(NAFB.com) – Barbara O’Brien, president and CEO of Dairy Management Inc. and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, announced she will retire at the end of her five-year term this fall. She was unanimously approved by the DMI Board of Directors as CEO on October 11, 2021, and has since led the organization through a period of strategic realignment, innovation, and measurable growth on behalf of America’s dairy farmers and importers. “As we looked ahead, we knew this was the right and responsible time to give the organization ample runway for a well-managed transition in leadership as the DMI board and search committee plan from a position of strength,” O’Brien said. Throughout her tenure, O’Brien has emphasized strategic clarity, collaboration across the dairy value chain, and delivering tangible results domestically and globally through integrated marketing, nutrition science, and innovation strategies. “Transitions like this are an important part of any organization,” O’Brien added.