Bachelor of the Arts in International Political Science from Hope College in Michigan, and speaks German and Spanish.
The World of “Ands” in Consumer Trends and Business Imperatives
Consumer behaviors are diverging in sometimes paradoxical directions. How can companies quickly detect—and respond to—these trends? Leading businesses place a lot of emphasis on listening to consumers, as they should. Consumer sentiment and behavior can be fast changing, confusing, and sometimes contradictory. Today’s consumers, for instance, are both trading down and selectively splurging. They’re buying big, established brands and exploring newer, smaller ones. Many of their buying decisions are a matter of “and,” not “or.”
Staying attuned to these trends in consumer behavior can be difficult for companies but doing so is absolutely critical—even (or perhaps especially) when the ands seem paradoxical. Quick decision making on how to meet consumers’ expectations in this world of ands must be at the top of a company’s agenda.
In addition, businesses must prioritize a series of ands themselves to grow profitably and outperform competitors. This session will highlight the ands that McKinsey is seeing playing out in consumer behavior, along with the ands that business leaders need to act on.
Speaker: Sajal Kohli, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Panelists: Jaclyn Cardin, Chief Brand Officer, Organic Valley
Joe Diglio, President and CEO, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Kristi Jankowski, Executive Vice President of Innovation, Sargento Foods, Inc.
Karen Lancelle, Senior Vice President Supply Chain Management, Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Sajal Kohli
Sajal is based in Chicago and leads McKinsey’s global work in the retail and consumer-goods industries.
In more than 25 years of management consulting, Sajal has counseled leading global retail and packaged-goods clients as they set growth strategies and face the challenges of both the changing international landscape and domestic-market shifts because of digitization, consolidation, and new entrants. He has served retail and consumer-goods clients across Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and North America. He serves retail clients across multiple formats, including hypermarkets, pure ecommerce players, grocers, restaurant chains, department stores, and leading consumer-goods companies across food, consumer-electronics, personal-care, beauty, and other categories.
Sajal focuses on working with senior leaders and their management teams to drive growth and commercial and operations transformations across both retail and consumer-goods companies. Over the last few years he has been spending a lot of time with organizations on the potential and implications of tech enablement, including advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and their implications on the future of work.
Jaclyn Cardin
Jaclyn Cardin is the Chief Brand Officer at Organic Valley, where she serves as the consumer champion and plays a pivotal role in driving the cooperative's mission, vision, and impact on the world by actively shaping and marketing the brand to be competitively differentiated and culturally relevant. As a leader, she firmly believes in the power of teamwork and finds joy in helping others grow and evolve to reach their full potential.
Drawn by its mission to save small organic family farms and offer ethically sourced food to families everywhere, Cardin joined Organic Valley in early 2018 as the director of Interactive Marketing. Prior to that, she held the position of senior director of digital at a hair care company, where she led the strategic direction for the company’s digital marketing and direct-to-consumer channel. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and actively serves on the board of the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP). A dog mom and all-around animal lover, Cardin and her wife founded Wuffy handmade dog treats. A native of Wisconsin, Cardin lives in La Crosse.
Joe Diglio
Joe Diglio has served as President & Chief Executive Officer for Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA), a member owned dairy cooperative serving approximately 1,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin since July 2014. Joe has over 32 years of experience with MMPA, serving in various leadership roles throughout his tenure. Under Joe’s guidance, MMPA’s footprint has expanded to accommodate strategic business objectives including the recent acquisition of Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio. The acquisition provides direct access to consumers through efficient supply chain channels as well as innovative solutions to enhance customer experiences. Joe serves on the Executive Council for International Dairy Foods Association and is a member of the IDFA Ingredients Segment Board. He also serves on other national industry organizations including the Executive Council for National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and is a Board member for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
Kristi Jankowski
At Sargento Foods, Kristi is focused on the design, development and implementation of new products and processes, while leading teams that bring new products and processes to life and the market. Under her leadership, these teams have won the Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation award three times in less than a decade. In addition to these accomplishments, Kristi has led the successful development and launch of numerous product innovations that have driven significant profit and growth for Sargento Foods.
Throughout her career, Kristi has provided results-driven leadership to major consumer packaged goods and food service companies. Prior to joining Sargento in 1999, she developed and commercialized a variety of food product portfolios and technical platforms for Kraft Foods Group supporting their Canadian, Cheese and Oscar Mayer business divisions.
Kristi holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in food science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has also served over 15 years combined in the roles of Board Director and a member of the Board Executive Team for the United Way of Sheboygan County and Safe Harbor of Sheboygan County organizations. Currently, she is serving on the Board of Directors for Alto-Shaam, Inc.
Karen Lancelle
Karen Lancelle is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Schreiber Foods. She has been in this role since 2020. Karen joined Schreiber in 2000 as a Business Sales Manager. Since then she has held various leadership roles in the Commercial side of the business as well as in Procurement. Karen was elected to be an Officer of the company in 2018.
Karen earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Economics from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.
Karen is active in the industry and in the community. She serves as Board Vice Chair and Board Member for Freedom House Ministries. In addition, she is on the Supply Chain Advisory Board for Marquette University and is on the Board of the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay.
Karen currently lives in the Green Bay area with her husband Luke and their two daughters and son.
Schreiber Foods strives to do good through food every day. Based in North America, we’re a customer-brand leader in cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, shelf-stable beverages and yogurt. Our more than 10,000 employees and presence on five continents enable us to be an essential ingredient in our customers’ success. With annual sales of more than $7 billion, we partner with the best retailers, restaurants, distributors and food manufacturers around the globe. We also recognize our responsibility to do good in the world and are driven to make a difference in everything we do.
Harnessing the Digital Shelf: Opportunities and Challenges for Brand Owners and Retailers
The digital shelf continues to reshape the dairy industry as more manufacturers offer their products direct to consumers. An added benefit to this model is that manufacturers can obtain real-time information from consumers to inform innovation or marketing strategies. Successful brand owners recognize that the digital shelf can also drive success at brick-and-mortar retail stores. At the same time the primary function of retail stores is transitioning away from purely transactional to meeting consumers’ desire for an enjoyable in-store experience and interacting with products before buying them. Join brand owners and retailers to learn how they are leveraging the digital shelf to grow their businesses while addressing challenges such as inflation and costs of transportation for perishable products.
Moderator: Roberta Wagner, Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association
Jennifer Angelus, Director, Digital Shelf + Capabilities, Danone
Andy Beilke, Senior Development Manager – Connected Commerce, General Mills, Inc.
Lauren McGuiness, Senior Director in Digital Merchandising, Albertsons Companies, Inc.
Roberta Wagner
Roberta Wagner is the Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association.
Prior to IDFA, Roberta served as vice president of regulatory and technical affairs for the Consumer Brands Association, formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association since 2019.
Wagner spent 33 years in public service, most recently as the assistant administrator of the Office of Policy and Program Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Previously, Wagner served as the deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Field Operations at FSIS where she oversaw a workforce of 7,800 inspection program personnel, including consumer safety officers, public health veterinarians and food inspectors. Wagner also spent more than 25 years with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), working in a variety of roles from analytical chemist to associate commissioner for Food Safety Modernization Act implementation.
Jennifer Angelus
Jennifer leads the Digital Shelf + Capabilities team at Danone North America, where she is driving change and stakeholder engagement on the forefront of Digital Commerce each day. As someone who has worn many hats in her career from Brand Strategy to Category Insights to Trade Marketing and now Connected Commerce, Jennifer builds best in class strategies with a unique understanding of the entire consumer journey. Her recent publication: “Digital Shelf Decoded: How to Drive Omnichannel Growth”, highlighted that Digital Commerce is evolving by the second and it is no longer about building a Brick and Mortar Retail strategy and an eCommerce strategy in isolation. Defining and executing an Omnichannel strategy is critical to accelerating the business and building a sustainable business model for the future. The path to purchase is not linear and it is critical to bridge an Omnichannel strategy and meet consumers where they are in their fluid shopping journey. Her authentic leadership style has enabled her to be a change agent across Danone and build connections with industry peers as a leader and expert in Digital Commerce.
Andy Beilke
With 15+ years of experience in the CPG industry, Andy is well known for leveraging a consumer first analytics approach to unlock omni-channel category and brand growth for General Mills’ North America Retail segment. His focus areas include leading eCommerce commercial strategy integration, capability development, and enhancing omni execution through strategic partnerships with commercial teams, retailers and capability experts.
Lauren McGuiness
Lauren has 15+ years of experience in merchandising and sales roles in e-commerce and traditional retail in grocery, furniture and the alcoholic beverage industry. Lauren McGuiness leads Platform Maximization for Albertsons. She is responsible for running the digital storefront for Albertsons app and web experiences, leading the digital merchandising and content strategy and digital production operation. Prior to Albertsons, Lauren spent several years at Wayfair, holding roles across category management, promotions, brand strategy and private label merchandising. Lauren also spent several years in the beverage industry as the Director of Sales & Marketing for Sheehan Family Companies, the largest craft beer distributor in the United States. Lauren holds an MBA from Northeastern University with a concentration in Marketing and a bachelor’s degree in International Economics from Lafayette College.
All Times Mountain Time Zone
Speakers
David Ahlem
Immediate Past Chair / CEO & President | Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc.
David Ahlem
David Ahlem is the Chief Executive Officer and President for Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. He came to the Company in 2004. Since then, Ahlem has served in several leadership roles, which have deepened his passion for the dairy business and expanded his experience. His expertise includes dairy policy, strategic management, and customer relations.
A proactive member of the dairy industry, Ahlem participates with leadership peers in a variety of associations. He currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the International Dairy Foods Association Executive Council, and as a board member of the Innovation Center for US Dairy and the Dairy Institute of California. Ahlem also actively participates in several other industry-related groups.
