Land O’Lakes Taps Harley Davidson’s Former Top Marketer as CMO
Heather Malenshek joins after the brand retired its Native American mascot
Heather Malenshek will move on from her own Milwaukee consultancy to Minneapolis-based Land O’Lakes, joining as its chief marketing officer effective Sept. 8.
“Heather possesses a sterling record of unparalleled success in designing and implementing marketing strategies for companies and organizations, and driving business growth,” said Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes in a statement. “I am looking forward to seeing the creativity she has exhibited put to work for Land O’Lakes.”
As the dairy brand’s head of marketing, Malenshek will oversee b-to-c and b-to-b branding strategy, and will be responsible for building marketing competencies throughout the entire company. She will also have oversight of FLM/Harvest, a wholly owned subsidiary by Land O’Lakes that specializes in strategic consulting, marketing and communications for agribusiness and rural lifestyle industries.
She succeeds Tim Scott, Land O’Lakes’ former CMO who oversaw the brand’s yearly activation at SXSW.
Malenshek joins Land O’Lakes after serving as the CMO of Harley-Davidson Motor Company for five years. During her time at the motorcycle maker, she helped reposition the brand to cater to both millennials and its more traditional baby boomer audience. Malenshek also has expertise in brand leadership and audience engagement for companies involved in financial services, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and pet care.
Earlier this year, Land O’Lakes quietly retired its controversial century-old mascot, a Native American woman offering up sticks of butter. The woman, who apparently was named Mia, had previously been criticized by Indigenous advocacy groups that deemed her a disrespectful racial stereotype.
“Americans need to learn the truth about the beauty and diversity of tribal nations, peoples and cultures today,” Kevin Allis, CEO of the National Congress of American Indians, had said in a statement, “and discarding antiquated symbols like this is a step in the right direction.”
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