Our Management Team

Chris Policinski
President and Chief Executive Officer 
Policinski is President and Chief Executive Officer of Land O’ Lakes, Inc., and has over 30 years of experience in the food industry. He joined Land O’Lakes in 1997, and was appointed President and CEO in 2005. Prior to joining Land O’Lakes, Policinski held leadership positions with Kraft General Foods, Bristol-Myers Squib and The Pillsbury Company.

He is a member of Board of Directors of several industry associations (Grocery Manufacturers Association, National Milk Producers Federation, and National Council of Farmer Cooperatives), is involved in local community boards (Greater Twin Cities United Way and Trustee of University of Minnesota Foundation). Chris is also a member of the board of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, Xcel Energy and Hormel Foods.

Policinski earned his M.B.A. degree from New York University, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame.


Dan Knutson
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
In January 2012, Knutson became Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Land O'Lakes, assuming additional oversight of Land O’Lakes’ investment in the egg business, Moark, LLC.  Previously, he was Senior Vice President and CFO.  Knutson began his career with the cooperative in 1978 in the Internal Audit department and has held several positions in finance and accounting. A CPA and CMA, Knutson received his B.S. and M.B.A. degrees from Minnesota State University-Mankato.

Jim Fife
Executive Vice President, Ag Businesses
Fife has served as Executive Vice President for Land O’Lakes Ag Businesses since January 2012. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Member Relations, a role he began in 2004. Fife also served as Senior Vice President of Business Development from July 2008 to July 2010. Fife came to Land O’Lakes from Ag Supply Co-op in Wenatchee, Wash., where he worked as general manager for 31 years. Fife sat on the company’s Board of Directors from 1991-2004, serving the final three years as chairman. A Washington native, Fife received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Washington.


Jerry Kaminski
Executive Vice President, Dairy Foods Businesses
In 2012, Kaminski became Executive Vice President and Group Executive of the combined Dairy Foods Business – retail and foodservice divisions. Previously, Kaminski served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 2010. He also served as General Manager of Dairy Solutions since joining Land O'Lakes in 2007. Prior to Land O'Lakes, Kaminski was a Vice President, General Manager at General Mills, where he held various leadership positions in the retail and business-to-business segments. In addition, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Sparboe Foods, a privately held, national egg producer and marketer. Kaminski has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.


Beth Ford
Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain and Operations Officer
Ford joined Land O’Lakes in January 2012 as Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain & Operations Officer. In this role, she is responsible for all supply chain and operating functions from sourcing through to customer delivery.  During her 25+year career, Ford has held line operating and senior leadership positions with global companies in multiple industries including chemicals (International Flavors and Fragrances), consumer package goods (Pepsi), publishing (Scholastic and Hachette), and oil and gas (Mobil Oil).
A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Ford holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University Business School, and a B.B.A. from Iowa State University.   She remains involved with both universities, sitting on the Deming Center Board of Advisors for Columbia University Business School and the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the College of Business at Iowa State. 
Ford also sits on the Board of Directors for Clearwater Paper Corporation.  
 

Loren Heeringa      
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Heeringa became Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in January 2012. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Human Resources.  Heeringa has 30 years of Human Resources and change management experience in multiple companies and industries. Since joining Land O’Lakes in 2004, he has also been Vice President Human Resources for Land O’Lakes Businesses and Director of Human Resources for Dairy Foods. Prior to Land O’Lakes, Heeringa was Vice President of Human Resources at Honeywell International and Vice President of Human Resources at the University of St. Thomas. Heeringa has a B.A. in Psychology from Hamline University and completed coursework for a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Peter Janzen
General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer
In January 2012, Janzen assumed an expanded role of General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, including oversight of Land O’Lakes Law Department, International Development Division (IDD), Communications, Community Relations, Government Affairs, Member Relations and Security.  Previously, he was Senior Vice President and General Counsel, having served in the Law Department since 1983. Janzen’s experience includes corporate governance, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, antitrust, intellectual property, litigation, and legal services for all business units. Janzen has a B.A. in Political Science and J.D. from Hamline University.


Barry Wolfish
Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy
Wolfish became Land O'Lakes Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy in January 2012. In his CMO role, Wolfish provides company-wide leadership for marketing strategy talent development, while continuing his responsibility for the Corporate Marketing functions and Total Margin Management, a company-wide initiative emphasizing cost control, with a focus on investing resources in high-value activities that fuel profitable growth.  He also assumed additional leadership for Corporate Strategy and Sustainability. Wolfish has more than 25 years of food industry experience in marketing and general management roles. He joined Land O'Lakes in 1999, serving in Dairy Foods leadership roles including vice president, Cheese and Foodservice. In 2005, he became vice president, Corporate Strategy and Business Development and, most recently, was senior vice president Corporate Marketing and Communications. Prior to joining Land O'Lakes, Wolfish was with General Mills, where he held vice president positions for several businesses including Adult Cereals, New Channels and Yoplait Foodservice. He also served as senior vice president of Marketing with General Mills Canada.


Karen Grabow
Senior Vice President, Business Development Services
Grabow became Senior Vice President of Business Development in January 2012. Prior to that, she let Business Development Services and Government Relations since 2010.  She served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Land O'Lakes from 2001 to 2010. Grabow joined Land O'Lakes from Target, Inc., where she served as vice president of human resources.  Prior to Target, Karen was vice president and director of the organizational effectiveness division of Personnel Decisions, International. Grabow has a B.S. from the University of Illinois, Champaign and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational and Counseling Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

Dave Hoogmoed
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Feed
Hoogmoed was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Feed in 2010. For the prior eight years, he was Feed Vice President with various responsibilities, most recently for sales and the company’s Nutra Blend business. He has a 30-year career in the feed industry. Prior to joining Land O’Lakes in 2001, he was Executive Vice President of Purina Mills, with primary responsibility for the livestock agriculture business units. He had earlier held various officer, general management and sales management positions. Hoogmoed received his bachelor’s degree in Ag Economics from Rutgers University.

Carol Kitchen
Senior Vice President, Global Ingredients
In January 2012, Kitchen joined Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods division to lead the company’s Global Ingredients business. Kitchen will further define and advance strategic business with core global customers through the creation of value-added products and services. Previously, Kitchen served as leader of Corporate Strategy, Business Development and International since 2010. She has nearly 20 years of cooperative experience. Prior to her current role, Kitchen was most recently vice president, International, for Land O’Lakes, Inc., from 2009 to 2010. Upon joining Land O'Lakes, Kitchen was a Controller and Director of Strategy and International Development before assuming her leadership roles within the International Division.

Barry Libenson
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Libenson was appointed Vice President, Chief Information Officer for Land O’Lakes in January 2010.  Libenson is responsible for aligning Land O'Lakes technology strategy with the company's business objectives and has been instrumental in moving the companies IT resources to a highly efficient, centralized operating company model.  Prior to joining Land O’Lakes, he served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Ingersoll Rand. Libenson holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from Colgate University and a master's degree in Business from the Fuqua School at Duke University.



Mike Vande Logt
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in Winfield Solutions
Vande Logt assumed the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in Winfield Solutions effective January 1, 2013.  Prior to this position, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Winfield Solutions, LLC since 2008. Vande Logt has 33 years of experience in the seed industry, the last 23 with Land O’Lakes. He was most recently vice president, Marketing, Winfield Solutions, Seed Division. Upon joining Land O'Lakes, Vande Logt was a Corn Product Manager, Director of Marketing and Director of Sales and Marketing before assuming his leadership roles within the Seed Division.