From an early age, the following six women have been involved with the dairy industry for most of their lives. Running around her parents’ dairy farm, Venae Watts, fifth-generation owner of Minerva Dairy, Minerva, Ohio, recalls her first job was to add up the milk tickets from the receiving bay. “We talked about the business at the dinner table and I was always included in the conversation,” Watts states. 

Another farm girl, Pam Hodgson, who went on to become the first woman Master Cheesemaker in the country in 2013 and has been with Plymouth, Wis.-based Sartori for 19 years, started off her career as a Quality Assurance Supervisor at a cheese plant.

Lifeway Foods’ CEO Julie Smolyansky says working with her dad, who started Lifeway Foods in 1986, and seeing how much everyone loved the kefir and farmer cheese the Morton Grove, Ill.-based company produced was the impetus for her ascension through the ranks after her father unexpectedly died of a heart attack in 2002. “It was a really traumatic experience for me. Not only was I mourning the loss of my father, the company at that point was earning about $12 million in annual revenue,” Smolyansky tells Dairy Foods. “We had about 70 employees and nationwide distribution. Someone had to step in and lead. I knew that this was my father’s complete passion and everything that he had spent his life working for. I made a promise to him that I would do everything in my power to make sure that Lifeway not only succeeded, but that it thrived.”

Erin Price, senior vice president of marketing at Sargento, has worked for 16 years in Plymouth, Wis., “the Cheese Capital of the World,” known as such because the city handles an estimated 15% of U.S. cheese production, in a variety of marketing and general management roles. She proudly notes that during her tenure, “Sargento has become the No. 1 natural cheese brand and is the market share leader in the category senior thanks to our brand building efforts and relentless focus on innovation.”

Under the leadership of Muriel Acat, president and CEO of Prova, an ingredient company headquartered in Montreuil, France, and Beverly, Mass., Prova has worked in partnership with the dairy industry for many years.  “Our specialty is extracts, especially vanilla extract which is so prevalent in dairy,” Acat explains. ”Whether in ice cream, yogurt, or dairy-based drinks and creamers, our vanilla, cocoa, and coffee extracts enhance the dairy experience.”

Beginning her career as a Food Scientist, specifically focused in product development and ingredient functionality, Angela Dodd has extensive experience formulating food products using various dairy ingredients from whey protein, butter, and milk solids. As director of New Market Development at Oceanside, Calif.-based Solecta for two years, Dodd helps optimize dairy processing through the company’s advanced membrane separation technologies and consultative approach which delivers bottom-line results to dairy producers. 

With a commitment and passion for furthering the role of women within the Food and Beverage (F&B) value chain, in 2019 Dodd founded Females in Food — the first female-focused career community and talent marketplace — which unites women across the entire F&B value chain while providing the necessary resources, connections, and opportunities to close the gender gap at the top.

In Dairy Foods’ first-ever Outlook Report showcasing Women in Dairy (but not our last, see ending), we ask the aforementioned women some wide-ranging questions about their career journey, gender equity, best advice they’ve received, and more.

Dairy Foods: In a competitive job market, do you think more women are seeking careers in the dairy industry? To what do you attribute this?

Pam Hodgson: “Right now, there are some fantastic cheeses being made by women. I think that this is encouraging for us all. It’s easy to say, ‘If she can do, I can too’ and that is true. I enjoy the challenges and opportunities that cheesemaking presents. I love the cheesemaking team at Sartori and I am excited by what we will accomplish together.”

Erin Price: “Women in dairy are increasing in total numbers, and it is also gratifying to see more women in leadership roles within dairy as well. In my experience, the industry as a whole is supportive and welcoming to women, with opportunities for mentorship and increasing focus on training and development.”

Venae Watts: “I truly hope they are. More women [are] taking on the role that was previously only a male role. The dairy industry is still heavily a male dominated field, but that is changing. We are finding our voice and pulling up a chair to sit at the table.”

