Inside the Minds of Exceptional Food and Beverage Leaders

Leadership in the food and beverage value chain has rarely been more complex. Leaders are expected to balance commercial pressure, supply chain volatility, cultural change and long-term growth, often simultaneously and at an unprecedented pace. 

Diversity of thought and perspective has never been more important and neither has building a pipeline of balanced talent. According to data produced in the FTSE Women Leaders Review, out of the 19 largest food and drink suppliers only 4 have achieved 50% or more women on the executive committee or in their direct reports.

The Accelerate Mentoring Programme, organised by Odgers, the Food and Drink Federation and Grant Thornton, supports and promotes the development of female and non-binary leaders across the food and drink industry to improve the gender balance at board level.

To explore what effective leadership looks like in this environment, Odgers interviewed 15 senior female executives from across the food and drink industry. Drawing on their experience leading organisations through uncertainty and change, the discussion focused on the decisions, capabilities and behaviours they believe now define modern leadership at the top of the sector.

The 15 leaders in our roundtable discussion were:

• Beth Brown, Group Strategy Director, Samworth Brothers & former Managing Director, Soreen.
• Deborah Ewan, NED, Pukka Pies & former CEO, Pukka Pies.
• Emma Vass, CEO, Gü.
• Fabia Terranova, Managing Director, Sharpak.
• Hannah Shipton, Managing Director, Abel & Cole.
• Jillian Moffatt, Regional President GB&I and EMENA, McCain.
• Karen Betts, CEO, Food and Drink Federation.
• Louise Stigant, Former UK and Ireland Managing Director, Mondelez.
• Milly Bagot, Founder, ByRuby.
• Olivia Streatfeild, Group CEO, Flamingo Group International.
• Rachael Bouch, GEB Member, Managing Director, Food to Go.
• Rachel Kelley, CEO, Higgidy.
• Sarah Baldwin, Managing Director, Kingsland Drinks.
• Suzanne Glancy-Ross, European Managing Director, Treatt.
• Tamara Roberts, Chair of the WSET Board of Trustees & former owner and CEO, Ridgeview Wine Estate.

Choosing stretch over certainty

For many of the leaders, their career-defining moments came when they stepped into unfamiliar terrain. Interestingly this was often a sideways move that gave stretch and fast learning opportunities. “I made a conscious decision to move from a global FMCG environment into a smaller, more entrepreneurial business,” said Rachel Kelley. “This was pivotal for my learning and my broadening journey.” Karen Betts added: “My career hasn’t been shaped by a 10-year plan but by a desire to keep learning, moving and growing through interesting opportunities.”

For Olivia Streatfeild, the turning point was a bold sector switch: “I took a role in a completely different industry because someone I trusted backed me. It pushed me far outside my comfort zone.” Emma Vass emphasised moments of self-belief, reflecting: “I was told, ‘You’re ready, but you need to say it.’ It took months to build the confidence, but that shift changed my trajectory.” 

Others experienced moments where circumstance forced reinvention. Tamara Roberts pointed to her appointment to CEO, in the family business, which happened sooner than initially planned: “It was a whole new learning and way of being, managing boards, banks and stakeholders.”

Founders like Milly Bagot traced everything back to an early decision to leave a corporate graduate role to join her Aunt’s small food shop. “It was a huge salary cut, but the best decision I ever made. It set me off into the food industry.”

Meanwhile, unexpected roles created new momentum for others. Jillian Moffatt recalled: “Taking a treasury role in Switzerland reset my learning curve. It gave me board exposure and made me much more willing to step outside my comfort zone.”

Navigating limited female representation

While each woman’s journey has been unique, many described navigating environments where they were one of very few, if not the only, female voice. For Louise Stigant, representation gaps required deliberate career choices: “Women don’t always get exposure to financial ownership roles. I went after roles that leant heavily into building my financial understanding/acumen.”

Practical tactics also emerged. “You might be surprised what you can find in terms of commonality; then you build from there,” offered Fabia Terranova. For some, support networks were game-changers. “Women often miss conversations that happen without us,” noted Tamara Roberts. “Joining Vistage gave me an executive peer group and real support.”

Others battled confidence challenges in male dominated settings. Milly Bagot reflected: “Finding confidence in male-dominated rooms can be difficult, but growing female representation showed me I didn’t need to ‘act like a man’. Softness and authenticity can be strengths.”

And for Rachel Kelley, self-awareness was essential: “I sought feedback early and learned to flex my style. It helped me influence effectively as the only woman in the room.”

What it takes to reach the C-suite

Across the group, the leaders repeatedly returned to three core capabilities, distilled by Rachael Bouch as “judgment, clear strategy and leadership teams that can execute.” As Karen Betts outlined: “Competence and excellence gets you promoted but there is a point where this becomes a hinderance. Your role transitions to leadership where you are required to think strategically, set a direction and take tough decisions.”

