Horizon Organic, a pioneer in organic dairy, and Wallaby, a brand of creamy Australian-style yogurts and organic Greek yogurts, announced Patricia Stroup has joined the team as chief operating officer (COO). Stroup has a lifelong connection to dairy, and an extensive background in global leadership within the food and beverage industry. She brings a broad range of capabilities to the COO role, including operational expertise, industry insight and a people-first leadership mentality.

In her role as COO, Stroup will oversee day-to-day business operations, partnering closely with teams to strengthen supply chains, optimize performance, and continue delivering the products consumers love. Her focus will be on driving operational excellence, leading strategic network optimization, improving cross-functional engagement, and providing team members with professional development and growth opportunities.

Prior to joining Horizon Organic, Stroup worked in numerous dairy categories, including milk, cheese, butter and milk powders at leading organizations like Hilmar Cheese Company and Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association. She also spent more than 18 years at Nestle, most recently serving as the global senior vice president and chief procurement officer out of Switzerland. Stroup previously served as the former chair of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) board of directors, and is actively pursuing a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of San Diego. She also studied dairy science at Virginia Tech.