ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — Beth Ford has been named president and CEO of Land O’Lakes Inc., effective Aug. 1. She will succeed Chris Policinski, who has led the company since 2005. Policinski announced his retirement in June.

Ford was most recently chief operating officer for Land O’Lakes Businesses, a role she assumed in December 2017. Before that, she was head of the company’s Dairy Foods and Purina Animal Nutrition businesses. Ford joined Land O’Lakes in 2011 as executive vice-president of supply chain and operations. Earlier in her career, Ford was head of supply chain for International Flavors and Fragrances and held various roles at PepsiCo Inc.

“At a time of unprecedented change in the agriculture and food industries, no person is better suited to lead us into the future than Beth Ford,” said Pete Kappelman, chairman of Land O’Lakes. “Since joining our company in 2011, Beth has proven she’s not afraid of hard work and she sees every challenge as an opportunity to deliver more value for our cooperative. She’s built a track record of success in a wide array of leadership roles across a decades-long career, and in her seven years at Land O’Lakes, she has earned the trust and respect of our members, employees and customers. We are thrilled to have someone of such strong qualifications and character to build on the legacy of growth that Land O’Lakes has established.”