Top 15 Food & Beverage Companies and the Women Who Lead Them

We ranked the Top 15 Food & Beverage Companies in the US through a variety of sources, including Forbes’ Top 2000 Companies of 2024 list, corporate sites, and financial sites. These are:

The Top 15 Food & Beverage Companies

Although you will see women in leadership roles more and more across the F&B manufacturing industry, there is still a large gap in pay compared with men. US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that women’s earnings were at 83.6% of men’s in 2023, over all industries.

Yet women make the bulk of purchases for households and account for up to 80% of consumer spending in 2023. As well, 78.2% of women were the primary food shoppers in the home, according to FinanceBuzz.

We compiled information from corporate websites, social media, and other sources to highlight just where women rank in the top food & beverage companies. This list does not include every female in top roles. This comprises only two leadership positions held by women. There are several other leadership positions women hold at these companies.

Women in Food & Beverage Manufacturing Company Leadership

Nestlé

Serena Aboutboul, Head of Nutrition, Nestlé

Aboutboul has more than 30 years of experience with the food giant, including roles as head of Nutrition of Zone EMENA, global head of Consumer Care for Nestlé Health Science, and regional head of Europe. She started her career in Brazil and held positions of increasing responsibility, managing different brands and categories, toward general management in Brazil, Mexico, and Switzerland. Aboutboul also worked for five years in Nestlé Health Sciences, a division of Nestlé focused on medical nutrition and consumer health. Prior to assuming her current role, Aboutboul was responsible for the Nutrition business for Zone EMENA (Europe, Middle East, North Africa).

Stephanie Hart, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A., Head of Operations

Hart joined Nestlé in 1995 in Production Management for Friskies Pet Care with Nestlé USA. She worked as an engineer and an operations manager in the division, before heading Nestlé’s factory sites in California for Confectionery, and Missouri for Pet Care. In 2007, she moved to Nestlé’s headquarters in Switzerland as program director at Nestlé S.A.’s International Training and Learning Center, before returning to the US to head Operations for Nestlé Nutrition. In 2013, she moved to Australia as executive director of Technical and Production. In 2016, Hart was appointed as vice president of Manufacturing for Confectionery, Global Foods, and Ice Cream at Nestlé USA. In 2018, Hart moved to head global operations at Beyond Meat, and then served as senior vice president of Operations for Warby Parker from 2021 to 2023. She rejoined Nestlé in July 2023 as deputy head of Operations. In November 2023, Hart was appointed as executive vice president of Nestlé S.A. in charge of Operations.

PepsiCo

As part of its Positive Value Chain ambition, PepsiCo aims to achieve 50% women in managerial roles globally by 2025.

Mónica Bauer, Global Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

Throughout her 20-year tenure at PepsiCo leading corporate affairs for Latin America, Asia Pacific, and India, Bauer has consistently made valuable contributions to shaping culture, engaging a dynamic workforce, and elevating PepsiCo’s efforts to build a diverse workplace and promote inclusive economic growth. She was one of the founders of PepsiCo’s Inspira women development program in Latin America, and a co-author of three books focused on coaching and deploying effective strategies to support women as they excel the corporate ladder.

Anne Fink, President, Global Foodservice

Fink has been in her current role since 2016. She leads Sales, Marketing, Strategy, and Operations for PepsiCo’s North American and Global Foodservice business, which include restaurants, hotels, business & industry, colleges & universities, and sports & entertainment channels. Fink previously served as the chief operating officer for PepsiCo North America Foodservice. In this role, she led all sales and operations for the Pepsi-Cola, Gatorade, Tropicana, Frito-Lay, and Quaker portfolios. Previously, Fink was senior vice president and chief customer officer for PepsiCo Sales for all retail channels in the US.

Mondelēz

The company was named one of the greatest workplaces for women by Newsweek.

Mary E. Barnard, Executive Vice President, Business Transformation

Barnard joined Mondelēz in 2014 as area president, Northern Europe, before adding the European Chocolate portfolio to her responsibilities. In 2019, she became SVP of Global Corporate Strategy and M&A, and before moving to the US as president, US Sales, and president, US Commercial. Prior to joining Mondelēz, Barnard spent 16 years with PepsiCo Inc. holding a number of Marketing, Sales and General Management positions across Snacks, Beverages, and Wellbeing categories.

