The World's 50 Greatest Leaders

Rank
43
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Beth Ford

WGL05.19-Beth Ford
A portrait of Beth Ford, president of Land O Lakes at the company's headquarters in Arden Hills, Minnesota, on Wednesday, August 29, 2018. Jenn Ackerman for FortuneJenn Ackerman for Fortune
  • Title
    CEO and President
  • Affiliation
    Land O'Lakes

Ford’s visibility soared last summer when her promotion to CEO made her the first openly gay woman to run a Fortune 500 company. Since then, she’s been an exemplar for bringing your whole self to work, serving as an LGBTQ role model without making that identity the focus of her leadership. And she has deftly steered the dairy cooperative during a year roiled by trade wars and changing consumer tastes.