Woman at the Helm: Carole Thibault

DAIRY PROCESSING IS MY INDUSTRY

Carole Thibault is one of the women changing the face of the dairy industry. The first female President of the Conseil des industriels laitiers du Quebec (CILQ), when Carole first joined the association in 2013, she was the only woman on the Board of Directors.

“There’s no doubt that the dairy industry has been dominated by men, but it’s changing” said Carole. “I think there’s real value in having a diverse workforce whether age, gender, culture – with it comes a broader perspective.”

The CILQ represents dairy processors in Quebec. Since her election as president, Carole has been joined by a couple other woman on the Board of the CILQ.

Carole has spent nearly ten years in the dairy industry. As Director of Public and Scientific Affairs for DanoneWave, her role requires her to collaborate with colleagues, stakeholders and competitors alike.

“Personally, I’m interested and motivated by the complexities of the industry” shares Carole. “There’s a lot going on – we’re managing a group of people who have different interests and objectives, yet it’s important that we find our common ground.”

But Carole’s ability to build bridges isn’t the only thing that makes her a good leader. Carole is adaptable to a changing environment.

“The dairy industry is going through a transformation, a process of modernization” Carole explained. “The business opportunities on local, national and international levels are numerous, allowing for growth and innovation.”

At the national level, Carole represents DanoneWave on the Dairy Processors Association of Canada (DPAC) board.

If you have an interesting story to tell or know of someone who does, please contact Ciana Van Dusen at cvandusen@dpac-atlc.ca