Martina Flemström, Managing Director, Sweden & Finland

Flemström started her career with Unilever in 2002 as a trainee in both marketing and sales in Foods and Personal Care. She became Nordic brand manager for Lätta and Becel, and left the Nordic business in March 2006, to become European brand development manager in Rotterdam and Hamburg for 3 years. In 2011, Flemström left Unilever to work in the pharma industry for four years as country manager for a Nordic pharma company, Paranova. She returned to Unilever in August 2015 and took on the role as general manager of BCS Nordics, which was a standalone business within Unilever. She started in her current role in August 2020.

Keurig Dr Pepper

The company was named one of the greatest workplaces for women by Newsweek.

Monique Oxender, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer

Oxender leads Keurig Dr Pepper’s sustainability, government affairs, corporate communications, and internal communications. She was previously KDP’s senior vice president & chief sustainability officer, where she designed and implemented the organizational and strategic framework for the company’s corporate responsibility platform Before KDP, Oxender held management roles with Ford Motor Co. There, she designed and managed industry-leading supply chain sustainability programs and served in leadership roles for critical multi-stakeholder collaborations. 

Dr. Karin Rotem-Wildeman, Chief Research & Development Officer

Rotem-Wildeman leads product development, packaging innovation, flavor technology, and associated R&D capabilities. She joined KDP in January 2023 with more than 25 years of leadership experience in product innovation and commercialization for PepsiCo, Nestlé, and GODIVA Chocolatier. Rotem-Wildeman spent 18 years with PepsiCo in global R&D leadership roles across beverages and food, with her last position as senior vice president, Beverage Regional R&D. She had previously been chief scientific officer at the LIVEKINDLY Collective.

The Coca-Cola Co.

Jennifer Mann, EVP and President, North America Operating Unit

Mann has been with Coca-Cola since 1997. She began leading the company’s largest operating unit on January 1, 2023. With more than 25 years of experience at The Coca‑Cola Co., leading high-performing teams across many areas of the Coca‑Cola business. Most recently, Mann served as president of Global Ventures and was responsible for globally scaling acquisitions and brands, including Costa Coffee and Coca‑Cola’s investment in Monster Beverage Corp. Prior to that role, Mann was chief people officer and chief of staff for Coca‑Cola Chairman and CEO, James Quincey. And before, she held the role of vice president and general manager of Coca‑Cola Freestyle, and then vice president, Foodservice & On-Premise Strategy and Marketing for Coca‑Cola Refreshments; director, McDonald's Customer & Consumer Operations, and director, Good Answer.

Matrona Filippou, President, Global Category - Hydration, Sports, Coffee & Tea

Before her current role, Filippou served as franchise operations director with the Central and Eastern Europe business unit, covering 12 diverse markets across Southeast Europe. Filippou joined Coca‑Cola in 1996 and went on to hold a variety of leadership and operational roles across Africa and Europe in finance, customer leadership, strategy, and franchise leadership. Filippou also served as general manager of Stills and Venturing & Emerging Brands for Coca‑Cola’s West Africa business unit.

Mars Inc.

Nici Bush, Vice President, Innovation, Science, and Technology

Bush has served nearly three decades at Mars. Prior her current position, Bush was Vice President of Workplace Transformation. She also has held roles in the Global Chocolate Leadership Team, serving first as vice president of Supply and then R&D. As global head of Supply she was responsible for the worldwide Chocolate operations across 28 factories in 15 countries. As global head of R&D she focused on health and wellbeing for the Chocolate segment, driving a focus on small portion sizes and transparent front-of-pack labeling. She then led the Mars science-based cocoa flavanol supplement business as the general manager for CocoaVia in Mars Edge.

Elise Malandain, Vice President, Global R&D for Mars Petcare

Malandain has been with Mars for more than six years and held the role of global vice president of Innovation, Pet Nutrition before her current role. Prior, Malandain was with Wrigley as senior director of Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs and then as the vice president. Before that, she was with premium pet food brand Royal Canin in various top roles for 12 years.

