Seattle, Washington, United States, February 2025 – Darigold, Inc., one of the nation’s largest dairy producers, has announced key leadership changes. Chris Rowe, President of Darigold’s Business-to-Business Division, has been appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer, while Dana Kennedy returns to Darigold as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).
Rowe initially joined Darigold in August 2023 as President of the Business-to-Business Division, overseeing a global portfolio of dairy ingredient solutions. Prior to joining the company, he held leadership roles at Fonterra, one of the world’s largest dairy companies, where he served as Group Finance Director, leading finance, strategy, and global operations. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Auckland and a Master’s degree in Management Studies from the University of Waikato in New Zealand.
Allan Huttema, President and Chief Executive Officer of Darigold, expressed confidence in Rowe’s leadership: “Chris has proven himself to be a capable leader, earning respect across our senior team, board of directors, and the B2B division. His deep knowledge of the dairy industry and our business makes him ideally suited to step into this role as we enter a crucial phase of expansion.” In addition to his duties as Interim CFO, Rowe will continue to lead Darigold’s B2B Division.
Returning to Darigold as CHRO, Dana Kennedy brings extensive experience in human resources leadership, particularly in the manufacturing and food sectors. She previously spent over eight years at Darigold, most recently serving as Vice President of Labor Relations. Kennedy has played a key role in labor negotiations, building trust and credibility across the company’s leadership and plant teams. She holds an Executive MBA from the University of Washington.
Huttema welcomed Kennedy’s return, stating: “We are thrilled to have Dana back at Darigold. Her experience, leadership, and deep understanding of our operations make her the perfect fit to lead our HR function as we continue to grow.”
These leadership appointments come at a pivotal time as Darigold prepares to open its new production facility in Central Washington in the coming months.
About Darigold
Headquartered in Seattle, Darigold, Inc. is the marketing and processing subsidiary of the Northwest Dairy Association (NDA), a cooperative of nearly 300 family-owned farms in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Darigold processes approximately 10 billion pounds of milk annually, producing a full range of dairy products for retail, foodservice, and specialty markets. The company operates 11 production facilities across the Pacific Northwest and is currently constructing its 12th facility in Central Washington, slated to open in 2025.
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