29 Facts About Beth Ford

Beth Ford is the first openly gay female CEO of an American Fortune 500 company.

Beth Ford currently serves as a member of the President's Export Council.

Beth Ford was ranked 26th on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women.

Beth Ford was born in Sioux City, Iowa, the fifth in a family of eight children, and attended Catholic schools through high school.

Beth Ford's father was a truck driver and a used car salesman, while her mother was a nurse before completing her master's degree and becoming a psychologist.

Beth Ford's mother was left in an orphanage when she was five by her parents, eventually getting adopted at age ten.

Beth Ford's mother demonstrated to her children how to overcome hardship.

Beth Ford started working in the agriculture business at age 12, making $2 an hour de-tasseling corn and worked a number of jobs to support her college education, including as a janitor, house painter, and convenience store cashier.

Beth Ford completed her undergraduate degree at Iowa State University, where she pursued her interests in marketing, finance and operations and was initiated into Alpha Gamma Delta.

Beth Ford then worked in supply-chain management at ExxonMobil, Pepsi, and Scholastic, among other companies.

Beth Ford joined Land O'Lakes in 2011, being named as chief supply chain and operations officer.

At the time Beth Ford became CEO, she was one of 25 women leading Fortune 500 companies.

Beth Ford is the ninth person to hold this position.

Beth Ford became the first openly-gay female CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a fact remarked upon by several sources.

Beth Ford has stated that the biggest challenges facing American farmers is policy uncertainty, weather and the changing climate, and a lack of broadband access.

Beth Ford has been an advocate for getting high-speed Internet access to rural and underserved areas, calling on the government to provide funds to close the 'digital divide' that is impacting employment, education, and progress.

Beth Ford has called on major companies and organizations to join the American Connection Project, an effort started by Land O'Lakes to advocate for three main principles: robust federal funding for broadband infrastructure, improved broadband connectivity mapping and better coordination of federal and state agencies to deploy funding.

Beth Ford sits on the board of directors of the Business Roundtable, US Global Leadership Coalition, Paccar, and the Columbia University Deming Center as well as Iowa State University College of Business.

In 2021, Beth Ford was elected to the BlackRock Inc board of directors.

Beth Ford is quoted as saying the new statement matches the history of Land O'Lakes as a farmer-owned cooperative.

Beth Ford is quoted as saying the removal of the "butter maiden" to the words "farmer owned" was more about what the farmer-owned co-op wanted to communicate rather than what it didn't, that the change did not come from pressure placed on the company.

Beth Ford stated that the new images of fields, lakes, and farmers on their packaging represent Land O' Lakes is a cooperative, owned not by public market shareholders but by the farmers who make its butter, animal feed and more.

Beth Ford gave advice on how she pays attention to her physical health that which gives her mental clarity.

Beth Ford emphasises two traits that she sees are essential in business; humility and authenticity.

In 2018 Beth Ford was named in Fortune's Most Powerful Women in Business list.

Beth Ford was named to the Fortune Most Powerful Women List in 2020 for the third year in a row.

Beth Ford was named to the 2021 and 2022 Fast Company Queer 50 list.

Beth Ford sits on the Board of Directors for Starbucks Corporation.

Beth Ford is married to Jill Schurtz, the CEO of the St Paul's Teachers' Retirement Fund Association.