Kraft-Heinz

Diana Frost, Global Chief Growth Officer

Frost has been with Kraft-Heinz for four years including as chief growth officer ‒ North America and head of North American Disruption & chief marketing officer ‒ Canada before her current position. Prior to Kraft-Heinz, Frost was with Mars for about 13 years in leadership roles in its Chocolate division, Pet Nutrition, and Mars Wrigley.

Melissa Werneck, Executive Vice President and Global Chief People Officer

Werneck has been in her position since August 2016. Previously, she was head of Global Human Resources, Performance, and Information Technology. Before the Kraft Heinz merger in 2015, Werneck served as head of Global Human Resources, Performance, and Information Technology at H. J. Heinz Co. from 2013 to 2015. Before Heinz, Werneck worked at América Latina Logística S.A. 

General Mills

Dana M. McNabb, Group President, North America Retail

McNabb has been with General Mills for more than eight years. Previous to her current position, McNabb held roles as chief strategy and growth officer, group president ‒ Europe and Australia, and president ‒ North America Retail, Cereal, and Snacks Operating Units. She joined the US cereal team in 2015 as the vice president of Marketing for the Circle of Champions Business Unit and was promoted to president of the unit in 2016. In 2019, in addition to leading Cereal, McNabb served as interim president for the US Snacks Operating Unit. McNabb started with General Mills in the Canadian Division.

Lanette Shaffer Werner, Chief Innovation, Technology and Quality Officer

Werner has been with General Mills for nearly 30 years. In her previous role as vice President, ITQ, for Meals & Baking Solutions Lanette was accountable for innovation, core growth, and total value across a broad portfolio of iconic brands, N&O, and North America Foodservice (NAF). Werner has held many roles in ITQ throughout her career including as a scientist in Häagen-Dazs and Pillsbury New Ventures and Shapes cookies, G-Tech Materials category management lead for Sweeteners, Baking manager, NAR Yogurt Business Unit Interface (BUI), Global Cereal Innovation director, and Global Product Design director. 

Danone

Kristina Cole, Chief Sales, Commercial & Customer Officer, US

With more than 30 years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry, Cole joined Danone (then WhiteWave Foods) in 2008, where she held several sales leadership roles including president of Vega, president & general manager of Danone’s away-from-home business. Prior to joining Danone, Cole held various topline sales leadership positions at Conagra Brands. 

Takoua Debeche, Chief Research & Innovation Officer, North America

Debeche has been in her current role since 2017. She began her career as a scientist at the NestléResearch Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, after which she served in various leadership positions within research and development, business, and operations functions across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. 

Tyson Foods

Melanie Boulden, Group President, Prepared Foods & Chief Growth Officer

Boulden joined Tyson Foods in February 2023 from The Coca-Cola Co., where she served as chief marketing officer of the North America Operating Unit. Prior, Boulden was the president of the Still Beverages Business Unit at Coca-Cola North America and president and general manager of Venturing and Emerging Brands. Previous to Coca-Cola, she held stints at Kraft Foods and Henkel Consumer Goods.

Jacqueline Hanson, Chief People Officer

Hanson joined Tyson Foods in 2022 and before her current role, held Human Resources senior vice president title for Poultry, Cobb, McDonald’s, and International. Prior to Tyson Foods, she held pivotal roles at John Deere in HR operations, performance development, strategic workforce planning, technology, and innovation.

The Hershey Co.

Michele Buck, Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Michele Buck brings more than 25 years of consumer-packaged goods experience to her role as Hershey’s chairman of the Board of Directors and 12th president and chief executive officer. Buck has held several senior leadership roles within the company: chief operating officer, leading Hershey’s day-to-day North American operations and overseeing Hershey’s operations in Central and South America and prior as president, US, and chief growth officer. Before joining Hershey in 2005, Buck served 17 years at Kraft/Nabisco in numerous senior positions and at the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo.

Kristen Riggs, President, Salty Snacks

Riggs is a Hershey veteran in marketing, sales, and commercial operations. As vice president and general manager of Commercial Planning, she led US Volume Planning and Integrated Business Management along with a range of commercial strategic planning responsibilities. Riggs joined Hershey in 2005 and has held a range of leadership roles including chief growth officer, as well as roles in brand marketing, shopper marketing, global marketing, sales, the Reese’s brand and as vice president/general manager of Brand Commercialization. Before joining Hershey, Riggs worked as an engineer for Samsung Semiconductor in Austin, TX. 

