David Treiber Dublin, California Senior Vice President of Fluid Business Development California Dairies, Inc.

Please describe your professional background.
Upon graduation from the University of Arizona, I began my career with Kraft Foods as a retail sales manager at the office in Phoenix, Arizona. Two years later, I joined United Dairymen of Arizona and eventually became director of sales and marketing.

After 15 years with UDA, I moved to northern California to begin a new opportunity with Challenge Dairy Products, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of California Dairies, Inc. (CDI). As vice president of the food ingredient division, I managed all sales activity – including member and non-member sales – and maintained full profit and loss responsibility for the division.

Over the past few years, my role expanded to include coordinating bulk butter, cream and condensed sales for CDI. This has evolved into my new position as senior vice president of fluid milk development.

What territory will you cover?
CDI is a global company and although the fluid business is centered in California, cream and condensed [milk] are shipped across the U.S. In addition, CDI is a world leader in butter and SMP exports.

What are your new responsibilities?
To assist in the planning, development and execution of CDI’s strategy to effectively grow its fluid milk business including condensed and cream.

What excites you most about working in your new role?
CDI members have been under tremendous pressure since 2009 and are in need of some relief. I hope to effect positive change in CDI’s fluid business and generate greater returns for its member-owners. I am also pleased to be part of an organization that not only has tremendous scale but is also known for its high quality products and service.

How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
My role will be to coordinate with the CEO, COO and other senior staff members to set the direction and strategy of the organization. Specifically, I will assist in analyzing CDI’s skim and butterfat projections. I will use this information to effectively coordinate the sales effort for fluid milk, cream and condensed, and by doing so, achieve maximum returns for CDI’s members.

Why did you choose this company?
While working at Challenge Dairy Products, Inc., I have had the opportunity to experience firsthand the level of skill and expertise exhibited by CDI management and staff. CDI has an excellent reputation for quality and service, and is well-positioned for growth in the future.

Being located on the West Coast presents both challenges and opportunities. As the second largest dairy cooperative in the nation, CDI is – and will remain – a leader in the industry.

What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
As I begin my tenure with CDI, I would like to do my part in helping the organization continue to grow while maintaining the quality and professionalism the industry has grown to expect from one of the leading cooperatives in the country. PD