A recent article in the trade publication Food Industry News highlighted the GHJ whitepaper Women in the Food and Beverage Industry, which focuses on women and their roles within the food and beverage industry as both leaders and consumers. The whitepaper was based on the annual survey of West Coast food and beverage executives.

The Food Industry News article echoed the survey findings that women are still struggling to be placed in top leadership roles.

As mentioned in the article, the survey confirmed that women held less than 25 percent of the total leadership roles at their companies. More “female-friendly” positions, such as human resources and marketing, scored slightly better than other leadership roles. Industry participants were beginning to see women as an emerging force, however, reporting that women bring benefits such as trust, improved public image and key relationships.

Additionally, the article highlights top trends within the industry including the growth in health-conscious products.