Mike Durkin and Lino Saputo, Jr. to Join Global Dairy Platform Inc. Board of Directors

Global Dairy Platform (GDP), a pre-competitive collaboration of dairy sector organizations focused on encouraging the appropriate intake of nutrient-rich dairy foods and demonstrating the sector’s role in sustainable agriculture, today announced the addition of Mr. Mike Durkin, President & CEO of Leprino Foods and Mr. Lino Saputo, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saputo Inc., to GDP’s Board of Directors.

 

 

“Mike Durkin and Lino Saputo are great additions to the GDP board,” said Rick Smith, GDP Board Chair and Dairy Farmers of America President and Chief Executive Officer. “Both of them bring tremendous knowledge, insight and experience that will be valuable in helping drive forward GDP’s mission to align and support the industry in promoting sustainable dairy nutrition.”

Mike Durkin and Lino Saputo Jr. will serve on the board along with Rick Smith; President & CEO Dairy Farmers of America, Miles Hurrell; CEO Fonterra Co-operative Group, Minfang (Jeffrey) Lu; CEO & Executive Director China Mengniu Dairy Company, Hein Schumacher; CEO Royal FrieslandCampina and Peder Tuborgh; CEO Arla Foods.

Additional governance members include Dr. Margrethe Jonkman; Deputy Chair of the GDP Board and Chair of the Operational Committee, Corporate Director Research & Development, Royal FrieslandCampina, Dr. Judith Bryans; President, International Dairy Federation, Jerry Kaminski; Chief Operating Officer, Land O’Lakes, Hanne Sondergaard; Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing & Innovation, Arla Foods. Judith Swales; Chief Operating Officer Transformation (Velocity) and Innovation, Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, Jay Waldvogel; Senior Vice President of Strategy and International Development, Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.

Established in 2006, GLOBAL DAIRY PLATFORM’s membership of dairy companies, associations, scientific bodies and other partners collaborate pre-competitively to promote the necessary intake of nutrient-rich dairy products, build evidence on dairy’s role in the diet, and show the sector’s commitment to responsible and sustainable food production. Together, the collaboration aims to demonstrate dairy’s contribution to global food systems, healthy diets, and sustainable livelihoods. Visit www.globaldairyplatform.com for more information.