David Donnan Joins FFAR Board of Directors

November 7, 2022 Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON (November 7, 2022) – The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is excited to announce that David Donnan, business leader and Northwestern University adjunct professor, is joining the FFAR Board of Directors.

David Donnan is an innovative and engaged member of the food and agriculture industry,” said FFAR Board Chairman Dr. Mark Keenum. His expertise in sustainable food, nutrition and agricultural engineering will meaningfully further FFAR’s mission. Mark E. Keenum, Ph.D.
Chair, FFAR Board of Directors
President
Mississippi State University

Donnan brings nearly 40 years of experience in food and agriculture as a business professional and adjunct professor. At Northwestern University, he leads a graduate course on the Future of Sustainable Food and Agriculture to engineering and business students. He is also president of Silvertip Management, where he advises venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and small businesses on food and agriculture innovation. In addition to his work, Donnan serves on several boards, including Naturally Chicago, Rubicon Organics, Protein Industries Canada and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2018-2021). He serves as a senior advisor to Plenty Unlimited, Farmers Fridge, International Foodservice Manufacturers Association and is a limited partner with Spiral Sun Ventures. His engagement with students and across the industry focuses on advancing next generation farming systems, providing nutritionally dense fresh foods to underserved communities and addressing food insecurity domestically and globally.

I am extremely excited to join the board of FFAR. We are at a pivotal point in the food and agriculture industry, and the research that FFAR enables will have significant impacts on the industry, ultimately benefiting consumers David Donnan
Business Leader and Adjunct Professor Northwestern University

David Donnan shares FFAR’s commitment to leveraging research to address food and nutrition equity. His innovative thinking, decades of advisory and management experience in the food and agriculture industry and shared priorities will be an asset to the Foundation Saharah Moon Chapotin, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Prior to his time at Northwestern University and Silvertip Management, Donnan was the senior partner and global food & beverage sector lead at Kearney, a global management-consulting firm. In this capacity, he provided strategic and operational advice to senior executives and boards of 100 leading companies in the consumer products and retail sectors. He was also partner at Bridge Strategy Group, president of Checkpoint Systems Inc. and partner and national director of food & beverage at KPMG Peat Marwick.

Donnan holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Toronto.

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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement USDA’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

Connect: @FoundationFAR