Ahlem was born and raised in California’s Central Valley where his involvement in the dairy industry began on his family’s dairy farm in Hilmar, California. He attended Westmont College, earning a B.A. in Philosophy and later earned an M.B.A from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
David and his wife, Cari, have four children and reside in Turlock, California.
Michelle Albee Matto, MPH, RDN
Associate Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition
Michelle Albee Matto, MPH, RDN
Michelle provides technical and regulatory leadership to advance IDFA’s nutrition and health advocacy, ensuring dairy’s role in federal nutrition programs and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). In addition, she delivers training on dairy standards and labeling, and provides guidance to IDFA members related to product labeling.
She has worked closely with IDFA over the years, serving on staff between 2002-2010, and then as founder and principal of AM Food & Nutrition consulting, where she worked closely with IDFA providing regulatory support on federal rulemaking and nutrition programs, led IDFA labeling training, and advised IDFA members on labeling requirements. Prior to 2002, Michelle worked at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) in Washington, D.C. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition at Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y., and her Master of Public Health degree in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Society for Nutrition and is a past board member of the DC Chapters of both the Institute of Food Technologists and the Society for Nutrition Education.
Sandeep Anand
Senior Director, Decision Science, Infor
Sandeep Anand
15+ years of experience in managing high performance decision science teams responsible for building scalable AI/ML solutions. Experience in solutions around yield/scrap, supply chain improvements and smart asset management strategies.
Jennifer Angelus
Director, Digital Shelf + Capabilities, Danone
Jennifer Angelus
Jennifer leads the Digital Shelf + Capabilities team at Danone North America, where she is driving change and stakeholder engagement on the forefront of Digital Commerce each day. As someone who has worn many hats in her career from Brand Strategy to Category Insights to Trade Marketing and now Connected Commerce, Jennifer builds best in class strategies with a unique understanding of the entire consumer journey. Her recent publication: “Digital Shelf Decoded: How to Drive Omnichannel Growth”, highlighted that Digital Commerce is evolving by the second and it is no longer about building a Brick and Mortar Retail strategy and an eCommerce strategy in isolation. Defining and executing an Omnichannel strategy is critical to accelerating the business and building a sustainable business model for the future. The path to purchase is not linear and it is critical to bridge an Omnichannel strategy and meet consumers where they are in their fluid shopping journey. Her authentic leadership style has enabled her to be a change agent across Danone and build connections with industry peers as a leader and expert in Digital Commerce.
Mike Aquino
Director, ESG
Mike Aquino
Mike Aquino joined IDFA as Director, ESG in January 2023. Mike was trained as a food scientist at Drexel University and has since held several professional positions in the food and agriculture space, including with Danone’s research and development pilot facility in White Plains, N.Y., and on the Global Sustainability Team at General Mills addressing corporate citizenship issues such as Scope 3 emissions reduction planning and animal welfare. At IDFA, Aquino helps to manage the trade association’s work in sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and ESG policy and programming within the U.S. dairy supply chain. He is part of the IDFA Regulatory Affairs team and works cross-functionally with colleagues on the legislative, public affairs, communications, and membership teams, and in close collaboration with IDFA members. IDFA members are working each day to make progress on environmental, social, and governance issues facing their communities, people, and products. The IDFA Sustainability Initiative, which Mike helps to lead, positions IDFA members to play a vital role in sustainable, equitable and secure food systems by nourishing people, communities, and the planet.
Mike earned a master’s degree in sustainability management from Columbia University and, presently, is working toward an advanced degree in public affairs at American University, where his doctoral research focuses on analysis of environmental policy and the development of the ESG space.
In his free time, Mike enjoys learning about specialty cheeses and artistic printmaking techniques.
Ebru Basaran-Shull
Executive Vice President, Compliance, Sargento Foods, Inc.
Ebru Basaran-Shull
Ebru is the EVP - Compliance at Sargento Foods. She has a BS degree in Food Engineering, Master of Jurisprudence in Global Food Law and Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University Chicago. In her 28- year career, Ebru worked in multiple fields such as Food Safety and Quality, R&D, Regulatory, Government Affairs, Legal and Compliance. She had the opportunity to work with business owners, customers, suppliers and regulators in the US and internationally. In her most current role, she is responsible for developing and managing compliance initiatives, controls, and processes by providing expertise and leadership in collaboration with other functions. She operates as an independent and objective body that reviews and evaluates compliance issues within the company. Ebru also oversees Corporate Social Responsibility, Regulatory Affairs and Food Safety and Quality functions.
Andy Beilke
Senior Development Manager – Connected Commerce, General Mills, Inc.
Andy Beilke
With 15+ years of experience in the CPG industry, Andy is well known for leveraging a consumer first analytics approach to unlock omni-channel category and brand growth for General Mills’ North America Retail segment. His focus areas include leading eCommerce commercial strategy integration, capability development, and enhancing omni execution through strategic partnerships with commercial teams, retailers and capability experts.
Michael Bertolino
Vice President of Chilled Sales, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada
Michael Bertolino
Greg Bethard
CEO, High Plains Ponderosa Dairy
Greg Bethard
Greg Bethard grew up in New Jersey USA and developed a passion for agriculture at a young age. He received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees from Virginia Tech in dairy nutrition and management and has spent his entire career in the dairy industry. He has served on faculty at New Mexico State University and North Carolina State University, and as a technical services specialist for Monsanto Dairy Business. From 2000 to 2014, Greg and his wife Rachel operated G&R Dairy Consulting, Inc., an international dairy consulting business based in Blacksburg, VA. Greg consulted with dairy producers and allied industry throughout the US and around the globe, working in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Greg spent a few years in Wisconsin, serving as CFO for the Pagel Family Businesses in Kewaunee, WI from 2014 to 2016. In 2017 Greg moved to Kansas and realized his lifelong dream of becoming a dairyman. Since 2017 he has been managing partner in High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Plains KS and currently serves as CEO.
Kristi Boswell
Counsel, Alston & Bird LLP
Kristi Boswell
Kristi Boswell is counsel in the Legislative & Public Policy Group and a member of the Food, Beverage & Agribusiness Team. Kristi advises and advocates for agricultural and food clients on complex regulatory and legislative issues including labor, immigration, the Farm Bill, trade promotion, agricultural innovation, food supply management, conservation, and sustainability.
Kristi is a preeminent agricultural labor and immigration policy advisor and was instrumental in streamlining long standing agriculture labor regulatory reforms in the H-2A visa program and drafting immigration legislation. She was active in implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill and orchestrated the development of COVID-19 and trade mitigation assistance under Commodity Credit Corporation authorities. Along with her enterprise-wide USDA experience, she has worked with the Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, State Department, Food & Drug Administration, and Congressional committees.
Before joining Alston & Bird, Kristi served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she implemented the secretary’s priorities and advised the secretary on decision-making. Kristi also held policy roles at the White House and served as the director of congressional relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Growing up on a farm, Kristi has a natural passion for agriculture and rural America. She received an agricultural legal certificate in law school and focused undergraduate studies on agricultural economics and public policy.
Terry Brockman
Secretary / Senior Vice President Dairy Procurement, Ingredients and Industry Affairs, Saputo USA
Terry Brockman
Terry joined Saputo 27 years ago and has held a variety of roles within the organization. Starting in Human Resources before serving as President and Chief Operating Officer for Saputo Cheese USA for 14 years. Terry is a well-respected dairy industry executive and has developed key relationships with industry stakeholders. He continues to contribute to Saputo’s success by playing a key role in our divisional business development, dairy procurement, whey-based ingredients, industry affairs, mergers, and acquisitions.
Saputo USA is among the top mozzarella, string cheese, and domestic blue and goat cheese producers and is one of the largest producers of extended shelf-life and cultured dairy products in this region. Saputo produces, markets, and distributes dairy ingredients in the USA and on the international market. Products are sold under a variety of the Company’s brand names, as well as under customer brand names.
Leonard Brody
Award Winning Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist, Best-Selling Author, and Innovation Expert
Leonard Brody
Regarded as one of the “top 30 management thinkers in the world” and “a controversial leader of the new world order,” Leonard Brody is an award-winning techno-economist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and two-time Emmy-nominated media visionary. He has played a key role in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in capital for startup companies, been through one of the largest IPOs in history, and has been involved in the founding and successful exit of numerous companies to date.
Brody is the person behind the scenes and in front of the trends when it comes to innovation, technology, and the future of things. Drawing from his work as a creator in the future tech space, he leads a gripping discussion on “The Great ReWrite,” the confluence of events that have ignited the massive cultural and technological shifts driving the current disruption in business and the world. In his talks, Brody provides future-focused insights for organizations to stay relevant, thrive, and rewrite their worlds in the post-innovation era. He possesses expert-level understanding of various industries, including finance, real estate, tech, media, and consumer goods, and has advised clients ranging from tech giants, high-powered entrepreneurs, and the British Royal Family.
Brody is the co-founder and executive chairman of Caravan, a joint venture with the Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where he oversees the building of new ventures for some of the most well-known celebrities and political leaders in the world, including Carrie Underwood, Tom Hanks, and Joe Biden. He is also one of the proud owners of the professional soccer team Coventry City in England.
Previously, Brody was the president of the Innovation and Digital Group for Anschutz Corporation, one of the largest live sports and entertainment businesses in the world. The company is one of the premiere concert promotion businesses in the world and owns assets such as the O2 Arena in London and the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center), as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Galaxy, and Los Angeles Kings sports teams. Before that, he was a co-founder and CEO of NowPublic.com, a media company that was later sold to Anschutz.
