Milling & Baking News - June 5, 2007 - 30

Executive Strategies: Purchasing

his career, beginning when he took
a job as a merchandiser in 1988 for
The Pillsbury Co., immediately after graduating from the University
of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. For
working as a cottonseed products

manager in the animal feed market,
Mr. Brown later had assignment in
corn byproducts and then marine
byproducts.
He quips that his career path has
followed the food chain upward,
beginning with animal feed and
continuing into human food. But
he is anything but dismissive of the
period he spent on the feed side of
commodities.
"It was a wonderful experience because we were running a small business with customers," Mr. Brown
said. "People don't realize that people who work in procurement have
customers, but we do. This early experience was great training, because
it taught me how to treat customers
and understand their needs. At Sara
Lee we have customers, but they are
internal.
"You develop a sixth sense for
commodity markets when you come
30 / June 5, 2007

Milling & Baking News

move the needle. You can have an
influence, but it takes a little time.
We are trying to get people with the
common interests of supporting free
markets to work with us on farm
policy. We need a bigger voice."
Mr. Brown identified
three mentors over the
'We will have suppliers work
course of his career he
particularly
credited
with us as co-developers of
with playing a pivotal
products, bringing formulation
role in guiding him forward.
The first was
ideas, packaging ideas, contract
Peter Sheridan, a commanufacturing ideas outside our
modities merchandiser
at The Pillsbury Co.
own capability.'
"He taught me how to
- David L. Brown, Sara Lee Corp.
take care of customers,"
Mr. Brown said. "Runof where markets are and how the ning a commodity trading compavolatility can affect various risk sce- ny, people are not required to buy
from you or sell to you. He really
narios for the business."
In 1998, Mr. Brown was recruit- emphasized that. One quality was
ed back to ConAgra Foods, Inc. to indispensable if you were going to
help with the company's dairy risk get peoples' business - customer
management program, which was service. We had to zig when others
just getting started. He stayed with zagged. You become a complete merConAgra for seven years, joining chandiser by taking care of people."
At ConAgra, Mr. Brown credits
Sara Lee in July 2005.
Mike Walters, who has retired from
that company but was senior viceSees linkage to other commodities
While Mr. Brown worked for president of commodity procuresome of the best known flour mill- ment and economic strategies when
ing companies in industry history, Mr. Brown reported to him, and Rich
he has not worked on the flour side Scalise, who was president of the Refrigerated Foods group at ConAgra.
of the business.
"Mike was great at conveying to
"Flour is new to me, but there is
such a similarity between commodi- businesses what they should and
ties," Mr. Brown said. "Agricultural should not be concerned about,
commodities are all similar in terms dealing with internal customers,"
of the influences that make prices Mr. Brown said. "He was great at
move and how crops are grown. You navigating a large organization. Rich
can pick up the field very quickly. runs Ralcorp's bakery business now.
You just have to learn the nuances At ConAgra, he ran the dairy busiof each commodity. I feel very com- ness and later Refrigerated Foods.
fortable in flour. Wheat has its own What I got from Rich was his discipline around numbers, around metcharacteristics."
While still a newcomer in the rics - holding people accountable.
baking industry, Mr. Brown has It's old fashioned but it's effective.
emerged as a leader, heading the He wanted to know you were on
newly reconstituted Commodities top of your business and accountTask Force of the American Bakers able. We certainly apply that to our
discipline. We use many of the same
Association.
"I think folks see our company as disciplines to get us there."
Also valuable to Mr. Brown in
an industry leader," he said. "I've
had involvement with trade asso- his current role in procurement is
ciations. I did work with Interna- his history on "the other side of the
tional Dairy Foods. I understand the table" as a seller.
"We've had to take care of a stakework that needs to be done and how
people at corporations need to focus holder," he said. "It sure helps us
their efforts to get legislation en- work more effectively." MBN
acted, to establish relationships and
- L. Joshua Sosland
up through something like that.
That sense stays with you throughout your career. It can influence our
business the most. No matter how
great your managerial responsibilities, you have to maintain a sense

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Milling & Baking News - June 5, 2007

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