James Whitaker

James Whitaker has extensive experience in supply chain, purchasing, risk management, and finance. James started their career as a Finance Intern at Ford Motor Company in 1997. James then worked as a Financial Analyst at American Stores Company, where they focused on valuing and prioritizing e-commerce initiatives. In 1998, they joined Union Pacific Railroad as the Director of Fuels, responsible for analysis, hedging, purchasing, and logistics of locomotive diesel requirements. James also managed a significant utility spend and implemented hedge accounting requirements. In 2008, they moved to Perdue Farms as the Director of Ingredients/Energy/Fleet Purchasing. There, they oversaw purchasing in the areas of ingredients, energy, and fleet. From 2014 to 2016, they served as Vice President Purchasing, Commodities, and Risk Mitigation at Boulder Brands/Pinnacle Foods, where they had responsibilities for purchasing, commodities risk management, and overall corporate risk management for six brands. James also worked closely with manufacturing, R&D, and Marketing to develop new products. Since 2016, they have been the Vice President of Supply Chain at Continental Mills.

James Whitaker received their JD degree in Business Law from BYU Law School, where they studied from 1994 to 1998. James also completed an MBA degree in Finance/Supply Chain from Brigham Young University, attending from 1994 to 1999.