Julie Smolyansky: “I believe so. Women are a natural fit for the industry. There’s both a learned and intuitive connection to nourishment and nutrition that many women prioritize. I think the interest in natural and traditional foods has seen a resurgence as we understand more about what makes our bodies feel good and thrive. Women take notice of the mind-body connection and pursue avenues to help themselves and others.”

Angela Dodd: “Over the past several years, we have certainly seen female representation grow within the dairy sector. Specifically, within Females in Food, we have launched a Dairy Division that provides professional development, community, industry insights and peer mentorship specifically with content focused for women in dairy. These types of initiatives among others taken on by the industry and individual companies (better paid parental leave, sponsorship and mentorship, leadership development programs, etc.)  have been key in working toward gender parity in the industry.”

Dairy Foods: Tell us a little about your journey, the challenges you’ve had to overcome, etc.

Pam Hodgson: “When I started as a Quality Assurance Supervisor, I was the first woman in a leadership position in that plant. I really felt like I had to prove myself and I think that provided a lot of motivation to be the best. Most people were supportive although there were a few that actually worked against me/tried to make things harder for me. Around that time, I came across a Mark Twain quote that goes something like this, ‘Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too, can become great.’ That quote helped me keep striving in the face of adversity. Today, I still like this quote, but I hear it in a different way. While I am still learning and would never claim to be the best, I hope that I can be an encouraging presence as others pursue their dreams.”

Julie Smolyansky: “My family immigrated to America from the former Soviet Ukraine in 1976. We were refugees and settled in Chicago. My parents loved being in America, but missed one thing from their home in Kiev: kefir. My father worked, saved and started experimenting by making kefir in our basement. He officially launched Lifeway in 1986 and often worked seven days a week to get the business off the ground. From an early age, much of our family life revolved around building Lifeway.

“After I graduated from college, I was in graduate school planning on being a psychologist. I had a bad experience in the field, so I asked my dad for a part-time position in the company, so I could finish grad school and plan my next steps. I saw how he was empowering people and fell in love with what he was doing. I left grad school after the first year and came to work for him full time in 1998. I was reintroduced to my father as an adult, and it was really wonderful to establish a relationship with him while we worked together to create this amazing company that introduced Americans to kefir and farmer cheese.

“Unfortunately, my father died of a sudden heart attack in 2002. It was a really traumatic experience for me. Not only was I mourning the loss of my father, the company at that point was earning about $12 million in annual revenue. … I made a promise to him that I would do everything in my power to make sure that Lifeway not only succeeded, but that it thrived. We’ve now established national and international distribution for Lifeway with annual revenue in excess of $140 million.”

Venae Watts: “The first challenge I had to overcome when returning to work after college was our computer system. We had one computer in the center of the office that blinked green. Everything else was done with a pencil and paper. Today we are completely automated. Computers on every piece of equipment giving us real-time results. Growing from a small mom-and-pop operation to a midsize company in the dairy industry. The growth alone brought on the challenge of keeping our close-knit culture intact. Culture of our company has played a big role in our success. We have some wonderful employees.

Muriel Acat: “The life of a company is not a long, quiet river. It’s like life itself: a road through magnificent landscapes, sometimes strewn with pitfalls. Every organization, as it grows, goes through its growing pains. These are difficult milestones to pass. It’s important at these moments, when the storm rages, to stick together, remember who we are and where we’re going, show empathy and support change.”

Erin Price: “My journey has been very typical of women in general in executive leadership roles and that translates across industries including dairy. Like many women, my career hit its stride and time of the most opportunity, growth, and demands just as my kids were young. It always felt like there wasn’t ‘enough’ of me, at work or at home. Fortunately, I work for Sargento, an amazing company that values Balance in Life as a corporate principle and encourages me and all employees to find balance and still continue to grow, learn, and be successful at the same time.”

Dairy Foods: What brings you the most satisfaction and what makes you smile? 

