Polly Ruhland

Polly Ruhland is a seasoned executive and strategist with more than 25 years of experience in agribusiness, production systems and food marketing. Ms. Ruhland has extensive experience in nonprofit administration, agriculture production and distribution systems, marketing and reputation and crisis management. She specializes in leadership excellence, culture transformation and organizational change management.

Ms. Ruhland served as CEO of the United Soybean Board (“USB”), where she led growth in program funding, achieved by innovative public-private partnerships and federal grants. Her strategic direction led USB to drive innovation in the soybean sector, managing more than $120 million in program investments including biotechnology, production improvement, sustainability and research and development (“R&D”) for soy-based industrial products.

Prior to USB, Ms. Ruhland served as CEO to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (“CBB”), overseeing investment and management of approximately $80 million dedicated to beef research, promotion and education efforts. The programs under her leadership increased consumer preference, enhanced beef quality and advanced production sustainability.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Ruhland spearheaded member and corporate relations and communication strategies for National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (“NCBA”), the largest beef industry association in the United States. At NCBA, she created and executed communication and reputation management strategies for producers, processors and other stakeholders in the beef supply chain, while navigating regulatory environments and supporting industry-wide research and development.

Ms. Ruhland was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship for International Leaders in 2013. She serves on several boards including the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Children Learning Through Outdoor Experience and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture.