Podcast Summary

Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold

Episode 528 – Brett Bruggeman: How Land O’Lakes Powers Its $16B, 104-Year Cooperative
Guest: Brett Bruggeman, EVP & COO, Land O’Lakes
Host: Cameron Herold
Publication Date: November 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Brett Bruggeman, Executive Vice President and COO of Land O’Lakes, sharing insights into how a 104-year-old, $16B cooperative is adapting and thriving in the modern era. Brett discusses the cooperative (co-op) model, strategic growth initiatives, embracing data and technology, and the leadership lessons he’s gathered throughout his career. Cameron and Brett dive into what makes Land O’Lakes unique within agriculture, how the team prioritizes and navigates constant change, and the vital importance of being present, adaptable, and people-focused as a leader.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Land O’Lakes—Roots & Scale

[03:04] – [05:30]

• Land O’Lakes is a 104-year-old supply and marketing cooperative started by dairy farmers looking to find a home for cream.
• Today, the company has three main business units:
  • Dairy Foods (Land O’Lakes brand)
  • Animal Nutrition (Purina brand)
  • Crop Inputs (Winfield brand)
• Land O’Lakes operates in all 50 U.S. states and about 60 countries, touches 50% of U.S. fields, handles 13B pounds of milk, and feeds 100M animals annually.
• Ownership is unique: made up of 4,000 dairy producers and retail owners (local cooperatives and independents), with deep roots in rural communities.

Brett Bruggeman [03:50]:
"We've just continued to grow. We have about 20 different businesses that roll up into those three business units...If you go down the road, there’s probably a pretty good chance, Cameron, one out of two acres or one out of two fields will be on. So we touch about 50% of the fields in one way or another."

2. The Co-op Model Explained

[24:31] – [29:29]

• A co-op is owned by its members, usually farmers or retail owners. Profits are returned via patronage to the members.
• Co-ops act as vital economic anchors in rural communities, often the largest employer or taxpayer locally.
• Brett likens the co-op model to a franchise system—with shared investment and pooled benefits, but owners must “earn” member loyalty every year.
• Co-ops allow collective investment in scalable assets farmers couldn’t access alone, supporting innovation and resilience.

Brett Bruggeman [25:53]:
"A true cooperative invests in scalable assets that the farmer cannot afford to. When there's a profit, that profit comes back to the owner, to the farmer, and benefits from a patronage type model."

3. Staying Focused: The ‘Vital Few’

[09:57] – [12:14]

• Land O’Lakes avoids being pulled into minutiae by focusing on strategic priorities—rooted in “outside-in thinking.”
• Brought in external leaders like Nike’s former CMO to challenge status quo and help shape a “perform and transform” strategy.
• Each business unit defines its “vital few”—the top 3 or 4 priorities:
  • Market access through customer segmentation
  • Brand strength
  • Strategic alliances (e.g., with Microsoft)
  • Becoming a data-first company

Brett Bruggeman [12:14]:
“You would have a constant theme of making sure—from a growth standpoint, number one is market access through customer segmentation...Number two is around brand strength...Number three are alliances...Number four...is data. We want to be a data-first company.”

4. Strategic Thinking vs. Planning

[14:35] – [17:43]

• Brett separates strategic thinking (“What if? What are we missing? Where’s the growth?”) from planning (the operational execution).
• Their rhythm includes regular “pressure-testing” sessions with customers, challenging assumptions, and hunting for new growth, both organic (scale, diversification) and inorganic (acquisitions of distressed assets).
• The team continually asks:
  • What’s holding us back?
  • What doesn’t our competition want us to do?
  • How do we stay ahead of our best customer?

Brett Bruggeman [15:09]: “In a market that has this much uncertainty, [strategic thinking] has increased twofold...Just asking ourselves, like, where can the growth come from?”

5. Growth Challenges & Co-op Partnerships

[20:18] – [22:48]; [29:29] – [32:44]

• The agricultural sector faces headwinds—shrinking markets, margin compression, and farmer consolidation.
• Land O’Lakes created a $70–100M Ag Rogue Fund alongside retail owners in response to these challenges, investing together in late-stage assets that drive farmer productivity (e.g., technology).
• Ownership of the “last mile” remains with the retail owners, fortifying the co-op’s strength and fostering innovation at scale.
• This model is non-traditional—partnering with customers (owners) as co-investors.

Brett Bruggeman [29:41]: "This was an idea that came up within our customer base. Pooling those resources gives us scale but also gives us skin in the game. Our retail owners are right alongside us, understanding the homework that goes into us looking at these different assets."

6. Embracing Data & AI

[13:34]; [33:38] – [38:13]

• Land O’Lakes is intentionally data-driven, striving to move away from instinct alone to insight-led decisions (“What’s the data say?”).
• They use AI (with support from Microsoft) to:
  • Predict demand and supply chain disruptions (using learnings from COVID-era modeling)
  • Target growth and efficiency
  • Eliminate waste and improve customer experience
• The workforce is evolving toward a skills-first (rather than credentials-first) mindset.
• AI augments human talent; strong EQ is still needed to translate insights into outcomes.

Brett Bruggeman [33:38]: “If you asked Julie Sacrifice Sexton who heads up our HR, she would talk about a move from credentials to more of a skill set—particularly around this AI space...We see plenty of space for both [technology and people].”

7. The People Side: Leadership & Talent

[38:52] – [44:42]

• Brett emphasizes the power of presence—giving undivided attention is vital for talent engagement.
• Leadership requires mastery of change management, adaptability, and a willingness to be coached.
• Delivers results by being “70% ready and ahead of the curve” rather than aiming for perfection and falling behind.
• Encourages taking risks, seeking mentors, and being open to international/multifunctional roles for younger professionals.

Brett Bruggeman [38:52]: “One area in particular is about being present...When I get that time, to be 100% focused. The reason I say that is because I hear about the times when others aren’t.”

Brett Bruggeman [43:09]: “Sharpen your questioning skills...Sometimes just showing a little bit of vulnerability and asking for help is the gate opener to a lot of different pieces.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Land O’Lakes’ market impact:
  “One out of two fields we touch in one way or another in the United States.”
  — Brett Bruggeman [05:14]

• On co-op value:
  “A cooperative invests in scalable assets that the farmer cannot afford to. When there’s a profit, that profit comes back to the owner.”
  — Brett Bruggeman [25:53]

• On outside-in thinking:
  “Bringing in that fresh perspective is so good for us.”
  — Brett Bruggeman [14:04]

• On strategic growth:
  “This market is moving so fast and...we play in markets that aren’t growing, they’re shrinking. So we got to reinvent ourselves and create some markets, expand the pie.”
  — Brett Bruggeman [10:45]

• On talent and presence:
  “When I get that time [with VPs] to be 100% focused...I hear about the times when others aren’t.”
  — Brett Bruggeman [38:52]

• Advice to his younger self:
  “Don’t pass up an opportunity to do an international assignment or a lateral assignment...Find a mentor. Find somebody that’s going to push you from that standpoint because you only get one time around here and the world is full of opportunities.”
  — Brett Bruggeman [43:09]

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – Market access and co-op structure preview
• 03:04 – Land O’Lakes overview: scale, scope, business units
• 09:57 – Staying focused with “outside-in thinking” and “the vital few”
• 12:14 – The four key priorities/vital few for Land O’Lakes
• 14:35 – Strategic thinking vs. planning; core questions
• 20:18 – Growth challenges, sector headwinds, Ag Rogue Fund
• 24:31 – Detailed explanation of the co-op model
• 25:53 – Co-op as scalable asset builder and profit-sharing mechanism
• 33:38 – Embracing data, AI, and skills-first talent approaches
• 38:52 – Leadership focus on presence, talent, and continuous improvement
• 43:09 – Career advice to younger leaders

Episode Tone

This episode is direct, candid, and filled with both high-level strategic insights and down-to-earth leadership wisdom. Brett’s approach is practical and people-oriented, focused equally on innovation and culture. Cameron guides with curiosity, drawing out actionable examples and relatable anecdotes.

Summary Takeaways

• The co-op model allows scale and innovation while centering the needs of rural communities and member-owners.
• Focusing on a “vital few” priorities and coupling operational excellence with strategic transformation keeps a huge organization agile.
• Data and AI are critical enablers—but human EQ, present leadership, and adaptability have never been more important.
• Leaders should continually seek diverse experiences, open themselves to coaching, and prioritize asking the right questions over having all the answers.

This summary captures the essence and critical insights from the conversation between Cameron Herold and Brett Bruggeman. It is a useful guide for both executives seeking to learn how legacy organizations stay relevant and for anyone interested in co-op business models and leadership in times of rapid change.