Muriel Acat: “What brings me the most satisfaction is bringing my teams together and getting them involved in exciting projects, getting them to imagine new ideas, and new territories. It also means supporting the talents of tomorrow, passing on to them what makes us who we are, and why we exist. And, when I succeed in getting them there, it makes me smile.”

Angela Dodd: “Beyond my most important job of being a mom and finding joy in seeing my children laugh, grow, and learn, I find joy in being a connector. Connecting clients to solutions and connecting people to resources, mentors, and opportunities is something that continuously brings me satisfaction and joy. I have found over the years that paying kindness forward and elevating others rarely takes much time or energy, however, it can be career or life-changing for the recipient. There is no better feeling than knowing you have positively impacted someone else’s life or career. This is the reason I founded Females in Food and continue to push to find ways to help those around me.”

Venae Watts: “Positive collaboration to accomplish a new challenge: We love R&D. Customer requesting a new product/recipe and watching the team come together. Creating a fun learning atmosphere to attack and solve the challenge. The process can take months to accomplish and the reward of seeing it come together as a team is a proud moment. Together we did that.”

Pam Hodgson: “It brings great joy to see the team at Sartori be successful. I love it when team members learn new skills, gain confidence, get promoted, etc.”

Julie Smolyansky: “Seeing all the great new research come out about probiotics and fermented foods, and the connection with our customers. Hearing the stories from people who have improved their lives by taking care of their microbiome. Our understanding of physical and mental health and its relation to the gut is growing by leaps and bounds. It’s so exciting to be a part of an industry that’s helping people.”

Erin Price: “My team. I work with the absolute best team of marketers and cross-functional subject matter experts in all of CPG (consumer packaged goods), hands down. I enjoy coming to work every single day.” 

Dairy Foods: What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given? 

Muriel Acat: “Be yourself. That’s when you’re at your best.”

Erin Price: “Our founder, Leonard Gentine had a philosophy: Hire good people and treat them like family. What that means is treating people with respect, supporting their goals and needs, and being grateful for individual and team contributions. If a leader can manage to do that, you have 90% of your job accomplished.”

Pam Hodgson: “From a young age, I’ve exhibited a few perfectionist tendencies. My maternal grandfather, who also was an accomplished cheesemaker would help me with two pieces of advice. The first was to observe a pencil…it has an eraser because everyone makes mistakes.   The second piece was that the only people who never fail at something are the ones who never do anything. His words have helped me succeed in many areas of life. And, I would like to add a corollary to never take a risk out of fear of failure is to fail by default.

Julie Smolyansky: “Trust your gut.”

Venae Watts: “Have a sense of urgency. Create the internal need to learn, find out, and complete any task. Failure is part of the journey as long as you don’t stop. Also, Walk the Line: literally and figuratively in the dairy industry. If something is not working right, start at the beginning and review each step. It helps if you play Jonny Cash while you walk.”

Angela Dodd: “Just Start. We all have ‘that idea’ in the back of our head (which at times may be muted or ignored by imposter syndrome, life demands, or critics). However, anything is possible if you take the first step, put your intentions forward, and ask for help. Your journey will naturally unfold, but you first need to take the step forward and ‘just start.’ You will never feel ‘ready’ for life’s biggest challenges.”

Dairy Foods: What are your current goals and how can dairy leadership help fulfill them?  

Pam Hodgson: “My current goals are to make good cheese and to develop our team at Satori. These goals are interrelated and well aligned with our values at Sartori. We offer internal internships and classes on both technical and soft skills. Our tuition reimbursement program is generous. Sartori’s goal is ‘to make the best cheese in the world.’ While we know that we will never completely achieve this, it motivates us to develop the best cheesemakers. This mindset is across all areas of the business. We want to develop the best marketers, accountants, maintenance techs, etc.”

Julie Smolyansky: “To continue scaling Lifeway’s product lines in as many doors and places where all people eat, work, and play. Our current healthcare system is not sustainable at this rate. I’m dedicated to empowering as many people as possible with information about the benefits of our gut-healthy products and to make sure they can easily access them. This will take leadership in all different sectors and across supply chain. I’m proud and honored that we play an active role in this.”

