Beth Ford

{{Infobox person

|name = Beth Ford

|image = Beth Ford 2017.jpg

|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1964|3}}

|birth_place = Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|spouse = Jill Schurtz

|children = 3

|education = Iowa State University (BBA)
Columbia University (MBA)

}}

Beth E. Ford is an American businessperson. Ford is most notable for being the CEO of Land O'Lakes, an American agricultural cooperative which she assumed leadership of in 2018. She is the first openly gay female CEO of an American Fortune 500 company. She currently serves as a member of the President's Export Council."President's Export Council Members". International Trade Administration. 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024. In 2023. She was ranked 26th on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women.{{Cite web |title=Most Powerful Women |url=https://fortune.com/ranking/most-powerful-women/ |access-date= |website=Fortune |language=en}}

Biography

Ford was born in Sioux City, Iowa, the fifth in a family of eight children, and attended Catholic schools through high school. Her father was a truck driver and a used car salesman, while her mother was a nurse before completing her master's degree and becoming a psychologist.{{Cite news|last=Gelles|first=David|date=2021-05-29|title=Before She Was C.E.O., She Cleaned Toilets. 'How Wonderful Is That?'|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/29/business/beth-ford-land-o-lakes-corner-office.html|access-date=2021-06-01|issn=0362-4331}} Ford's mother was left in an orphanage when she was five by her parents, eventually getting adopted at age ten. Her mother demonstrated to her children how to overcome hardship.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-18 |title=Beth Ford on Being the Champion of Your Own Career |url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/beth-ford-being-champion-your-own-career |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=Stanford Graduate School of Business |language=en}} Ford claims that her mother "has been the most significant role model to me in my life".{{Cite web |date=2023-05-18 |title=Beth Ford on Being the Champion of Your Own Career |url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/beth-ford-being-champion-your-own-career |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=Stanford Graduate School of Business |language=en}}

Ford started working in the agriculture business at age 12, making $2 an hour de-tasseling corn{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/01/business/land-o-lakes-beth-ford/index.html|title=Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford, from the cornfield to the C-suite|author=Julia Carpenter|website=CNN|date=October 2018 |access-date=2019-10-07}}{{Cite web|last=Beshkin|first=Abigail|date=December 18, 2019|title=An Advocate for American Agriculture|url=https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/articles/columbia-business/advocate-american-agriculture|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224153517/https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/articles/columbia-business/advocate-american-agriculture |archive-date=2019-12-24 |access-date=2020-10-21|website=Ideas & Insights - Columbia Business School|language=en}} and worked a number of jobs to support her college education, including as a janitor, house painter, and convenience store cashier.

Ford completed her undergraduate degree at Iowa State University, where she pursued her interests in marketing, finance and operations and was initiated into Alpha Gamma Delta.{{Cite magazine|last=|first=|date=November 12, 2018|title=Beth Ford Is the First Openly Gay Woman CEO of a Fortune 500 Company|url=https://time.com/collection-post/5445002/beth-ford-firsts/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821065040/https://time.com/collection-post/5445002/beth-ford-firsts/ |archive-date=2019-08-21 |access-date=2020-10-21|magazine=Time}} Her first job was with Mobil Oil Company when she was in her 20s on the tanker, the marketing and refining side. She then worked in supply-chain management at ExxonMobil, Pepsi, and Scholastic, among other companies.

Ford joined Land O'Lakes in 2011,{{Cite web|url=https://www.landolakesinc.com/Press/News/beth-ford-named-ceo|title=Land O'Lakes, Inc. Names Beth Ford President and CEO|last=Shilling|first=Abigail|date=2018-07-26|website=Land O'Lakes, Inc.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921124039/https://www.landolakesinc.com/Press/News/beth-ford-named-ceo |archive-date=2018-09-21 |access-date=2019-10-08}} being named as chief supply chain and operations officer. She continued at the company, eventually being promoted to COO, and in August 2018 was appointed as president/CEO by an all-male board.{{Cite web|last=Dishman|first=Lydia|date=2020-05-28|title=Beth Ford on what it's like to be the only openly gay female CEO of a Fortune 500 company|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90475432/queer-50-beth-ford|access-date=2020-10-21|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}} At the time Ford became CEO, she was one of 25 women leading Fortune 500 companies. She is the ninth person to hold this position. She became the first openly-gay female CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a fact remarked upon by several sources.{{Cite web|url=http://tcbmag.com/news/articles/2019/april/beth-ford-fortune-500-ceo-approaches-leadership-as-a-team-sport|title=Beth Ford, Fortune 500 CEO, Approaches Leadership as a Team Sport|website=Twin Cities Business|date=April 2019 |access-date=2019-10-07}} As CEO, Ford has invested heavily in Land O'Lakes implementation of new technologies in agriculture as well as the vibrancy of rural communities.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/land-olakes-ceo-beth-ford-and-the-changing-landscape-of-america-farms-60-minutes-2019-10-06/|title=Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford and the changing landscape of America's farms|date=6 October 2019 |publisher=CBS News|access-date=2019-10-07}}

