This webinar took place on Monday January 9, 2023 at 12 pm PST. To register, please click here.
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Jennifer Walker
Director, Quality and Care at Danone North America
Jennifer Walker graduated in 2000 from UC Davis and spent 4 years in private practice on dairies in California before earning her PhD at Ohio State (2010). Wanting to drive meaningful improvement in animal welfare through the supply chain, she made the leap from the barnyard to the boardroom of Dean Foods, leading the development of their animal welfare program as Director of Dairy Stewardship. She then joined Danone North America as Director of Milk Quality in 2018 and is responsible for managing milk quality from farm to factory gate, as well as the development and management of their animal welfare program. That year, she also completed her Masters in Animal Welfare Ethics, Policy and Law through the University of Edinburgh. In 2019, Jennifer was recognized by her alma mater, UC Davis, as one of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Award of Distinction recipients
Dr. Leanne McConnachie MSc 2007
Consultant, Animal Welfare Programs
After graduating with a B.A. in Economics, Leanne McConnachie pursued a 15-year career in the information technology sector. In 2004, she decided to combine her business skills with her passion for animals and joined UBC’s Animal Welfare Program. Her thesis examined effective philanthropy to animal welfare charities (see below). Leanne was the Director of Farm Animal Programs for the Vancouver Humane Society for 8 years and is now a consultant to the food industry and animal welfare charities. She is a past President of the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, serves on the Vancouver Foundation’s Grants Advisory Committee, and on the BC SPCA’s Regional Council for Vancouver Island.
Sophie Neveux
Animal Welfare and Milk Quality Advisor at Agropur
Sophie Neveux is passionate about dairy cattle, animal welfare, and supporting producers’ continuous improvement. She is currently leading the development and deployment of Agropur’s Sustainable Farms pillar. This includes providing credible and coherent animal welfare services to member dairy producers via the Cooperative Advisor team, working collaboratively with dairy industry partners to raise the bar on dairy cattle welfare in Canada and the US, and engaging dairy producers in meeting expectations concerning animal welfare and milk quality. Outside of work, Sophie is a dedicated mom to two curious boys and is always up for adventures.