Dairy Industry Leadership | IDFA Honors Ahlem and McCloskey for Dairy Leadership

IDFA honors David Ahlem and Mike McCloskey with the Laureate Award for decades of leadership, innovation, and impact across the dairy industry.

Edited by: Damián Morais

Two industry icons receive the Laureate Award for lasting impact and innovation.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) awarded its Laureate Award to David Ahlem, board advisor and former CEO and president of Hilmar, and Mike McCloskey, co-founder and CEO emeritus of Select Milk Producers, during the association’s annual Dairy Forum. The honor recognizes extraordinary, long-term leadership and contributions to the growth and development of the dairy industry.

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Now in its seventh year, the IDFA Laureate Award is the association’s highest recognition, open to leaders across the dairy value chain, including suppliers and academics. Recipients are selected by a panel of industry professionals, underscoring peer recognition for sustained influence and sector-wide impact.

IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., praised Ahlem and McCloskey for embodying the industry’s core strengths—visionary leadership, innovation, integrity, and commitment to people. He emphasized their enduring legacy and the role their leadership has played in advancing dairy’s promise and performance.

Ahlem led Hilmar as CEO and president from 2015 until his retirement in 2025, after joining the company in 2004 and serving in multiple leadership roles. His expertise spans dairy policy, strategic management, and customer relations, alongside active service in industry organizations, including as chair of the IDFA Executive Council and board roles at the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and the Dairy Institute of California.

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