Having addressed the issues facing women operating in agriculture, the 2017 Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit will focus on presenting information that guides attendees to be the most competent, knowledgeable experts in their field. Sharing these insights at the 2017 summit at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis Sept. 26-28 will be more than 600 women from across the ag value chain.
While the popular summit, now in its sixth year, will still include cutting-edge professional development breakout sessions, the main focus will be on key forward-thinking topics presented by well-known experts in the sector. Examples include:
- Jack Bobo, senior vice president and chief communication officer of Intrexon, who will address, “Can Ag Feed the Planet Before It Destroys It?”
- Julie Borlaug, associate director for external relations at the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, who will present on how companies can partner for innovation
- Carol Kitchen, president and CEO of United Farmers of Alberta, who will speak to the challenges producers are facing
“With the opportunity in this forum for attendees to express their opinions, learn from others, and share best practices, we seek to support women’s advancement by demonstrating that they are knowledgeable experts in their industry,” said event director Joy O’Shaughnessy. “That does not need to focus on the fact that they are women, just the fact that success is attainable the more one ‘Knows Their Business Better.’ This summit will be a conduit to knowledge, networking and know-how.”
Guiding this entrepreneurial spirit is an accomplished National Advisory Board that this year welcomes Heather Anfang, vice president of marketing for U.S. dairy foods at Land O’Lakes; Kristine Thompson, enterprise brand strategy director and CHS Women in Leadership at CHS; and Jennifer Braasch, vice president and senior relationship manager for Commercial Banking National Food and Agribusiness Specialty Group at Wells Fargo. Other members of the board hail from Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, Dow AgroSciences, Bunge Ltd., Cargill and more.
Of greater importance in highlighting this event is the passion and inspiration felt by its attendees, who at last year’s event represented 39 U.S. states and more than 200 agricultural companies, and can be summed up through the comments of Elizabeth Bolt, senior marketing manager at Deloitte Consulting:
“I have found WIA to be a very strategic connection in my own career in supporting professional service providers focused in the food and agriculture industry. WIA has provided an opportunity for me to learn on a national scale from women on various levels and in various roles within the industry. Finally, I found it an inspiring organization to be part of, challenging me to broaden my knowledge and experience through the eyes of others.”
Learn more at www.womeninag.com.