Brody’s insights on macroeconomic tech trends and where the world is headed have been featured in leading publications, including Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and BBC. He is the co-author of the best-selling books, Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership from Jurassic Park to Java and Everything I Needed to Know About Business … I Learned from a Canadian, both published by Wiley and Sons. Brody’s latest book, in partnership with Forbes, is called The Great Re:Write and is based on the successful documentary he and Forbes co-produced that has garnered more than four million views.
Brody holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Queens University, a law degree from Osgoode Hall and is a graduate of the Private Equity Program at the Harvard Business School.
Mike Brown
Chief Economist
Mike Brown
Mike Brown was named Chief Economist for IDFA on Jan. 17, 2023. In that role, Brown leads economic and policy analysis and strategy development related to dairy policy and pricing.
He is a recognized expert on milk pricing policy and has worked for both farmer-owned cooperatives and proprietary businesses, all of which are current IDFA members. Before joining IDFA, Brown led the milk and dairy procurement team for The Kroger Co. as director of dairy supply chain. Prior to Kroger, Brown served as a dairy economist for well-known dairy brands and organizations including Glanbia, Darigold and National All-Jersey, Inc.
As director of dairy economics and policy for Glanbia, he was responsible for market and farm cost analysis, supported Glanbia’s producer risk management programs and company efforts on U.S. dairy and trade policy, along with other industry initiatives. Prior to Glanbia, he was director of membership services for Northwest Dairy Association. From 1993-2001, Brown was general manager of National All-Jersey, Inc, a dairy producer trade association, where he led efforts to expand multiple component pricing through private plant incentives and through federal milk marketing order reform. Brown was raised on small dairy farm in Western, N.Y. and earned his bachelor’s degree in dairy science from Virginia Tech.
Jaclyn Cardin
Chief Brand Officer, Organic Valley
Jaclyn Cardin
Jaclyn Cardin is the Chief Brand Officer at Organic Valley, where she serves as the consumer champion and plays a pivotal role in driving the cooperative's mission, vision, and impact on the world by actively shaping and marketing the brand to be competitively differentiated and culturally relevant. As a leader, she firmly believes in the power of teamwork and finds joy in helping others grow and evolve to reach their full potential.
Drawn by its mission to save small organic family farms and offer ethically sourced food to families everywhere, Cardin joined Organic Valley in early 2018 as the director of Interactive Marketing. Prior to that, she held the position of senior director of digital at a hair care company, where she led the strategic direction for the company’s digital marketing and direct-to-consumer channel. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and actively serves on the board of the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP). A dog mom and all-around animal lover, Cardin and her wife founded Wuffy handmade dog treats. A native of Wisconsin, Cardin lives in La Crosse.
Jordan Clark
Director of Commodity Sourcing, Dairy, Albertsons, Albertsons Companies
Jordan Clark
Jordan leads the sourcing and supply chain strategy for fluid dairy products at Albertsons, a company with 9 Class I & II dairy plants that services its own retail stores and numerous external customers. His work has taken him through many dairy farms and dairy processing and manufacturing plants, as well as distribution centers and store receiving bays and dairy coolers. He has a Masters in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota where he conducted dairy markets and policy research with his graduate advisor, Dr. Marin Bozic. Prior to Albertsons Jordan performed dairy commodity market research and risk management duties at Land O’Lakes.
Ginny Clarke
Former Director, Executive Recruiting, Google & Holistic Leadership Strategist
Ginny Clarke
Dedicated to helping leaders create the conscious workplace for tomorrow, Ginny Clarke has advised at the highest levels of corporate America for decades. A proven expert in driving diverse leadership, she is the former director of executive recruiting at Google, where she led the company’s diversity, non-tech recruiting, and leadership internal mobility teams – finding and hiring senior leaders across the company. She also built a scaled internal mobility program for Google’s senior leaders to advance within the organization, and designed much of the infrastructure that supports their executive recruiting function today.
In speeches, Clarke draws on her unparalleled experience inside corporate C-Suites and boardrooms helping thousands of executives up their game and elevate their careers to bring a unique, holistic approach to leadership that is essential now more than ever. Her Five Dimensions of Conscious Leadership encourage leaders to deepen their self-awareness, speak their truth, inspire love, expand their consciousness, and activate mastery. A systems thinker who deconstructs processes and behaviors to carefully assess organizational and individual capability, she inspires and uplifts groups by helping them scale mobility opportunities for all, bring conscious awareness to both the workplace and life, and navigate the future of work. Clarke delivers “no-holds-barred” discussions on the root causes that lead to a lack of diversity in organizations, and provides the thoughtful, integrated solutions that anyone can use to affect change as we transition into a new era in the workplace.
Prior to Google, Clarke was a partner at Spencer Stuart, the global executive search firm based in Chicago. For 12 years, she worked in the firm’s financial services and financial officer practices, and co-founded and led their global diversity practice. Drawing upon her breadth and depth of experience, Clarke wrote the book titled Career Mapping: Charting Your Course in the New World of Work, providing a framework that empowers individuals to plot and assess their professional competencies and strategically navigate their careers. After the book was published, she ran her own executive search and talent management firm for three years before becoming a senior partner for executive search in the U.S. at Knightsbridge, a Canadian human capital solutions firm.
Clarke started her career in banking at First National Bank of Chicago (now Chase). After a short stint, she spent a number of years in the real estate investment management business with Jones Lang LaSalle and Prudential Real Estate Investors, where she was responsible for asset management, portfolio management, capital raising, and client servicing.
She is now the CEO of Ginny Clarke, LLC, her own talent and leadership consulting business, as well as the host of Fifth Dimensional Leadership, a podcast for leaders, thinkers, and future-makers covering topics like power, personal branding, self-awareness, networking, fear, and career management. Clarke previously served as an entrepreneur in residence for HearstLab, advising the organization’s leaders on the future of work and how to approach areas such as culture, hiring, and performance evaluation as the way we work continues to evolve.
Clarke earned her BA in French and Linguistics from the University of California at Davis, and her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School. She is the single mother of an adult son, Julian, who works in the entertainment industry.
Dave Coble
IDFA Foundation Board Director | Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Schreiber Foods Inc.
Dave Coble
Dave Coble is Senior Vice President of Human Resource Systems and Strategy. Dave also serves as a Director on the IDFA Foundation Board. Dave earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ohio University and his MBA in Labor Relations and Human Resource Management from Ohio State University. He also served in the Air National Guard.
He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management. In the community, Dave is involved with CASA of Brown County, serving as a member of the corporate board and advisory council. Dave and his wife, Chris, live in the Green Bay area in Wisconsin. They have three children. Away from work, Dave enjoys biking, running, skiing (downhill and cross country), golfing, and reading military books and biographies.
Kristina Cole
Chief Commercial/Customer Officer, Danone North America
Kristina Cole
Kristina has more than 30 Years in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Industry, holding key leadership roles in Commercial/Sales and General Management. She currently serves as President-Chief Commercial/Customer Officer for Danone North America, where she is responsible for $7B in revenue across all classes of trade to include Foodservice and Ecommerce. She leads a commercial/sales team of 400+ passionate Danoners focused on, Revenue Growth Management, Category and Commercial Strategy-all aligned with Danone’s mission of Bringing Health Through Food To As Many People As Possible.
Kristina has been with Danone (then WhiteWave Foods) since 2008, where she held several sales leadership roles, including President of VEGA and President/GM Danone Away from Home business. Prior to joining Danone/Whitewave she also held various topline sales leadership positions at Conagra Foods
Kristina also serves as the Executive Sponsor of the company’s LIFT (Leading and Inspiring Female Talent) Employee Resource Group (ERG) where she helps foster diversity and inclusion by creating an environment where women at Danone can flourish through inspiration and empowerment. She has also been recognized as a Dress for Success Honoree, which honors 19 “force-of-nature” women who embody Dress for Success’s mission of providing job access, career advancement and financial wellness for women. You can read more about Kristina’s work and impact in Progressive Grocer, Today’s Grocer and Modern Retail.
She lives in Broomfield, Colorado where she enjoys all the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer.
Doug Conant
Founder and CEO, ConantLeadership & Former President and CEO, Campbell Soup Company & Former President of Nabisco Foods
Doug Conant
Doug is the only former Fortune 500 CEO who is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, a Top 50 Leadership Innovator, a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and one of the 100 Most Influential Authors in the World.
A devoted leadership practitioner and teacher, Doug’s 45-year career is defined by achieving high performance through an intentional commitment to studying, practicing, improving, and spreading the tenets of “leadership that works.”
He is Founder and CEO of ConantLeadership, former President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, former President of Nabisco Foods, and former Chairman of Avon Products. He has also served on multiple corporate boards including AmerisourceBergen and RHR International. He began his career in marketing at General Mills and held leadership positions in marketing and strategy at Kraft.
Doug is also Chairman of CECP—Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, a member of the board of The Partnership for Public Service, and a member of the board at Hope College. He recently retired as Chairman of The Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance, and as a board member of the National Organization on Disability. Previously, he was Chairman of The Conference Board, Chairman of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and Chairman of Enactus.
His latest Wall Street Journal bestselling book, co-authored with Amy Federman, The Blueprint: 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights, is a seminal treatise on leadership and a practical guide for leading effectively in a chaotic world. He is also the New York Times bestselling co-author with Mette Norgaard of TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments.
Doug is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and served as the Chairman of Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute for five years. He is a former instructor of leadership at the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance and he teaches the concepts advanced in The Blueprint to seasoned and aspiring leaders in his signature leadership development course, The BLUEPRINT Boot Camp by ConantLeadership. He is also a LinkedIn Learning Instructor whose inaugural course, “Finding Your Leadership Purpose with Doug Conant,” launches in early summer 2023.