The reflections also revealed how broad the skill set needs to be. Jillian Moffatt highlighted resilience, creativity and enterprise thinking: “Creativity, curiosity and structure are essential; and raising organisational issues early drives better outcomes.” Olivia Streatfeild underlined the importance of strong commercial grounding, adding: “Strong strategy and financial training were critical for me, and the ability to articulate it to drive transformation.”

The working environment proved just as crucial. For Suzanne Glancy-Ross, culture matters: “Choose companies that let you try things. Breadth beats depth.”
Emma Vass added: “Being able to clearly manage complexity and have one viewpoint from strategy through to execution, is vital.”

Technical fluency and communication also emerged as recurring themes, as Deborah Ewan explained: “Cross-functional experience and connecting strategy with financial acumen are fundamental. And over-communication.”

Meanwhile, Hannah Shipton emphasised humility: “Leadership is the single most important trait. Treat people fairly, communicate openly and drive change with genuine care for the business.”

Influences of mentorship or sponsorship in career progression

Across the conversation, nearly every leader pointed to mentors or sponsors who meaningfully altered their path. Louise Stigant and Tamara Roberts summarised the lessons many shared: “Sponsorship shaped my early career. It taught me to be intentional, ask for support, and help others rise. You can’t do anything alone.”

For Beth Brown, this has been vital: “I had a brilliant female sponsor about five years ago who advised me to make my leadership development one of my specific, measured objectives, rather than part of my development plan.” 

“Mentors gave me shortcuts and a safety valve when self-doubt crept in,” said Rachel Kelley. For Sarah Baldwin, the right sponsor unlocked a skill she once found intimidating: “I was never confident presenting, so my sponsors pushed me into situations that built my confidence.”

Jillian Moffatt noted the vulnerability of losing sponsors: “You must keep creating sponsorship for yourself.” This is why Fabia Terranova built her own broad ecosystem of support: “I have mentors, a coach and a therapist. Visualise your goal and get comfortable surrounded by breadth.” 

Critically, make time for your own self development and network. 

Maintaining resilience in uncertainty and crisis

Periods of crisis and rapid change have shaped each of the 15 leaders, revealing how resilience and adaptability is built through lived experience.

Rachael Bouch described anchoring herself in stability: “In uncertainty, I rely on facts, visible leadership and strong teams. People need clarity, calm and honesty to navigate tough moments.” For Sarah Baldwin, endurance is something earned: “Surviving crises teaches you there’s always a better tomorrow.” For Deborah Ewan it was about “being able to make quick decisions and course correct.”

Wellbeing and perspective also underscored their approaches. Tamara Roberts urged leaders to protect themselves: “Value yourself as much as your job. Question how you are turning up for yourself and the business.” Louise Stigant also echoed this, noting honest reflection: “Resilience isn't the art of powering through, but the self-knowledge to refuel.”

Emma Vass advised to not sweat the little things: “Let them go if they are not fundamentally going to change an outcome.” Similarly, Hannah Shipton remarked that she “boxes things off, then switches into solution mode.”

Leadership strategies to build trust and credibility

Trust and authenticity emerged as the thread running through every leadership philosophy, shaping how each leader shows up and connects with their teams. For Rachel Kelley, credibility starts with presence and integrity: “Be visible, be yourself and always hold yourself to high standards.” 

That mix of clarity and humanity was also evident in Sarah Baldwin’s approach: “I’m clear and direct about expectations, but always approachable. I invest time in knowing people beyond work.” Karen Betts added: “Don’t ask anything of others that you wouldn’t do yourself.” 

Others grounded trust in values, consistency and fairness. Tamara Roberts spoke to empathy and values, while Fabia Terranova and others return to the trust equation of “Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) / Self-orientation.”

For Rachael Bouch, trust is earned through consistency and transparency: “People need to see alignment between what leaders say and what they do.” Hannah Shipton captured the outcome of those behaviours, noting that: “Credibility comes from being fair, clear and decisive - backing your people and delivering on what you promise.”

Across all 15 journeys, one insight stands out: leadership is not a straight path but a rich mix of bold choices, self-knowledge, supportive relationships and continuous learning. 
Whether navigating male-dominated rooms, stepping into risk, or reimagining authenticity, these industry leaders demonstrate that the C-suite is shaped and expanded by those willing to lead with conviction.

Odgers’ Harriott Brigden is a founding member of the Accelerate Mentoring Programme, and is passionate about strengthening leadership pipelines across food and drink, partnering with boards, owners and investors to place senior leaders who can unlock value, scale brands and navigate a rapidly evolving value chain. Please sign up either as a mentor or mentee here.

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