Ford has stated that the biggest challenges facing American farmers is policy uncertainty, weather and the changing climate, and a lack of broadband access. In Ford's view, the key to preserving American agriculture relies upon innovation, technology, and political stability. Ford has been an advocate for getting high-speed Internet access to rural and underserved areas, calling on the government to provide funds to close the 'digital divide' that is impacting employment, education, and progress.{{Cite web|last=Morris|first=David|date=October 26, 2020|title=Land O' Lakes CEO wants a New Deal approach to rural broadband|url=https://fortune.com/2020/10/26/land-o-lakes-ceo-federal-spending-broadband-rural-areas/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101015734/https://fortune.com/2020/10/26/land-o-lakes-ceo-federal-spending-broadband-rural-areas/ |archive-date=2020-11-01 |access-date=2020-10-29|website=Fortune|language=en}} She has also called on major companies and organizations to join the American Connection Project, an effort started by Land O'Lakes to advocate for three main principles: robust federal funding for broadband infrastructure, improved broadband connectivity mapping and better coordination of federal and state agencies to deploy funding.{{Cite web|last=Ford|first=Beth|date=October 12, 2020|title=Opinion: Land O'Lakes CEO: How businesses can help America's struggling farmers|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/perspectives/land-olakes-beth-ford-farmers/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012193907/https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/perspectives/land-olakes-beth-ford-farmers/index.html |archive-date=2020-10-12 |access-date=2020-10-29|website=CNN}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.landolakesinc.com/Press/News/American-Connection-Project |title=American Connection Project: Why (and how) Land O'Lakes is connecting America |website=Land O'Lakes |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715215248/https://www.landolakesinc.com/Press/News/American-Connection-Project |archive-date=July 15, 2020}}

Ford sits on the board of directors of the Business Roundtable, US Global Leadership Coalition, Paccar, and the Columbia University Deming Center as well as Iowa State University College of Business.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/3598807|title=Beth E Ford, President/CEO, Land O'lakes Inc|last=|first=|date=|website=Bloomberg|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008200615/https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/3598807 |archive-date=2019-10-08 |access-date=2019-10-08}} In 2021, Ford was elected to the BlackRock Inc. board of directors.{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2021 |title=BlackRock Elects Beth Ford and Kristin Peck to Board of Directors |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006060/en/BlackRock-Elects-Beth-Ford-and-Kristin-Peck-to-Board-of-Directors |website=Business Wire |language=en |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929002338/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006060/en/BlackRock-Elects-Beth-Ford-and-Kristin-Peck-to-Board-of-Directors |archive-date=September 29, 2021}}

In August 2019, Ford was one of 181 leading CEOs in the United States to sign Business Roundtable's new Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation.{{Cite web|title=Our Commitment|url=https://opportunity.businessroundtable.org/ourcommitment/|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Business Roundtable - Opportunity Agenda|language=en}} The new statement include that companies should serve not only their shareholders, but also deliver value to their customers, invest in employees, deal fairly with suppliers, and support the communities in which they operate.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=September 15, 2020|title=In The Round|url=https://www.politico.com/sponsored-content/2020/09/in-the-round|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003102452/https://www.politico.com/sponsored-content/2020/09/in-the-round |archive-date=2020-10-03 |access-date=2020-10-29|website=Politico|language=en}} Ford is quoted as saying the new statement matches the history of Land O'Lakes as a farmer-owned cooperative.