Conagra Brands

Carey Bartell, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Bartell joined Conagra Brands in 2016. Previous to her current role, she served as vice president and chief counsel. Before Conagra, Bartell worked for eight years at Hospira Inc., a global pharmaceutical and medical device company, as senior counsel and then vice president, legal. She began her career in private practice at a Chicago law firm, first as an associate and then partner.

Noelle O’Mara, Executive Vice President and President, New Platforms and Acquisitions

O’Mara joined Conagra Brands in 2024 and has more than 20 years of experience in the consumer package goods industry. Prior to joining Conagra Brands, Noelle served as group president and chief marketing officer at Tyson Foods, where she was responsible for the multi-billion dollar Prepared Foods business unit. O’Mara also spent more than a decade at Kraft Foods leading various brands and portfolios. 

Kellanova

Kris Bahner, Senior Vice President, Chief Global Corporate Affairs Officer

Bahner leads global Corporate Affairs at Kellanova (previously Kellogg Co.), including Communications, Philanthropy, Sustainability and Government Relations. She has more than 30 years of Corporate Affairs experience within the food industry. Bahner began her Kellogg career in 2006. Prior, she held a variety of corporate affairs roles with Kraft Foods, and led public relations programs for food industry clients at both Edelman Public Relations Worldwide and Powers Agency. She was named as one of the Top 100 Women Leaders in Consumer Products in 2021.

Charisse Hughes, Senior VP and Chief Growth Officer

Hughes has been in her current position since May 2023. She joined the company when it was still Kellogg in 2020 as chief marketing officer and then served as chief brand & advanced analytics officer. Hughes is responsible for driving the growth agenda for the company through leadership of Global Brands, Innovation and R&D, Commercial Advanced Analytics, Marketing Excellence, and Licensing & Cultural Initiatives. Previously, Hughes was the chief marketing officer for Pandora Americas, and held marketing and brand leadership roles with The Estée Lauder Companies, Avon Products Inc., and Sara Lee Corp.

Hormel Foods

Deanna Brady, Executive Vice President, Retail

In September 1996, Brady started her career with Hormel Foods as a foodservice territory manager in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and held various foodservice sales positions throughout the US. In 2003, Brady was promoted to foodservice regional manager in Los Angeles, Calif. She was promoted to vice president, foodservice sales in 2007. Brady advanced to group vice president, foodservice in October of 2013 and was named president of consumer products sales in October 2015. She advanced to executive vice president of Refrigerated Foods in October 2019 and assumed her current position in 2022.

Jen Ehresmann Vice President of Supply Chain

Jen Ehresmann is the vice president of supply chain for Hormel Foods and is responsible for the strategic sourcing, commodity trading, customer service, planning and logistics areas. Ehresmann joined the company in 2001, holding roles in export, product management, and marketing prior to moving into supply chain. She was named senior vice president of commodity and supply chain with Jennie-O Turkey Store in 2015 and was promoted to director of customer logistics and strategy at Hormel Foods in 2020. Ehresmann has been in her current role since 2021.

Campbell Soup Co.

Janda Lukin, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Snacks

Lukin joined the company in 2016 as vice president of Marketing, Beverages and was appointed vice president of Marketing, Soup in 2018, where she developed plans to revitalize the $1.7 billion soup portfolio. With more than two decades in the food industry, Lukin has broad marketing experience and has served in roles of increasing responsibility. She spent 14 years with Mondelēz International where she led the Oreo and Chips Ahoy! business, the team that launched belVita breakfast in the US, and was the general manager for global ecommerce. 

Judi Mondello, Senior Vice President, Research & Development - Meals & Beverages

Mondello leads Research & Development (R&D) for the Meals & Beverages division, which includes brands like Campbell’s, Chunky, Pace, Pacific Foods, Prego, Rao’s Homemade, Swanson, and V8, as well as the North America Foodservice and Canadian business. She also leads the Nutrition Center of Excellence and the Pilot Plant. Prior to joining the company, Mondello spent 16 years in various R&D roles at J.M. Smucker Co. She has more than 25 years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry.