Finding Resilience and Opportunity at WIA 2025
- Michelle Pelletier Marshall
- Oct 21
- 3 min read
By Lisa Johnson, Managing Director, and Sally Day, Managing Director, Leadership Services, both from Kincannon & Reed (Reprinted with permission. See the original post here.) (October 21, 2025)
Editor's Note: Johnson and Day were speakers at the 2025 Women in Agribusiness Summit in Orlando, Florida, September 22-24, 2025. They led the breakout session: Leading Change: Essential Skills for Current and Future Agribusiness Leaders, and Day also was the moderator of our Executive Profiles Panel. Their thoughts about the Summit were captured in their post below:
When we arrived at this year’s Women in Agribusiness conference, we knew the conversations would be timely and important. What we didn’t expect was just how starkly the opening sessions would frame today’s challenges. The first day painted a sobering picture of commodity markets, tariff impacts, and the long road ahead for rebuilding lost international markets. It was, frankly, a tough start. But that realism also set the stage. It reminded us why leadership in food and agriculture requires not only technical expertise but also resilience and agility. Day two and beyond turned toward the future with breakouts, panels, and conversations focused on how leaders can adapt, innovate, and grow in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Lessons from Our Breakout: Leading Change in Agribusiness
In our session, Leading Change: Essential Skills for Current and Future Agribusiness Leaders, we explored three themes shaping executive leadership today:
AI & Digital Fluency – Not about coding, but about making data informed decisions quickly and effectively. AI is already transforming everything from precision farming to supply chain forecasting, and leaders must understand enough to integrate these tools strategically.
Emotional Intelligence in an AI World – While AI can process data, it can’t build trust or inspire teams. Emotional intelligence is what turns disruption into progress, enabling leaders to connect, influence, and motivate through uncertainty.
The Leadership Cliff – With over half of current ag executives expected to retire by 2035, succession planning is no longer optional. Leaders who act now to build bench strength will position their organizations for long-term stability.
What struck us most were the questions from across the leadership spectrum. On one end, newly minted managers sought frameworks for leading multigenerational teams, navigating anxiety in the workplace, and balancing empathy with accountability. On the other, more seasoned leaders reflected on how different it feels to manage millennials and Gen Z compared to earlier generations, and how to adapt their leadership style to meet new expectations. The dialogue between the two groups underscored that leadership today isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about creating space for learning and adapting together.
Insights from the Executive Profiles Panel
Sally also had the privilege of moderating the Executive Profiles Panel, which brought together four extraordinary women with a combined 142 years of leadership experience. The panel reflected on both progress and gaps:
Today, women still hold fewer than one-third of senior leadership roles in food and agriculture.
In our nation’s history, only two women have served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Panelist Colleen May, President of Cargill Bioindustrial, has held 17 different roles during her 35-year career — more than half of which didn’t exist when she started. Her story was a vivid reminder that new challenges give rise to entirely new opportunities.
These perspectives reinforced a core truth: while the challenges in agriculture are cyclical, the opportunities to lead, innovate, and evolve are constant. Walking Away with Hope Yes, the outlook is uncertain. But the energy we felt at WIA reminded us why this industry matters and why leaders who are adaptable, digitally fluent, and people-centered will thrive. The community of women who came together at this conference left us encouraged: even in the face of daunting challenges, collaboration and innovation are alive and well.
If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: leadership in food and agriculture is at an inflection point. Market headwinds are real, but so are the opportunities to redefine what effective leadership looks like. Those who embrace change, invest in succession, and bridge the gap between generations won’t just weather the cycle, they’ll set the course for the industry’s future.