In February 2020, the Land O'Lakes company removed the Native American woman as its logo on its butter and cheese products.{{Cite magazine|last=Shapiro|first=Eben|date=June 21, 2020|title=Land O' Lakes CEO Beth Ford on Racism in Minneapolis|url=https://time.com/5855418/land-o-lakes-ceo-beth-ford-racism-minneapolis-farmers/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621114145/https://time.com/5855418/land-o-lakes-ceo-beth-ford-racism-minneapolis-farmers/ |archive-date=2020-06-21 |access-date=2020-10-21|magazine=Time}} Ford is quoted as saying the removal of the "butter maiden" to the words "farmer owned" was more about what the farmer-owned co-op wanted to communicate rather than what it didn't, that the change did not come from pressure placed on the company.{{Cite web|last=Hinchliffe|first=Emma|date=May 20, 2020|title=Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford shares the real reason the brand ditched its 'butter maiden'|url=https://fortune.com/2020/05/20/land-olakes-logo-beth-ford/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530210320/https://fortune.com/2020/05/20/land-olakes-logo-beth-ford/ |archive-date=2020-05-30 |access-date=2020-10-21|website=Fortune|language=en}} She stated that the new images of fields, lakes, and farmers on their packaging represent Land O’ Lakes is a cooperative, owned not by public market shareholders but by the farmers who make its butter, animal feed and more.

In a 2022 interview, Ford shared her experience on what has shaped her to become a CEO. Ford gave advice on how she pays attention to her physical health that which gives her mental clarity. She practices gratitude to her family and her support team. Ford emphasises two traits that she sees are essential in business; humility and authenticity.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Morgan |date=2022-07-22 |title=3 Fortune 500 CEOs share the advice, lessons and skills that have shaped their success |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/22/fortune-500-ceo-roz-brewer-kathy-warden-beth-ford-best-career-advice.html |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=CNBC |language=en}} In 2018 Ford was named in Fortune's Most Powerful Women in Business list.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2018/10/12/beth-ford-ceo-of-land-o-lakes-named-to-fortunes.html |title=Beth Ford, CEO of Land O'Lakes, named to Fortune's most powerful women |last=Van Abbema |first=Alex |date=October 12, 2018 |website=The Business Journal |access-date=July 24, 2023}} Ford was named to the Fortune Most Powerful Women List in 2020 for the third year in a row.{{Cite web|title=Beth Ford {{!}} 2020 Most Powerful Women|url=https://fortune.com/most-powerful-women/2020/beth-ford/|access-date=2020-10-21|website=Fortune|language=en}} Ford was also named to the 2021 and 2022 Fast Company Queer 50 list.{{Cite web|title=Announcing Fast Company's second annual Queer 50 list|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/queer-50/2021|access-date=2021-06-03|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Vozza |first=Stephanie |date=2022-06-08 |title=Beth Ford wants to change the narrative about rural America |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90753688/beth-ford-change-narrative-rural-america |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US}}

Ford sits on the Board of Directors for Starbucks Corporation.{{Cite web |title=Starbucks Corporation - Corporate Governance - Board of Directors - Person Details |url=https://investor.starbucks.com/corporate-governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=724cb3db-a918-4d38-b8c2-a0e506c31c12 |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=investor.starbucks.com}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2023/02/starbucks-beth-ford-board-directors.html |title=Starbucks taps Land O'Lakes CEO for board of directors |last=Thompson |first=Joey |date=February 1, 2023 |website=The Business Journals |access-date=July 24, 2023}}

Personal life

Ford is married to Jill Schurtz, the CEO of the St. Paul's Teachers' Retirement Fund Association. They have three teenage children.{{Cite web|url=https://moneyinc.com/land-o-lakes-ceo-beth-ford/|title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Land O' Lakes CEO Beth Ford|last=Berman|first=Nat|date=2019-02-11|website=Money Inc|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-07}}

Works

[https://www.dairybusiness.com/land-olakes-ceo-farmers-are-in-crisis-and-america-isnt-paying-attention/ "Land O'Lakes CEO: Farmers Are in Crisis—and America Isn't Paying Attention"], op-ed in Dairy Business, June 13, 2019.
[https://fortune.com/2020/06/18/supreme-court-lgbtq-rights-decision/ "Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford and other LGBTQ business leaders talk about the hard work that led to Supreme Court success"], op-ed in Fortune, June 18, 2020.
[https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/perspectives/land-olakes-beth-ford-farmers/index.html "Land O'Lakes CEO: How businesses can help America's struggling farmers"], op-ed for CNN Business, October 12, 2020.