Doug is the 2022 recipient of the Stephen R. Covey Principle-Centered Leader Award and a Top Thought Leader in Trust Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. He has also been lauded as a Top 100 Leadership Speaker by Inc. Magazine; a Top 100 Most Influential Author in the World; a Top 30 Leadership Professional by Global Gurus; a Leader to Watch by the American Management Association (AMA); a Top 50 Leadership Innovator Changing How We Lead; and a Top 75 Human Business Champion.
Finally, Doug is the ever-so-proud husband of Leigh and father to their three remarkable children. Find him at conantleadership.com, on LinkedIn, and on Twitter at @DougConant.
Katie Cook
Katie Cook, Vice President, Global Farm Animal Innovation & U.S. Farm Animal Marketing, Elanco Animal Health
Katie Cook
Growing up in Michigan on a purebred cow/calf operation, Katie earned a dual degree from Michigan State University in animal science and marketing. After graduation, she started her career with Elanco in a cattle sales territory in southwest Oklahoma. She spent the next 10 years in the US Beef Marketing and Beef Management team with a variety of roles in marketing and sales management. During this time, she also earned a dual Indiana University-Purdue University M.B.A. and M.S. in agricultural economics. In 2016, Katie led the Elanco Global Sales Force Excellence Strategy & teams focused on enabling a best in class selling organization. Followed by 2 years in Canada where she was the General Manger for Elanco Canada. In the fall of 2020, Katie returned to Indiana and currently leads the Elanco Global Farm Animal Innovation & Cattle teams and the US Farm Animal Marketing Organization overseeing the innovation strategy for the global farm animal business and the US specific marketing strategies for the US Poultry, Cattle and Swine businesses.
Marina Crocker
Senior Director, Product Category and Marketing, Hilmar
Marina Crocker
John Dardis, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Sustainability, Glanbia Nutritionals
John Dardis, Ph.D.
Dr. John Dardis is Senior Vice President for Policy & Sustainability with Glanbia, a global nutrition company. Based in Illinois, John oversees Glanbia’s public policy and sustainability agenda providing strategic leadership across a diverse range of businesses that are part of Glanbia’s growing footprint in the United States. He represents Glanbia on a range of industry organizations including serving as a board member of the US Dairy Export Council.
John previously served as Ireland’s First Secretary for Agriculture, Food and the Marine at the Irish Embassy in Washington DC where he managed Irish agri food trade interests including involvement in the TTIP negotiations. John holds an honors degree in agricultural science from University College Dublin, and a Ph.D. in wheat breeding from UCD. He worked at NC State University as a visiting scientist. John is a 4th generation farmer with a farm in County Kildare, Ireland.
Joe Diglio
IDFA Fluid Milk Board Chair / President and CEO, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Joe Diglio
Joe Diglio has served as President & Chief Executive Officer for Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA), a member owned dairy cooperative serving approximately 1,000 dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin since July 2014. Joe has over 32 years of experience with MMPA, serving in various leadership roles throughout his tenure. Under Joe’s guidance, MMPA’s footprint has expanded to accommodate strategic business objectives including the recent acquisition of Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio. The acquisition provides direct access to consumers through efficient supply chain channels as well as innovative solutions to enhance customer experiences. Joe serves on the Executive Council for International Dairy Foods Association and is a member of the IDFA Ingredients Segment Board. He also serves on other national industry organizations including the Executive Council for National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and is a Board member for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
Rebecca Dittrich
Vice President of Impact, Chobani
Rebecca Dittrich
Becca Dittrich is the VP of Impact at Chobani, where she leads the company’s commitment to doing well by doing good. This includes overseeing investments to strengthen community wellness in the communities where Chobani operates, and initiatives to fight food insecurity – especially child hunger. She also manages relationships with critical partners and stakeholders to advance Chobani’s mission of better food for more people and its focus on the employment of refugees.
Becca started her career working for the nonprofit UpLift Solutions, founded by a ShopRite Supermarkets grocer who relied upon financing incentives, grassroots community engagement, and innovative store policies to successfully operate grocery stores in what had historically been food deserts in Greater Philadelphia. Inspired by the power of business to alter the course of a community’s health outcomes, she moved to DC to receive her JD at Georgetown Law and her Master of Public Health (MPH) at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. There, she focused on health policy solutions at the intersection of legal and regulatory change, social innovation, and private-public partnership. Before coming to Chobani, she practiced healthcare regulatory law at Reed Smith where she counseled healthcare companies on developing innovative operating models against the backdrop of stale regulation, and managed clients’ response to government investigation.
Becca brings her public health perspective to Chobani’s Impact team, because she believes that if all businesses focused on the wellness of their employees and their communities as Chobani does, then we could transform the well-being of the world.
Ron Dunford
President and CEO, Schreiber Foods
Ron Dunford
Ron Dunford was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Schreiber Foods in 2019. He is Schreiber’s eighth President and CEO. Ron spent more than 40 years in the dairy industry.
Ron joined Schreiber in 1996 at the Green Bay, Wisconsin, home office. He was named a Vice President in 2000, Senior Vice President in 2002, President & COO of Schreiber Chain Sales in 2003, President & COO Operations in 2006, and President Schreiber U.S. in 2014. Additionally, Ron was elected to the Schreiber Foods Board of Directors in 2003.
Ron serves as a Board Member for the Utah State University Center for Entrepreneurship, the International Dairy Foods Association, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy where he serves as Food Safety Vice Chair. He also served a 2-year term as the Chairman of the National Cheese Institute. In the community, Ron is actively involved with non-profits and in serving the needs of others.
He earned a B.S. in Geology from Utah State University in Logan, Utah.
He and his wife Dana have two married sons and have been blessed with four grandchildren. Ron enjoys spending time in the mountains; skiing, hiking, and biking. He is also a life-long learner with a passion for helping others achieve their dreams.
Schreiber Foods strives to do good through food every day. Based in North America, we’re a customer-brand leader in cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, shelf-stable beverages and yogurt. Our more than 10,000 employees and presence on five continents enable us to be an essential ingredient in our customers’ success. With annual sales of more than $7 billion, we partner with the best retailers, restaurants, distributors and food manufacturers around the globe. We also recognize our responsibility to do good in the world and are driven to make a difference in everything we do.
Michael Dykes, D.V.M.
President & CEO | International Dairy Foods Association
Michael Dykes, D.V.M.
Michael Dykes, D.V.M., a long-time government affairs strategist, agricultural policy expert, and veterinarian, became president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association in January 2017. In this role, he represents members that make more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. Since joining IDFA, Dykes has been a strong advocate for the importance of global competitiveness to the future of the U.S. dairy industry. He has made preserving trade partnerships with Mexico and improving Canadian market access for U.S. dairy exports in all future trade agreements a priority for IDFA. Prior to assuming his role at IDFA, Dykes served as vice president of government affairs for Monsanto, where he was responsible for developing and implementing a portfolio of U.S. government relations strategies and programs that included agricultural biotechnology policy. He led Monsanto's office in Washington, D.C., and served as the company's primary point of contact for elected officials, regulatory authorities, U.S. farm organizations, key industry participants, trade associations, international organizations and embassies. He directed the company's efforts in state and local government affairs, in addition to government affairs in Mexico and Canada. Dykes is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Academy of Practitioners. He has served on the Farmhouse Fraternity board for 3+ years. He is also a member of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and has served on the USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).
Dykes grew up on a small dairy and tobacco farm in Kentucky. He earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University. He also attended the University of Kentucky where he received a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science.
Pedro Goncalves
Vice President of Marketing, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada | Tetra Pak Inc.
Pedro Goncalves
Donald Grady
Senior Director, Legislative Affairs
Donald Grady
As Senior Director, Legislative Affairs, Donald Grady advocates for IDFA’s legislative policies and objectives with policymakers and other stakeholders, as well as assists with developing IDFA’s legislative goals and strategies. He comes to IDFA from the office of U.S. Representative Jim Costa (D-Calif.) where Grady served as a legislative assistant. He coordinated and managed all legislative efforts and constituent services related to the agriculture industry and the House Agriculture Committee. Before that, he was a legislative correspondent for U.S. Representative Jim Marshall (D-Ga.). Grady earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Denison University.
Boyd Hall
Account Manager, Contract Manufacturing, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada
Boyd Hall
Christopher Herlache
Risk Management Team Leader, Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Christopher Herlache
Chris has been involved with the dairy industry his entire life. Growing up on a dairy farm, he learned the fundamentals of dairy farming from the ground up. Chris attended the University of Wisconsin, where he received his degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics in 2000 and has been working for Schreiber Foods since 2000 where he has led the company’s risk management and dairy economic responsibilities since 2003. In this role he has been developing dairy risk management strategies and programs for some of the world’s largest foodservice and retail companies. In addition to these responsibilities, Chris has been involved in US dairy pricing and policy discussions, along with helping to educate and improve dairy spot and futures markets in the US and Europe.
Miles Hurrell
Chief Executive Officer, Fonterra
Miles Hurrell
Miles was appointed Chief Executive in 2018. He is responsible for leading the organization, delivering strategy and financial performance, and engaging with our farmer owners, employees, customers, and shareholders. As Chief Executive, Miles has led the Co-operative through strategic reviews into a new growth phase focused on New Zealand’s pasture-based milk, dairy innovation and science and sustainability. Previously, Miles held the role of Chief Operating Officer, Farm Source, with responsibility for farmer services and engagement, milk sourcing and the operation of New Zealand’s 70 Farm Source™ retail stores.
Miles has also held a number of leadership roles across the Co-op, including Group Co-operative Affairs Director and General Manager Middle East, Africa, Russia and Eastern Europe where he led a period of sustained growth across the region. Earlier in his career, Miles worked as the General Manager of Global Sourcing, building relationships with many of our global partners of today.
Miles has completed management programmes at INSEAD (International Executive Development), London Business School (Finance), Kellogg’s Northwestern University (Global Sales) and IMD Switzerland (Global Marketing).
Kristi Jankowski
Executive Vice President of Innovation, Sargento Foods, Inc.
Kristi Jankowski
At Sargento Foods, Kristi is focused on the design, development and implementation of new products and processes, while leading teams that bring new products and processes to life and the market. Under her leadership, these teams have won the Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation award three times in less than a decade. In addition to these accomplishments, Kristi has led the successful development and launch of numerous product innovations that have driven significant profit and growth for Sargento Foods.
Throughout her career, Kristi has provided results-driven leadership to major consumer packaged goods and food service companies. Prior to joining Sargento in 1999, she developed and commercialized a variety of food product portfolios and technical platforms for Kraft Foods Group supporting their Canadian, Cheese and Oscar Mayer business divisions.
Kristi holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in food science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has also served over 15 years combined in the roles of Board Director and a member of the Board Executive Team for the United Way of Sheboygan County and Safe Harbor of Sheboygan County organizations. Currently, she is serving on the Board of Directors for Alto-Shaam, Inc.
Ravi Jhala
Global Head – Commercial Bio, Perfect Day
Ravi Jhala
Ravi Jhala serves as the Global Head of Commercial- nth Bio for Perfect Day, the global precision fermentation leader on a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow through the harmony of nature and science.
Ravi has nearly two decades of experience managing product development, R&D, and commercialization functions. Ravi joined Perfect Day as the Head of Food Development, and was then asked to build and lead the Commercial team and nth Bio. He joined from Schreiber Dynamix Dairies, where he served as the Head of R&D and Product Development, responsible for new product development and innovations. Prior to that, he held R&D roles at Chobani, Wells’ Enterprises, and Sargento Foods.
Ravi earned his MS in Food and Biomaterials Processing from South Dakota State University and his Bachelor’s in Dairy Technology from Anand Agricultural University.
Prince Jibunor
Senior Director, Cargill Risk Management
Prince Jibunor
Prince Jibunor is a Senior Director supporting the North America Agriculture team for Cargill Risk Management, which provides risk management solutions for customers that help mitigate risk and volatility, reduce costs and diversify portfolios to navigate uncertainty. His key focus is leading strategy and business development efforts in the food, beverage, and dairy sector across North America.
Robin Kane
Chief People Officer, Aurora Organic Dairy
Robin Kane
Robin joined Aurora Organic Dairy in 2019 and leads the Company’s Human Resources, which includes employee programs and benefits, recruiting, training and culture.
Robin’s extensive HR leadership experience spans more than 25 years across various global organizations, including organic dairy, manufacturing, hospitality, consumer packaged goods, computer software & hardware, and public education. She has led large-impact organizational changes and has developed global leadership practices in Europe, Mexico, Canada and South America. Robin’s expertise includes benefits and compensation management, employee engagement, talent acquisition, leadership training and organizational change.
In addition to her role as Senior Vice President of People at Aurora Organic Dairy, Robin teaches human capital management in the Executive MBA program at the University of Denver, and holds various senior HR certifications. She earned her MBA from the University of Colorado – Denver, a Master of Science Degree in Education and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kelly Kerrigann, PHR, SHRM-CP, CLRL
HR Director, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Kelly Kerrigann, PHR, SHRM-CP, CLRL
Kelly Kerrigan is the Director of Human Resources at Michigan Milk Producers Association where she negotiates union contracts with MMPA plants, manages employee benefits and serves as a resource to MMPA’s 600 employees. With previous experience working in the automotive industry, Kelly transitioned to dairy in 2019 after joining MMPA. Kelly is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a master’s degree in human resources administration and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan Dearborn in workforce development.
Jackie Klippenstein
Senior Vice President, Chief Government and Industry Relations Officer, Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.
Jackie Klippenstein
Since joining DFA in 2008, Jackie has led the Cooperative’s public policy efforts and has played an active role in member services and community initiatives. In her current role, she leads DFA’s government affairs and industry relations and oversees the Cooperative’s sustainability strategy and farm practices team. Prior to joining DFA, Jackie spent nearly 15 years in Washington, D.C. as a congressional aide and then representing agricultural interests before Congress and regulatory agencies. She is currently chair of the board of Newtrient and also serves on the boards of National Milk Producers Federation, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture, National Cooperative Business Association and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City.
Sajal Kohli
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Sajal Kohli
Sajal is based in Chicago and leads McKinsey’s global work in the retail and consumer-goods industries.
In more than 25 years of management consulting, Sajal has counseled leading global retail and packaged-goods clients as they set growth strategies and face the challenges of both the changing international landscape and domestic-market shifts because of digitization, consolidation, and new entrants. He has served retail and consumer-goods clients across Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and North America. He serves retail clients across multiple formats, including hypermarkets, pure ecommerce players, grocers, restaurant chains, department stores, and leading consumer-goods companies across food, consumer-electronics, personal-care, beauty, and other categories.
Sajal focuses on working with senior leaders and their management teams to drive growth and commercial and operations transformations across both retail and consumer-goods companies. Over the last few years he has been spending a lot of time with organizations on the potential and implications of tech enablement, including advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and their implications on the future of work.
Karen Lancelle
Senior Vice President Supply Chain Management, Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Karen Lancelle
Karen Lancelle is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Schreiber Foods. She has been in this role since 2020. Karen joined Schreiber in 2000 as a Business Sales Manager. Since then she has held various leadership roles in the Commercial side of the business as well as in Procurement. Karen was elected to be an Officer of the company in 2018.
Karen earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Economics from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.
Karen is active in the industry and in the community. She serves as Board Vice Chair and Board Member for Freedom House Ministries. In addition, she is on the Supply Chain Advisory Board for Marquette University and is on the Board of the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay.
Karen currently lives in the Green Bay area with her husband Luke and their two daughters and son.
Schreiber Foods strives to do good through food every day. Based in North America, we’re a customer-brand leader in cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, shelf-stable beverages and yogurt. Our more than 10,000 employees and presence on five continents enable us to be an essential ingredient in our customers’ success. With annual sales of more than $7 billion, we partner with the best retailers, restaurants, distributors and food manufacturers around the globe. We also recognize our responsibility to do good in the world and are driven to make a difference in everything we do.
Claudia Larson, PhD
Senior Director, Government Relations & Head of Nutrition Policy, National Milk Producers Federation
Claudia Larson, PhD
Terryn Lawrence
Chief Sustainability Officer, Rabobank North America
Terryn Lawrence
Terryn Lawrence is the Chief Sustainability Officer for Rabobank North America. Lawrence brings over a decade of executive experience and recently served as Managing Director, leading key partnerships at Persefoni, a carbon management software platform that enables financial institutions and corporations to measure, manage and report their carbon emissions.
Lawrence builds on working across the food value chain - on products and businesses like regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and greener innovations. Her department is developing a North American sustainability strategy and objectives in alignment with Rabobanks’s global ambition to integrate sustainable solutions that are good for customers, society and the world. Lawrence drives the execution of sustainability initiatives across Rabobank's rural and corporate and investment banking businesses. In addition, she collaborates closely with the global Rabo Carbon Bank and Food System Transition teams to accelerate sustainable food production with climate-smart initiatives that reduce emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Early in her career, Terryn worked for one of the largest American member-owned agricultural cooperatives. Since then, she has built and scaled several ESG-focused technology startups, including one of her own, and has worked with many large financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies. While on assignment in London, Terryn earned a certificate from the University of Cambridge's Business Sustainability Management program within the Institute of Sustainability Leadership. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas' Walton College. Lawrence now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mary Ledman
Global Sector Strategist – Dairy, Rabo AgriFinance, Global
Mary Ledman
Mary is a thought leader who has extensive knowledge of domestic and international dairy markets and policy and over thirty years of experience in production agriculture, food processing, government service, agricultural policy, dairy risk management, market information and dissemination, and milk and dairy product price forecasting.
Prior to Rabobank, Mary held positions at the USDA, Kraft Foods, and Stella. She later founded Keough Ledman Associates, an economic consulting firm serving the dairy industry since 1995.
Mary holds a Bachelor of Science in agricultural journalism and a Master of Science degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University. Early in her career, she was awarded a Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship to conduct comparative research on US and European dairy policies.
Daragh Maccabee
IDFA Ingredients Board Chair / CEO, Idaho Milk Products
Daragh Maccabee
Daragh Maccabee was appointed CEO of Idaho Milk Products in October 2017. He has been a resident of Idaho’s Magic Valley for over 17 years since arriving there from Ireland in 2006.
Prior to joining Idaho Milk Products, Daragh spent 18 years with Glanbia, most recently as SVP Procurement & Dairy Economics at Glanbia Nutritionals. He served on the Board of Southwest Cheese and from 2006 to 2015 held the position of Executive Vice President & CFO of Glanbia’s US Cheese and Whey business. He started his career with Glanbia as Financial Controller of Glanbia’s Irish Consumer Foods business. Prior to Glanbia, Daragh worked with Coca-Cola in Russia in the startup of a manufacturing facility and distribution business in Central Siberia. He graduated from Griffith College Dublin and the Dublin Business School and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Daragh serves on the Board of the Idaho Milk Processors Association (IMPA) and took on the role of IMPA President in 2019 and served in that position until the end of 2021. He currently serves as Chair of the Ingredients Segment Board of IDFA and has served on the Board and Executive Committee of the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI). He also serves as Vice President of the Unity Alliance of Southern Idaho, an organization that promotes the importance of immigrants to the continued success of our dairy industry.
He is married to Dolores, and they have 3 daughters. When not working, he enjoys the challenge of long-distance running.
Lauren McGuiness
Senior Director in Digital Merchandising, Albertsons Companies, Inc.
Lauren McGuiness
Lauren has 15+ years of experience in merchandising and sales roles in e-commerce and traditional retail in grocery, furniture and the alcoholic beverage industry. Lauren McGuiness leads Platform Maximization for Albertsons. She is responsible for running the digital storefront for Albertsons app and web experiences, leading the digital merchandising and content strategy and digital production operation. Prior to Albertsons, Lauren spent several years at Wayfair, holding roles across category management, promotions, brand strategy and private label merchandising. Lauren also spent several years in the beverage industry as the Director of Sales & Marketing for Sheehan Family Companies, the largest craft beer distributor in the United States. Lauren holds an MBA from Northeastern University with a concentration in Marketing and a bachelor’s degree in International Economics from Lafayette College.
Will McIntee
Senior Advisor for Public Engagement, The White House
Will McIntee
Will McIntee serves as Senior Advisor for Public Engagement at The White House handling rural, agriculture, food, nutrition, and sports engagement. In this role he managed public engagement around the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health that President Biden hosted last year bringing communities across the country together to address hunger and diet-related disease. He served as the Midwest Political Director and National Rural Engagement Director on the Biden-Harris campaign, and also previously served at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Obama-Biden Administration, in the Office of Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) in Iowa, and as the Midwest Outreach Director for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. A native of northeast Iowa, Will is an alum of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.
Ambassador Doug McKalip
Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade Representative
Ambassador Doug McKalip
Doug McKalip is the Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Before joining USTR, he served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on all agricultural matters relating to trade, national security, animal and plant health regulations, and a wide portfolio of domestic and international issues. McKalip formerly served in a leadership capacity in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Biotechnology Regulatory Services. He served as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture from 2015 to September 2016, and also as Acting Chief of Staff. McKalip was Senior Advisor for Agriculture and Rural Affairs at the White House Domestic Policy Council, where he counseled President Barack Obama on issues involving farm, ranch, and rural policy. He served as the Director of the White House Rural Council and coordinated the Executive Branch-wide response to the 2012-2013 drought. McKalip has served in a variety of other roles at USDA, including as Confidential Assistant to the Secretary, and Director of Legislative and Public Affairs for the National Resources Conservation Service at USDA.
McKalip has a Master’s in Public Policy from the American University in Washington D.C. and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a graduate of the Executive Fellows Program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2020), a Fellow in the California Agricultural Leadership DC Exchange (2018), and a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA (2005). He was also a participant in the Student Council for U.S. Affairs at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Sheryl Meshke
IDFA Cheese Board Vice Chair / President and CEO, Associated Milk Producers, Inc.
Sheryl Meshke
Sheryl Meshke is president and chief executive officer of Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI), the largest cheese cooperative based in the U.S. Appointed to the role in January 2023 following eight years as co-president and CEO, the position caps more than three decades with the company. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to be named CEO of a U.S. dairy cooperative. Personal Meshke currently serves on the boards of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council.
She is past chairman of the Minnesota Dairy Research, Teaching and Consumer Education Authority, The Cooperative Foundation, Cooperative Communicators Association and the Minnesota FFA Foundation. Meshke holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from South Dakota State University and a master’s degree in business from the University of St. Thomas. She is a fifthgeneration farmer, operating a hog and sheep farm near Lake Crystal, Minn., with her husband Blake Meshke, son Brent and his wife Leslie. Another son Derek and his wife Tori live in Brookings, S.D.
Paul Myer
CEO, Athian
Paul Myer
Paul is the CEO and Founder of Athian, a sustainability software company that is building the world’s first carbon Marketplace for the livestock industry. Athian’s platform provides quality greenhouse gas insetting credits that fund livestock producers’ sustainability measures. Athian was funded by industry leading companies in animal health (Elanco & DSM Venturing), Dairy (Newtrient & California Dairies Inc.), and Beef (Tyson Ventures).
Paul comes from three generations of cattle ranchers in the 4-corners region of the US Southwest. As an accomplished technology leader who has built multiple Software as a Service (SaaS) companies, Paul brings over 25 years of experience in executive management, operations, and technology to his role at Athian.
Paul’s career has been focused in the network security and big data/predictive analytics software market, including Veracity (Industrial Network Security), Public Engines (Cloud-based crime data visualization and predictive analytics), and M86 Security (Web and Email Security). Mr. Myer holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BA in International Relations from Brigham Young University.
Colin Newman
Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Chief of Staff
Colin Newman
Colin Newman serves as IDFA’s Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff where he directs the organization’s key initiatives and leads day-to-day operations of the executive office. In this role, Newman executes on the strategic priorities of President and CEO, Michael Dykes, D.V.M and serves as strategist and consultant, facilitating collaboration and inclusiveness across the association to achieve organizational goals.
Newman is the executive office’s liaison with IDFA members and members of the IDFA Executive Council and Industry Segment Boards. He also leads the association’s Political Action Committee (IDFA PAC) and all grassroots political activities. These activities include strategic fly-ins, legislative fly-outs, Congressional facility tours, IDFA’s annual leadership awards and other special events.
Newman designed, implemented, and leads the IDFA NextGen Leadership Program, a signature program of the IDFA People Strategy. The NextGen Leadership Program supports, guides, and prepares mid-senior level dairy industry professionals ready to take the next step in their leadership journey.
Newman joined IDFA in 2017 from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where he served as manager for corporate relations. Before that, he worked at Morgan Meredith & Associates, a fundraising firm on Capitol Hill, where he fundraised for members of Congress, PACs and nonprofits. Newman also led a grassroots effort as a field director for Senator Mitt Romney during Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. Newman earned a bachelor’s degree in management at Gettysburg College.
Chirag Pandya
Partner, McKinsey & Company
Chirag Pandya
Chirag is a partner at McKinsey’s Silicon Valley office in the Bay Area and is a global leader with meaningful global exposure in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Asia. He is passionate about transforming organizations and focuses on value creation both in institutional investor and industrial settings.
With his experience within consumer-facing and technology businesses, Chirag has led multinational teams with global business exposure in North America, Southeast Asia, and EMEA. He is experienced in working with people of various levels of seniority in organizations and has a high degree of affinity to consumer-facing industries and topics related to strategy and operations. This includes turnarounds and whole organization transformations.
He is passionate and has deep expertise with food ecosystems—including alternative milk and proteins—manufacturing equipment and systems, technology and latest disruptions, product development and consumer-insight-backed design innovations, recipe and formula platforming, ingredients, and novel foods.
Daniel Peerless
Daniel Peerless, Global Sustainable Sourcing Lead for Dairy, Meat, Poultry and Eggs with Nestlé
Daniel Peerless
Daniel Peerless is the Global Sustainable Sourcing Lead for Dairy, Meat, Poultry and Eggs with Nestlé. As part of the ESG Climate and Sustainable Sourcing team, he oversees responsible sourcing standards and reporting within the Nestlé global supply chain and coordinates work to reduce emissions on the farms that produce ingredients for Nestlé products. Before joining Nestlé in 2021, he was a member of the environmental research team at Dairy Management Inc., the national dairy checkoff program.
Scott Pelley
Award-Winning 60 Minutes Correspondent & Former CBS News Anchor and Managing Editor
Scott Pelley
After covering the most compelling and historic stories of the last 40 years, 60 Minutes correspondent and former CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley is one of the most recognizable faces in American journalism today.
Pelley has been reporting for 60 Minutes, America’s number one news program, for nearly 25 years. During that time, half of all the major awards won by 60 Minutes have been for stories he has reported. His reporting for 60 Minutes has taken him to the battlefields of Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and also includes news-making interviews with presidents, kings, and global celebrities. He captured the nation’s attention with exclusive interviews of President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as his interview with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, which took place in Zelensky’s blacked-out bunker near the beginning of the Russian invasion.
Pelley previously served as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from 2011 to 2017. In that time, he made the storied flagship of CBS News the fastest growing evening news broadcast in America and grew the broadcast by an additional 1.5 million viewers.
Pelley’s is also the author of the book, Truth Worth Telling, which offers a collection of inspiring tales, reminding us of the importance of values in our uncertain times. Pelley provides audiences with his expert and insightful perspective from a career on the front lines of history.
Throughout his illustrious career, Pelley has been honored with 43 Emmy Awards, four prestigious duPont-Columbia Awards, three George Foster Peabody Awards and the Walter Cronkite Award among many others.
Critical reviews. The Washington Post wrote, “Pelley’s tenure has been marked by his intelligent, truth-seeking approach to the news, pulling no punches while still remaining impartial.” The Columbia Journalism Review called Pelley, “The most well-qualified and proven television journalist ever to ascend to the anchor job.” Variety praised his, “Genuine gravitas and commitment to his craft” while the Washington Times wrote, “The legacy of Edward R. Murrow lives in the daring, long-range investigations of Scott Pelley.” Salon.com said, “He restores a little of our faith in TV news while performing hugely-important, world-bettering reports along the way.”
Alicia Powers
Managing Director, Hunger Solutions Institute, Auburn University
Alicia Powers
Dr. Powers holds a PhD in Nutrition and Food Systems from The University of Southern Mississippi as well as a MS and BS in Nutrition and Food Sciences from Auburn University.
During her five years as Managing Director, Powers has elevated Hunger Solutions Institute as a true academic center providing steadfast leadership in teaching, research, and service in food security and healthy food access. HSI currently has $5 million in active grants and gifts. Prior to joining HSI, Powers worked as Community Health Coordinator with the Alabama Extension Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education (SNAP-Ed) at Auburn University. In this role, Powers developed, implemented and evaluated policy, systems and environmental strategies to increase access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities for limited resource populations throughout Alabama. From 2007-2016, Powers served as an associate professor of Health Sciences at Furman University. During this time, Powers co-founded Live Well Greenville, a coalition of organizations partnering to ensure access to healthy eating and active living opportunities for every Greenville County, South Carolina resident. Powers recently received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for Auburn University.
Jose Quijada
Senior Director, Customer Experience, Ecolab
Jose Quijada
Jose Quijada started his career at Ecolab as an Assistant Marketing Manager in 2011 where he was working on product launches and Voice-of-Customer for the Food & Protein segments in Asia Pacific, China, and Latin-America. After several marketing rotations, Jose became the first Global Dairy Marketer for Ecolab.
In September 2017, Jose transitioned into a Corporate Account Manager role for the North America market. In this position, Jose was the main point of contact to multiple Dairy companies in the US and Canada as their try to achieve their goals of manufacturing high quality and safe food at the lowest possible cost.
Due to the results delivered by Jose as a Corporate Account Manager, Jose became an Assistant Vice President for the North America market. In this role, Jose manages a team of Corporate Account Managers and a Dairy portfolio of over $120M in the United States and Canada.
In 2021, Jose was honored to be selected for the Next Generation Leadership Program of IDFA. This leadership program allowed Jose to work with multiple key leaders in the dairy industry around multiple important areas including dairy advocacy, sustainability targets and, especially, how to improve diversity in the dairy industry. Also, Jose has been working closely with IDFA to build the Dairy Diversity Coalition to attract and retain talent in the Dairy industry.
In September 2023, Jose was tasked to create and lead the Customer Experience team for Food & Beverage NA. In this new role, Jose will be responsible for designing and implementing processes and initiatives to deliver value for Ecolab customers, by integrating, among other things, digital innovations that will enhance customer satisfaction.
Before Ecolab, Jose worked in the digital industry for 5 years in Latin-America.
Jose got his MBA degree from University of St. Thomas in 2011 and his Computer Engineering degree from Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela in 2005. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and his twins.
Nicole Rakobitsch
Director of Sustainability, Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative
Nicole Rakobitsch
Nicole Rakobitsch is the Director of Sustainability at Organic Valley, America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands. She leads the Cooperative’s Climate Action plan both on-farm and throughout the cooperative, transitioning the Coop to carbon neutrality by 2050. Nicole co-leads the Coop’s Carbon Insetting Program, an innovative program that compensates its farmer members for every ton of carbon reduced or sequestered through new, or recently implemented climate smart farming practices. Previously Nicole assisted farmers and other landowners in her home state of New York with conservation practice planning, design and installation. Nicole and her husband live in Southwest Wisconsin in an off-grid homestead powered 100% by the wind and sun.
Yin Woon Rani
CEO, Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP)
Yin Woon Rani
Rani brings nearly 25 years of integrated marketing experience across CPG companies and marketing agencies to MilkPEP. As CEO, she is excited to address the challenges ahead with thoughtful, sustained solutions and looks forward to working with the entire industry to help ensure a positive impact.
Prior to joining MilkPEP, Rani was VP, Chief Customer Experience Officer for the Campbell Soup Company, where she was instrumental in modernizing the company’s marketing across content, media, design, martech and digital – as well as improving the business trajectory for important core brands and new launches. Before joining Campbell Soup, Rani was president, North America of Universal McCann, the largest operating unit within IPG’s Mediabrands group.
Rani earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from the Stern School of Business, New York University. She is active and respected within the marketing industry, earning recognition from a range of industry awards, both as a marketer and as an advocate for diversity – including YWCA’s Women of Year, SheRunsIt “Working Mother of the Year,” Brand Innovators Top 50 Women in Marketing, Path to Purchase Institute “Who’s Who in Shopper Marketing,” among others.
Becky Rasdall
Senior Vice President, Trade and Workforce Policy
Becky Rasdall
Becky Rasdall joined the International Dairy Foods Association in July 2020 as Vice President, Trade Policy and International Affairs where she is responsible for advocacy strategy on international trade and supply chain policy issues impacting the global competitiveness of U.S. dairy products. Becky also currently leads IDFA’s Women in Dairy initiative.
Before she joined IDFA, Becky served as a Senior Advisor with the Foreign Agricultural Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a Deputy Director for Agricultural Affairs in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Throughout her government career, she obtained extensive experience in negotiating technical resolutions to trade barriers for U.S. dairy exports, as well as representing the United States in trade agreement negotiations, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), China Phase One Agreement, and other negotiations with the European Commission and India.
Prior to joining the U.S. government, Becky managed regulatory compliance for ConAgra Foods’ export business and also worked for the International Food Information Council and former Congressman Dave Camp (MI-04). Becky holds a Master of the Arts in International Relations from the University of Warwick in England, and a Bachelor of the Arts in International Political Science from Hope College in Michigan, and speaks German and Spanish.
Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak
President and CEO, International Food Information Council (IFIC)
Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak
Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN is President and CEO of the International Food Information Council (IFIC), a nonprofit education organization focused on effectively communicating science-based information about sustainable food systems, with an emphasis on food safety and nutrition.
Prior to joining IFIC, Wendy served as the President and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). At PBH, she guided the Foundation’s efforts with hundreds of public and private partners to advance fruit and vegetable consumption for happier, healthier lives. Under her leadership and through a two-year transformation, the organization launched the Have A Plant® Movement in 2019, which today, inspires millions of consumers to eat and enjoy more fruits and vegetables each and every day.
From 2012 to 2016, Reinhardt Kapsak held multiple leadership positions in the Food, Nutrition & Health Partnerships and Corporate Engagement verticals in what is now collectively known as Bayer Crop Science. While in these roles, her efforts focused on connecting the food, nutrition, culinary, and agriculture communities for greater understanding, collaboration, and innovation.
Wendy returned to IFIC after a previous tenure from 2000–2012, including service as Senior Director, Health & Wellness. While at IFIC, she directed food and nutrition communication strategies, including consumer research, opinion leader and media outreach, as well as publications and partnerships, for multiple food, agriculture, and nutrition issues.
Wendy earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Nutrition and Exercise Science from the University of Missouri, Columbia and James Madison University, respectively. She completed her dietetic internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital — an affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine.
Sarah Schmidt
Vice President of Public Affairs, Associated Milk Producers Inc.
Sarah Schmidt
Sarah Schmidt is vice president of marketing for Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI),
a dairy cooperative headquartered in New Ulm, Minn. In this role, she shares AMPI’s story with a variety of audiences to help grow revenue and foster relationships, and identify and develop new opportunities. She leads the cooperative’s marketing, communications, government relations, and stewardship and sustainability efforts.
Schmidt graduated with summa cum laude honors from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with an animal science degree. She is a past recipient of the Cooperative Communicators Association's Michael Graznak Award and three-time recipient of the National Milk Producers Federation Outstanding Achievement in Communications Award. In 2022, she was presented the Golden Graduate Award by the University of Minnesota’s Gopher Dairy Club. She currently serves on the National Dairy Shrine Board of Directors.
Schmidt and her husband, Kelly, live on a farm near New Ulm where they are raising three daughters. The family enjoys raising and showing beef and dairy heifers and hogs. They are active in 4-H, FFA and junior livestock associations.
AMPI is owned by dairy farm families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. The cooperative’s award-winning cheese, butter and powdered dairy products are marketed to foodservice, retail and food ingredient customers. The co-op launched its Dinner Bell Creamery® brand and accompanying Co-op Crafted® promise in 2019, highlighting more than 50 years of dairy farm families partnering with skilled dairy craftsmen to make great-tasting, award-winning products.
Corey Scott
Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Athian
Corey Scott
Corey Scott is Athian's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Scott is an experienced livestock sustainability professional who understands how to bridge the gap between farmers and ranchers and the remainder of the animal agriculture value chain. Prior to joining Athian, Scott spent 15 years in food agriculture, most recently with Truterra LLC, the sustainability division of Land O'Lakes. She received her Executive MBA and undergraduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and Carlson School of Business. In 2023, she was selected as one of GreenBiz's 12 Women Cultivating Sustainable Food Systems and earned a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award for her work in collaborating across the dairy supply chain to provide on-farm investment in sustainable practices and reduce dairy's overall environmental footprint.
Tamika Sims, PhD
Senior Director, Food Technology Communications, International Food Information Council
Tamika Sims, PhD
Patricia Stroup
Chair / Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, Nestle S.A. and Chief Executive Officer, Nestrade S.A.
Patricia Stroup
Patty Stroup is senior vice president and chief procurement officer at Nestlé and chief executive officer of Nestrade S.A. She has a long history in the dairy industry, with previous experience heading both North American and global dairy procurement for Nestle, as well as prior leadership roles at Hilmar Cheese Company in California and Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers in Virginia. Her career started as co-owner and manager of dairy farms in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
She holds a bachelors degree in communications with a cognate in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech, an MBA focused on Food and Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and a leadership certificate from the London Business School.
Bart Toirkens
Cheese Technology Specialist, Amalthea Group
Bart Toirkens
Larine Urbina
Vice President of Communications, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada
Larine Urbina
Larine Urbina is the Vice President of Communications for Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. She leads a dynamic team focused on bringing the company’s values and purpose to life and has responsibility for all aspects of corporate communications, including social media, public relations, sustainability communications, brand marketing, events and employee communications.
Prior to joining Tetra Pak in 2014, Larine held a range of communications roles with GameStop and Rexel Holdings USA. With over 15 years of communication and brand management experience across several industries, Larine brings a broad view to brand storytelling that centers on authenticity and always puts the audience first.
Always curious and a relentless knowledge-seeker, Larine spends her free time travelling, experimenting with new foods and drinks, and going down the online research rabbit hole.
