Top Women In Store Brands 2023: Schreiber Foods, DEI Company of the Year

For more than a decade, Store Brands and Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence (WISE) have teamed to honor women across the private label industry who have had and continue to have a major impact in the store brand segment.

From supply chain, to sales, marketing, finance and more, members of the Class of 2023 each play a vital role in moving store brands forward amid new and on-going challenges that include rising prices, capacity issues with manufacturers, and evolving demand from consumers. 

The following is the profile of Schreiber Foods, the 2023 DEI Company of the Year.

Driving Awareness

The issue of diversity, equity and inclusion — commonly known as DEI — has been in the forefront in recent years as companies large and small work to address the issue. But Schreiber Foods, the 2023 Top Women In Store Brands honoree as DEI Company of the Year, has been on the DEI journey for many years, having planted the seeds in 2010 for what today is a broad effort across the company.

“We started working with one of our customers on DEI awareness and education,” said Jenene Calloway, vice president of Talent Development & Chief Diversity Officer with Schreiber Foods. “That sparked the work that led to the strategic pillars that influence our current DEI strategy.”

Today, Schreiber has partners around the globe involved in its DEI efforts, and the company continues to build a culture that embraces all people, company officials said. 

Committed to having an inclusive workforce that understands and values DEI, the company’s priorities are centered around five key pillars. They include data analytics and reporting, DEI education training, internal talent review and development, workforce recruitment, and partner and community engagement and belonging.

The five pillars along with their corresponding actions allow Schreiber and its leadership to be clearly aligned on actions that advance DEI and support the organization’s Growth & Impact Plan.

Schreiber’s DEI efforts are led by Ron Dunford, its president and CEO, who has signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion and created organizational representation goals for the company. He has cascaded a DEI goal to all U.S. partners, with all partners challenged to bring forth direct and intentional ideas to help diversify the workplace. 

The company has seven business resource groups that implement programs and cultural fluency engagements that are part of Schreiber’s DEI overall strategy. These groups have their own individual budgets and can use funds for programming as they see fit. The groups are:

• Network of Women Business Leaders (NOWBL)

• Black Business Network (BBN)

• VETS Support Group (VETS)

• LGBTQ+ Support Group (PRIDE)

• Disability Support Group (ENABLED)

• Global Support Network (MOSAIC)

• Support for Millennials & GenZ (EMERGE)

“Our business resources groups build their strategies around experiences that create empathy and understanding,” said DJ Daniels, manager, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Programs with Schreiber Foods. “When partners are exposed to different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives, it impacts their viewpoints and perspectives.”

Schreiber’s DEI leadership has also had a positive impact on its hometown of Green Bay, Wis. For example, the company in recent years has raised the Pride flag at its corporate office to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. The City of Green Bay followed this lead and would eventually invite one of the founders of Schrieber’s PRIDE business resource group to be the keynote speaker at an event focused on diversity. 

As Schreiber looks to continue its DEI initiatives into 2024, company officials said they will look for opportunities to reach into its global manufacturing facilities and tailor initiatives by area and region. 

A main priority will be to focus on the representation of females and ethnic minorities at all levels throughout the organization. Intentional efforts to diversify the company was a goal in 2023, and Schreiber will continue and even double-click on those efforts moving forward by setting specific goals.