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Betsy D. Holden is an advisor to Paine Schwartz Partners, a private equity firm focusing on sustainable agriculture and foods products where she serves on several portfolio company boards. She was a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company from 2007-2020, leading strategy, marketing, and board effectiveness initiatives for consumer, healthcare, financial services and B2B companies. Betsy was formerly Co-CEO of Kraft Foods and CEO of Kraft Foods North America. At the time, Kraft Foods was the largest food company in North America and the second largest in the world.
She has 25+ years of experience in consumer goods with expertise in general management, marketing, cost management, acquisitions, and global expansion. In addition to her CEO role at Kraft, Betsy also held the positions of President, Global Marketing and Category Development; Executive Vice President with responsibility for Operations, IT, Procurement, R&D, and Consumer Insights and Communications; President of the Kraft Cheese Division; President of the Pizza Division; plus multiple line brand management assignments. Betsy introduced new products that have generated over $2 billion in revenue.
Ms. Holden graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. from Duke University. Holden received a Masters of Management in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern’s J. L. Kellogg School of Management. She has been named one of FORTUNE’s Most Powerful Women multiple times and was inducted into the Chicago Business Hall of Fame in 2016.
Ms. Holden has served on 9 corporate boards over the last 22 years including Kraft Foods, Diageo, PLC, CatamaranRX, and Time Inc. She currently serves on the boards of Western Union, Dentsply Sirona, National Retail Properties, and private Clif Bar & Co. She was named a 2015 NACD Directorship 100 honoree. Betsy serves on the Executive Committee of Duke University’s Board of Trustees and the Kellogg School of Management Global Advisory Board. Betsy is President of the Board of the Off the Street Club, and serves on the boards of Ravinia Music Festival and Chicago High School for the Arts.
Ms. Holden and her husband, Arthur Holden, have two children: Andrew T'11 and Julie T'13.
Ms. Holden was elected to the Duke University Board of Trustees in 2011 and currently serves as chair of the Graduate and Professional Education and Research Committee. She also serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Audit and Compliance Committee. Ms. Holden was a member of the Trinity Board of Visitors from 2003-2011, and served as its chair in 2009-2011.
November 2021