VISALIA, California — California Dairies, Inc. (CDI), today announced the promotion of Phil Girard to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective immediately. As CFO, Girard will oversee the cooperatives’ financial, accounting, treasury, information technology and risk management functions. Based at CDI’s corporate headquarters in Visalia, California, he will report to Andrei Mikhalevsky, President and Chief Executive Officer.
“Since joining CDI, Phil has made a significant contribution to the cooperative in his role of Vice President of Finance,” said Mikhalevsky. “During his tenure, Phil has proven to be a strong leader within CDI’s financial team and has played a pivotal role in the cooperative’s financial operations.”
Bringing more than 25 years of financial and accounting experience with him to this role, Girard has an extensive background in dairy cooperatives and food industry companies. Girard has served as the Vice President of Finance for CDI since 2013.
Prior to coming to CDI, Girard was the Corporate Controller for Sun-Maid Growers of California. In addition to his time at Sun-Maid, Phil has more than 20 years of experience in the dairy industry, holding multiple accounting positions with Land O’ Lakes, Inc. and Leprino Foods Company.
Girard holds an MBA in business administration from California State University – Fresno, and an undergraduate degree in business with a concentration in accounting from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.
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About California Dairies, Inc.
California Dairies, Inc. is the largest member-owned milk marketing and processing cooperative in California, producing 40 percent of California’s milk. Co-owned by more than 400 dairy producers who ship 16 billion pounds of Real California Milk annually. California Dairies, Inc. is a manufacturer of quality butter, fluid milk products and milk powders. In addition, California Dairies, Inc. is the home of two leading and well-respected brands of butter – Challenge and Danish Creamery. California Dairies’ quality dairy products are available in all 50 United States and in more than 50 foreign countries.
