By Vivien Godfrey, President and CEO, MilkPEP Vivien Godfrey


First, thank you very much for inviting me to speak on DairyLine. I'm very excited to be heading up MilkPEP and running the Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign.

As a bit of background, I grew up in London, England, and after living briefly in France, Germany and Canada, I moved to the States - to Minneapolis - in 1992. I worked for the Pillsbury Company for nine years, including four years as the CEO of the Haagen-Dazs ice cream business. I very much enjoyed those dairy years, and it's great to be back in the dairy industry.

Every single person that I've met over the past few weeks has given me a warm welcome. Dairy farmers who are involved with Dairy Management Inc., such as Paul Rove in Arizona and Les Hardesty in Colorado, have invited me to come to their farms. I've also been touring dairy processing operations in California, Colorado and Massachusetts and have visits planned to Illinois, Texas and Florida.

The producers and processors I talk with are sharing great ideas with me. And I also share things I already know about our program. It's clear to me that the Milk Mustache program has significantly improved milk's image and market position over the years. Year after year, the program effectively moves the needle and helps drive incremental milk sales.

A tremendous asset, of course, is that we've been able to use Milk Mustache celebrities from all walks of life, including sports, acting, business, music - to name a few - to remind consumers about the benefits of milk.

People today are looking for foods that are naturally nutrient-rich. Nothing tops milk in that regard. And I think in these tough economic times it's even more important that MilkPEP remind Americans that milk is number one when it comes to providing value. Milk packs a huge nutritional punch and is a great choice for families on a tight budget.

So, those are just a few observations. Thanks again for inviting me, and I look forward to talking with you again soon!

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