Five Minutes with National Dairy Checkoff’s New CEO, Barb O’Brien
After nearly three decades, the national dairy checkoff organization gained new leadership with the appointment of Barb O’Brien as the new chief executive officer in October of 2021. Working for Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) since 2000, O’Brien is no stranger to DMI, although she says her new role with the checkoff feels different. “It’s clear, the buck stops here,” she states.
The newly appointed CEO shares that her first few months have been spent adequately listening to industry stakeholders, staff and farmers before making refine changes. “My first focus will be operational,” O’Brien shares.
O’Brien admits having a clear vision and clarity are needed to help drive the checkoff to meet future demands. “I’ve worked with and for Tom [Gallagher] for a long time,” she says. “I am so proud of the work we did together to develop and deliver his vision. It’s clear to me that 30 years later, it’s a different point in time. The category and marketplace are in such a different state, and so a new type of relational and shared leadership approach is required for checkoff.”
The Need to Listen to Farmers
The National Dairy Checkoff was incorporated in 1983 as a nonprofit corporation by members of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association.
Since day one on the new job, O’Brien has gone into every conversation with her notepad and her ears open to what farmers have to say. “I want farmers to feel ownership of this program,” O’Brien states. “I want to understand their perspectives on the current state of the business, on their views of the future and the best role checkoff can play. It’s so important.”
O’Brien’s plan is to share a set of recommendations, balancing the needs of farmers with the demands of consumers and the demands of the global marketplace. “It is all about finding that right balance on how to best serve both ends of our chain,” O’Brien remarks.
After attending the joint annual meeting of the United Dairy Industry Association, National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and National Milk Producers Federation, the Western Dairy Management Conference and several national dairy board meetings, O’Brien has had the opportunity to visit with hundreds of dairy farmers. She says three pieces of advice that have been offered by farmers have stood out.
- “Surround yourself with people who share your values, share philosophies in business and who can teach you something new.”
- “Respect the past, but don’t live in it.”
- “Take an outside perspective.”
According to O’Brien, these three points will help accelerate and drive the evolution of checkoff into the future.
Commitment to Dairy Farmers
Like many dairy farmers, O’Brien is tireless as she is constantly looking at an opportunity to tackle or a problem to solve. “I’m always awakened with a renewed sense of energy,” she shares.
Her energy and keen focus is aimed to make things better for dairy producers. O’Brien has spent the last 15 years at DMI focused externally on the behalf of farmers.
“I want farmers to know that I know who I work for,” she states. “I am passionate, tireless and fearless in my representation of dairy farmers.”
Those exact words have been stated in meetings by O’Brien. “If a partner and DMI are not in agreement on a certain point, I will often say, ‘Listen, I represent dairy farmers’ interests and values in this discussion, and if we can't find common ground, we'll agree to disagree,'” she notes.
O’Brien says the same purpose and passion are felt across the checkoff organization. “It's why we do what we do,” she says. “It's why we stay, it’s because of what farmers do every single day to feed people.”
Moving Forward
Looking at the past to move forward is needed. “My focus in the near term is going to be operational, looking at what's been built over the last 30 years,” she states. “And ensuring that we are maximizing every drop, every penny.”
The national checkoff has multiple organizations that serve different needs and O’Brien is dedicated to eliminating any duplication and maximizing efficiencies within the organization. “I’m excited to find additional working dollars to benefit dairy farmers,” she states.
Moving forward great transparency is needed and O’Brien knows that farmers want and expect to better understand the organization’s financials, as well as understand how decisions are being made. “Moving forward we are committed to ensure farmers have easy access to understand the why behind our decisions and how the dollars are being spent,” she notes.
O’Brien says that three strong areas are needed to help drive and nurture the checkoff into the future:
- Checkoff serves as farmer’s voice. “I would observe that in addition to being their voice, we’re their eyes and ears with touchpoints across the world. We have essentially built a global monitoring and relationship structure that helps us understand emerging barriers and issues, growth opportunities, new stakeholders and keeps a pulse on where the market is going and what’s next for dairy in this ever-evolving world.”
- Incredible Networking – locally, nationally and globally. “If you think about it, we are the only organizational structure that has this incredible grassroots system.”
- Checkoff expert talent. “From science to education, communication and marketing, nutrition affairs and a growing bench in environmental science, these are the types of people who want to work for the checkoff. We have incredible talent who are driven by the same purpose and want to bring their skills to the industry and to dairy farmers to help drive trust and sales and discover what's next.”
With the New Year under way, O’Brien is steadfast with passion and purpose to help lead the national checkoff with her action-oriented and relationship-driven personality. While O’Brien anticipates business strategy changes to occur within DMI, she says that she expects them to be subtle. The DMI business plan is focused on the now, next and future and balances the commitment of farmer dollars, staff time, programs and partnerships accordingly. “I anticipate a stronger focus in science,” she states.
She also believes there are growing opportunities in the areas of nutrition and environment. “You’ll likely see over the next three to five years some shifting program and budget priorities there.
