Idaho Milk Products congratulates Dr. Venkateswarlu (Venkat) Sunkesula on his recent promotion to vice president of Research and Product Development and welcomes Kevin Quinn as the new vice president of sales and marketing.
Dr. Sunkesula joined Idaho Milk Products in July 2019. Before coming to Idaho Milk Products, he attended South Dakota State University pursuing his Ph.D. in dairy manufacturing under the supervision of Dr. Lloyd Metzger, a member of our Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Sunkesula did his thesis on the Development of Methods to Improve Lactose Recovery from Permeate and Drying Characteristics of Greek Acid Whey. Venkat has about 20 years of professional experience in various managerial roles in the dairy, candy and brewing industries.
“Venkat joined Idaho Milk Products at a momentous time for the development of our MIC (Milk Innovation Center) and has already made a significant contribution in bringing us to where we are today,” said Daragh Maccabee, CEO of Idaho Milk Products. “Taking on the leadership role was a natural progression. His academic qualifications and extensive experience combined with his personal qualities will allow him to build on the outstanding legacy of his predecessor and, together with the R&D team, bring the MIC to new levels of excellence.”
“It has been a pleasure to learn and grow in a people-focused organization and working with leadership that walks the company values,” said Dr Sunkesula. “I am grateful to Idaho Milk Products for recognizing my contributions with this promotion. I look forward to continuing working with the excellent people, process and plant to play an even more significant role in the business growth.”
Kevin Quinn came to Idaho Milk Product in December 2022 as vice president of Sales and Marketing. He has worked in the food industry for 30 years with both domestic and international customers in sales, marketing and finance roles for Nestle, Sara Lee, White Wave, Leprino Foods and Darigold. During his time at Darigold as Vice President of Global Accounts, he was responsible for customer-facing activities for several major global accounts. After graduating from the University of Colorado in Boulder, he started his career in Colorado.
“I am delighted with Kevin’s decision to join our team,” commented Daragh Maccabee, CEO of Idaho Milk Products. “His vast experience and the depth of his relationships with existing and potentially new commercial partners represent an important and valuable addition to the team at a pivotal moment for our organization. I am excited at the prospect of working with Kevin in the ongoing pursuit of our purpose, “Bringing value to milk for generations”.”
“I am very excited to join the dynamic team at Idaho Milk Products,” said Kevin Quinn, VP of Sales and Marketing. “The professionalism with which this team operates and the attention to quality at all levels will allow for new growth in global markets. The production of MPC (Milk Protein Concentrate), MPI (Milk Protein Isolate) and MPP (Milk Permeate Powder) is at a level that meets the spec needs of global customers, and the effort to continue thriving on sustainability at farm and factory put Idaho Milk Products ahead of the curve.”
