Martha Leyburn began her career in Research & Development, spending ten years with Ault Foods, the largest dairy company in Canada. In 1996, she joined Nestlé’s quality assurance team within the ice cream division and later advanced into a QA management role supporting the Nestlé/Haagen-Dazs joint venture. The largest portion of Martha’s career was spent with Friendly’s Ice Cream in Massachusetts, where she held a series of progressive leadership roles including Quality Assurance Manager and Engineering Manager, ultimately serving as Vice President of Operations. After 15 years with Friendly’s, Martha joined HP Hood in 2018 as Operations Director for the Culture Division, overseeing three facilities in New York. She currently serves as Group Vice President of Operations for the Fluid, Ice Cream, DSD, and Culture Divisions, with responsibility for eight manufacturing plants across New York and New England. In addition to her extensive industry experience, Martha holds a B.Sc., an MBA, and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership. She resides in Monson, Massachusetts with her family.
