Diversity of our Leadership

Born and raised in Ohio, Robin grew up in a lower-income, blue-collar family where education was not a major priority. She was the first person in her family to graduate from high school. Wanting to further her education, Robin put herself through college by working three jobs and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. She started her career as a management trainee at a public utility gas company in Cleveland, OH. After completion of the 2-year program, she then accepted a position in the Gas Supply Planning & Engineering department where she gained hands on experience which further developed her strong work ethic. In this role she was the only female, non-engineer in the department.

Her first child was born significantly premature, so Robin decided to take time off to raise her children. There weren’t many part-time professional opportunities available in the late 1980’s. During that time, she went back to school to earn an MBA in Finance. When her children reached grade school age Robin accepted a position at a beer company in Boston, managing packaging procurement and bottling plant operations, where she gained valuable hands-on experience in manufacturing processes. Later Robin accepted a position at an international company that supports McDonald’s worldwide with packaging, supply chain management, and logistics. In this role she managed three packaging categories and gained experience in world class strategic sourcing methodology. Robin was responsible for leading one of the company’s largest global strategic sourcing reviews.

The roles that Robin has held throughout her career have provided her with the experience for a leadership role in sourcing and procurement. Robin joined JBSS in 2007 as Director of Procurement and is now the Vice President of Procurement, Packaging, and Ingredients. She’s built a strong team, elevated the strategic sourcing process, and facilitated strong relationships with colleagues and suppliers, among many other achievements. Throughout her career and life, Robin has pioneered various initiatives having been the only woman at many tables in male-dominated industries and has paved the way for the women to follow. Robin’s leadership is an embodiment of her resilient and inclusive nature. JBSS strives to foster a culture of strong and diverse leaders— who can bring unique perspectives, voices, and understand that our differences are what make us a stronger organization.