Erin Price: “I want to help develop and train the next generation of leaders. Working in a category that has been commoditized can be challenging and fast-paced, but it also provides amazing training and experience to be a strong general manager in any industry. That’s because it helps you focus on the key attributes of your product and build them into your brand to communicate and resonate with consumers.”

Venae Watts: “Expanding the Minerva Dairy retail butter sales. Both branded and private label.  I am open to learning or connecting on how best to create relationships with in the dairy retail and food service world.”

Angela Dodd: “My current goals are to help more women get into senior-level leadership roles. Through Females in Food, we are launching some new programs in 2024 where we will need women and men in dairy leadership positions to get involved as key advisors and sponsors. I encourage any leader who has interest in moving the broader dairy industry forward and helping more women advance their career to get in touch with me at contact@femalesinfood.community or on LinkedIn.”

Muriel Acat: “Our purpose is to enhance our customers’ recipes, delighting young and old alike with the finest flavors, so that when they reach the bottom of the bowl, they ask for more.”

Dairy Foods: Do you have a motto you live by or any words of wisdom you’d like to share with women and men who may be interested in working in dairy or wanting to advance through the ranks?

Venae Watts: “KISS — Keep it simple stupid — in a nice way. I like to remind myself that once I learn something it then becomes simple. When learning something I want to ensure I learn it well enough that I can explain it to my kids in grade school. Then I have truly understood the process. Read “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” — it really does work when applied.”

Pam Hodgson: “Over the years, I have come to value tenacity and creativity. Competitiveness says that one is successful only by beating someone else. Tenacity and creativity work together to achieve goals regardless of what someone else is doing. If I apply tenacity and creativity, I can achieve my goals without someone else having to lose. A team working together will achieve more than the most talented individual working alone. This is the power of collaboration.”

Erin Price: “I encourage anyone who is interested in leadership to be constantly curious. Good leaders need to be questioning, probing, and always learning. So, nurturing your curiosity will go a long way to helping you advance.”

Muriel Acat: “Know how to choose your battles and don’t exhaust yourself in futile struggles. I like to share this quote from Marcus Aurelius: ‘May I be given the strength to bear what cannot be changed, the courage to change what can be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.’”

Julie Smolyansky: “Trust your gut. Follow your passion.”

Dairy Foods: Is there anything else that you’d like to add or stress?

Angela Dodd: “Within our lives and business, things get busy and full of noise. I encourage everyone to slow down, reflect on the goals, progress, and work to still be done. We have come a long way, but there is still gaps and areas of opportunity to make a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable dairy industry. If we don’t work toward progressive change together today, we will be no closer to our goals in one, three, five or 10 years from now.”

Julie Smolyanksy: “If you would like to learn more about Lifeway Kefir or be a home chef and see how versatile it is, you can check out my book: “The Kefir Cookbook.”

Erin Price: “Working for a family-owned company like Sargento is a wonderful opportunity. In fact, we just marked our 70th anniversary (see separate feature in this issue). I have seen the leadership change through two generations and during that transition we have stayed true to our core values as a company. I appreciate our long-term view of success and how we avoid making decisions with short-term gains. We do the right things as a company and that makes me extremely proud.

Venae Watts: “Women have always been in the dairy industry but starting to be seen more in decision-making roles. I hope all members of the dairy industry continue to support women by encouraging connections and relationship building.”

Pam Hodgson: “At Sartori we know the power of good food to encourage good conversations where people listen as well as speak. Enjoying great cheese together can help people see others as people worthy of affirmation and respect, rather than just a different opinion or an opposing worldview. The world needs more cheeseboards.”

Editor’s Note: Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made in a wide variety of industries. In March 2024, Dairy Foods will once again highlight and celebrate “Women in Dairy.” If you would like to be considered, please email Barbara Harfmann, harfmannb@bnpmedia.com no later than January 29, 2024.