Roberta Wagner
Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs
Roberta Wagner
Roberta Wagner is the Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association.
Prior to IDFA, Roberta served as vice president of regulatory and technical affairs for the Consumer Brands Association, formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association since 2019.
Wagner spent 33 years in public service, most recently as the assistant administrator of the Office of Policy and Program Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Previously, Wagner served as the deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Field Operations at FSIS where she oversaw a workforce of 7,800 inspection program personnel, including consumer safety officers, public health veterinarians and food inspectors. Wagner also spent more than 25 years with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), working in a variety of roles from analytical chemist to associate commissioner for Food Safety Modernization Act implementation.
Loren Ward
Chief Innovation Officer, Glanbia Nutritionals
Loren Ward
Loren has worked in the dairy industry throughout his life. As a young boy he worked on a dairy farm where he learned to milk cows. After graduating from Utah State University with a Bachelors Degree in Food Science, he attended the University of Minnesota where he received a Doctorate Degree in Food Science with an emphasis in dairy chemistry. Loren is the Chief Innovation Officer for Glanbia Nutritionals. He is responsible for customer collaboration and innovation projects at Glanbia’s sixteen Innovation and Collaboration Centers located in Asia, Europe and North America. Glanbia’s Innovation and Collaboration Centers provide sites where customers can come to collaborate and work in a rapid prototyping environment to develop new concepts and products. These sites are well equipped to make protypes across snacking, bakery, nutritional bars, beverages and other food applications. The prototypes incorporate the latest innovations in science, nutrition and technology resulting in new and innovative products that are ready for commercialization.
Annie Waring
Director of Business Development, Americold
Annie Waring
Annie Waring has spent her career in the dairy industry or supporting it. Currently a Director of Business Development for Americold Logistics, Annie works with dairy production companies supporting warehousing and supply chain needs. Annie focuses on producer goals for day-to-day supply chain operations and long term strategic performance objectives of dairy producers, as well as other commodity markets. Prior to Americold Annie worked at Leprino Foods Company in Denver, CO. Annie has participated in 3 IDFA organized legislative fly in sessions to focus on supply chain related issues, and is part of IDFA NextGen Leadership Cohort 5. Annie currently lives in the New Orleans area with her husband and daughter.
Katie Wilson, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Urban School Food Alliance
Katie Wilson, Ph.D.
Dr. Wilson has a passion for child nutrition and has dedicated her career to improving access to healthy food for all children and their families. She has spent 23 years as a school nutrition director, 5 years as the Executive Director for the Institute of Child Nutrition, 2 years as the Deputy Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by President Obama and is presently the Executive Director of the Urban School Food Alliance.
Katie has shared her expertise throughout the United States and around the world as an invited speaker. She also on the Board of Directors for the international group, Eating City.
Dr. Wilson holds a bachelor’s of science degree in dietetics, a master’s degree in food science and nutrition from the University of WI – Stout, and a doctoral degree in foodservice and lodging management from Iowa State University. She is credentialed as a School Nutrition Specialist.
She has received many peer nominated awards throughout her career and has recently been honoured with The Dr. Katie Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award given annually in WI.
Catherine de Ronde
Vice President, Economics & Legislative Affairs, Agri-Mark, Inc.
Catherine de Ronde
Catherine de Ronde is the Vice President of Economics & Legislative Affairs at Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative. Catherine joined Agri-Mark in 2017 and is responsible for watching dairy market trends, forecasting milk prices, and working on state and federal legislation affecting Agri-Mark members. Catherine was previously employed as the Agricultural Economist with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Catherine holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Resource Economics from the University of Connecticut.
Hotel
JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort
The deadline to secure a room in the Dairy Forum room block was December 29.
You can check current availability and prices directly with the hotel online or by calling 480-293-5000.
Dairy Forum will be held at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. A discounted room rate of $329 per night plus applicable taxes will be available to Dairy Forum attendees. The deadline to secure a room is December 29, 2023 or until the room block sells out. We have reserved a large block of rooms, but once the room block is full, we cannot guarantee that additional space will be available.
Hotel Reservation Policy: You must register for the Dairy Forum to be eligible for the conference discounted room rate. All registrants will receive a registration confirmation email that will include instructions on how to confirm your hotel reservation. Only one reservation is permitted per registrant. If a hotel guest is not registered for Dairy Forum, IDFA reserves the right to remove the guest room reservation from the conference room block without notice.
Hotel Cancellation Policy: Hotel reservations can be canceled up to seven (7) days prior to arrival without fees. If complete cancellation of an individual reservation takes place within seven (7) days of the scheduled arrival a cancellation fee equal to one (1) night room and tax will be charged by the hotel.
Agenda
| January 21, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00am |
Morning Golf Tournament – Shotgun Start (Scramble)
|
Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge | |
| 12:30pm |
Afternoon Golf Tournament - Shotgun Start (Scramble)
|
Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge |
Golf Tournament Registration Fee: $299
Registration includes greens fee, cart fee, practice facilities, light breakfast (morning players) or boxed lunch (afternoon players), beverages and service fees.
How to play a golf scramble?
In a scramble, each golfer in the foursome takes a shot from the tee. From that point, the team decides who has the best drive, and all players advance forward to that spot to take their second shots. This process continues, with the best shot being taken each time, until a member of the team is able to hole out. The team’s score for that particular hole is recorded as the number of team strokes it took to get the ball in the cup.
Sponsors:
Pickleball Is Coming to Dairy Forum 2024!
Grab your paddles and join us on Sunday morning, Jan. 21st, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. for the first annual Dairy Forum Pickleball Tournament at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort’s championship pickleball courts to benefit the IDFA Foundation. All pickleball enthusiasts and novices are welcome. Register in groups of two or on your own to have an opportunity to play pickleball while also fundraising to make a difference for our industry and the communities where we work. Newcomers and aficionados alike are welcome.
The morning will include short clinics led by club pros for beginners and those who want to hone their skills, followed by a round-robin tournament and playoff with the top eight players, as well as an awards ceremony. The top two players at the end of the tournament will win an inscribed award plaque! 100% of the funds raised will support the IDFA Foundation, which promotes the health and wellbeing of people, communities, and our planet on behalf of U.S. dairy.
If you would like to support the IDFA Foundation, please click here.
Registration Fees
Individual $199
Doubles $299
5K Fun Run
Sunday, January 21 | 9:00AM
All levels of runners and walkers are invited to participate in the Dairy Forum 5K Fun Run/Walk sponsored by MilkPEP. This event is a great way to start your day with a little cardio alongside your colleagues. The 5K (3.1 miles) route will lead you around the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge property.
Registration Fee: $60
FAQs
Q: Registration Payment by Check or ACH/Wire Transfer
The fastest and easiest way to register is online. If an invoice is required to submit payment by check or ACH/wire transfer, please email registrar@idfa.org.
Q: Registration Substitutions
Registration is non-transferable from one company to another; however, substitutions within companies are welcome at any time. Please email registrar@idfa.org if you would like to make a registration substitution.
Q: Registration Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations received in writing will be accepted prior to December 18, 2023 for a full refund, minus a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received after December 18, 2023, will be eligible for a 50 percent refund, less the processing fee. Your Dairy Forum registration fee is non-refundable after January 8, 2024. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.
Q: Golf Tournament Cancellation Policy
All golf tournament cancellations will receive a full refund before December 18, 2023. No golf tournament refunds will be issued after December 18, 2023. All cancellations must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.
Q: 5K Fun Run Cancellation Policy
All 5K fun run cancellations will receive a full refund before December 18, 2023. No 5k fun run refunds will be issued after December 18, 2023. All cancellations must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.
Q: News Media
Credentialed members of the news media are welcome to register at a special rate by contacting mherrick@idfa.org. News media must present credentials to qualify.
Q: Attire
Attire is business casual although we encourage attendees to dress comfortably for evening receptions which may be held outdoors.
Q: Affiliate Events
Affiliate events are non-IDFA sponsored events that take place before, during, or after Dairy Forum. These include, but are not limited to business meetings, receptions, dinners, group activities, and other functions. If you are interested in reserving space at the conference hotel for an affiliate meeting or event, please contact mlembke@idfa.org. Space is limited, and requests will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Questions: If you have questions or need assistance with the registration process, please contact IDFA at (202) 737-4332 or registrar@idfa.org.
Catch the exclusive live stream sessions and pictures at the Dairy Forum 2024 Hub!
Sponsor Information
Dairy Forum propels the dairy industry to new heights by providing attendees with the most cutting-edge information. Designed to elevate the industry and the businesses within it, Dairy Forum offers an unrivaled platform for exchanging ideas, fostering innovation, and cultivating meaningful connections. With a focus on empowering attendees with actionable insights, Dairy Forum equips them with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate emerging trends, capitalize on opportunities, and overcome challenges. By attending Dairy Forum, industry professionals can expect to elevate their businesses, advance their expertise, and actively contribute to the conversation that shapes the future of dairy.
For those interested in sponsorship, Dairy Forum is the place to be seen and heard. Sponsorship is one of the best ways to brand your organization as a thought-leader and to highlight your commitment to advancing the dairy industry. IDFA offers various levels of sponsorship.
Please contact mlembke@idfa.org for more information.
Highlight Your Dairy Products at Dairy Forum
Dairy Forum will feature a Dairy Bar showcasing some of the most popular and innovative products produced by our members. The Dairy Bar will feature a broad selection of dairy products including milk, yogurt, cheese, snack packs, ice cream, novelties, as well as other products and beverages. All products will be displayed for attendees to enjoy throughout the conference.
We hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity and consider donating a selection of your single serve products. To participate, please contact mlembke@idfa.org.