“Great ideas can come from anywhere. Seek creative people to bring the outside in. And, if you see an opportunity, don't be afraid to go outside of your area. Acting boldly gives us more opportunities as individuals—and helps us be more successful as a company.” 

Jerry serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Land O’Lakes, Inc., where he leads efforts across the organization to develop, implement and monitor growth strategies and platforms consistent with the collective vision of the company. He also serves as the interim president for Land O’Lakes’ Dairy Foods business unit.

In his role, Jerry works in collaboration with the business leaders of Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods, Purina Animal Nutrition, WinField United and Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN to ensure the company’s enterprise view and capabilities are fully leveraged.

Jerry also continues to lead Land O’Lakes in building its international presence in high growth markets around the world. He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Villa Crop Protection and is on the board of directors for Bidco Africa in Kenya - two joint ventures he oversaw as the first commercial investments Land O’Lakes made in Africa.  Prior to his current role, Jerry was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the total Dairy Foods Business, including the retail, foodservice and ingredients businesses.

Jerry joined Land O'Lakes in 2007. Prior to that, he served as a vice president and general manager at General Mills, where he held various leadership positions in the retail and business-to-business segments. He also served as president and chief operating officer at Sparboe Foods. Jerry currently serves on the board of directors at Hostess Brands.  

Education
B.A., University of Wisconsin
MBA, Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University

Experience
General Mills
Sparboe Foods

Industry leadership
Board of Directors, Global Dairy Platform
Board of Directors, Hostess Brands
Board of Directors, International Dairy Foods Association