Appointment of New C-Level Executives

Apr 5, 2022

United Dairymen of Arizona (“UDA”) has appointed Josh Susany as Chief Financial Officer of the company. An experienced financial leader, Susany assumed responsibilities on March 28, 2022. As CFO, Susany will lead all FP&A, commercial, and operations finance functions for the nearly billion-dollar cooperative.

Susany joins UDA from Eagle Family Foods, where he served as Vice President, Finance, for Eagle’s manufacturing and distribution in Baking Evaporated and Sweetened Condensed Milk where he led Commercial and Operations Finance teams. As a cross-functional business partner, Susany successfully influenced margin optimization and commercial retail pricing driving positive bottom-line results. He also spent time with Nestle, USA’s Innovation & Commercial Finance Group, developing multi-year business strategies and dynamic forecasting models for new product development within its $1B Baking division. Susany holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting & Finance from Youngstown State University in Ohio and is a Member of the Institute of Management Accountants.

“Josh’s experience and mindset are a great fit for our team,” stated Robert Chesler, CEO of UDA. “We continue to elevate our business in new and exciting ways. Josh’s proven track record successfully leading Commercial and Operations Finance teams, paired with his passion for innovation and growth, aligns well with our evolving organization. We are excited to continue growing UDA with this key addition to the team.”

Additionally, UDA has promoted Ashley Ellixson, JD, to Chief Business Operations Officer. Ashley’s broad range of operational knowledge, including deep dairy industry expertise, has become an invaluable asset to UDA since she joined the cooperative in 2017. Recently championing UDA’s Sustainability efforts, Ellixson was instrumental in establishing and garnering support for UDA’s 2030 Science-Based Sustainability Goals.

Well known in the industry, Ashley actively represents UDA on several dairy boards and committees including:

    • Chair for Environmental Committee, National Milk Producers Federation
    • Chair for Trade Policy Committee, International Dairy Foods Association
    • Board of Directors, US Dairy & Export Council

In her newly expanded role, Ellixson oversees several key business functions including Legal Operations, Export Logistics, People Operations, Corporate Communications, and Sustainability. Ellixson earned a Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Arizona State University.

About United Dairymen of Arizona

For over 60 years, UDA has been producing high quality milk and dairy products for Arizona and the world. UDA’s quality is at the core of everything we do, from the cows that supply the milk to the industry-leading food safety & quality standards we’ve set for our operations. Today, we are proud to uniquely be a full-service dairy cooperative feeding the world and united in our excellence – of product, people, and service.

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