Full Name
Ariel Dalton
Job Title
Head of Strategic Insights, Planning & Connected Commerce
Company Name
Danone USA
Speaker Bio
Ariel Dalton is a purpose‑driven C‑suite executive with more than 17 years of experience in fast‑moving consumer goods, known for building high-performance cultures and pairing strategic rigor with authentic leadership to drive enterprise value. She currently serves on Danone’s U.S. Leadership Team, leading Strategic Insights, Planning, and Connected Commerce. Her team’s focus is to drive competitive advantage and shape decisions that matter—delivering actionable insights, anticipating market shifts, shaping consumer-centric strategies, accelerating connected commerce, and executing flawless omni-channel activations to win along the evolving shopper journey.
Previously, as SVP of Commercial for Danone’s largest market, Ariel led a 160‑person organization and an extended broker network of more than 4,500, spanning category leadership, go‑to‑market strategy, eCommerce, customer planning, channel development & strategy, shopper marketing, and sales execution. She has played a key role on global and regional executive steering committees, including shaping the globally adopted Danone Way of Selling and representing Danone North America in Sales AI initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Ariel transitioned from a leading direct marketing agency into manufacturing, advancing through high‑impact commercial, sales and strategy roles at one of the fastest‑growing large‑cap CPGs. Her experience spans both Danone US HQs and most Channels of trade, enabling her to scale strategies from enterprise design to in-market execution. Her teams have earned 29 Danone STAR Awards, four Behaviors ONE Awards, and 11 Global Best Practice Awards, and she has been recognized as a game‑changing female leader by the Makers Conference. A committed advocate for leadership development, Ariel has led Danone’s Women’s Leadership ERG, served on NextUp’s NextGen Committee, and currently advises the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs’ Women in Leadership with AI‑Driven Engagement program.
She is an APU honors graduate, studied abroad at Oxford, and is an alumna of IMD’s High Performance Leadership Program and USC’s Food Industry Executive Program.
Ariel, her husband Jamie, and their three kids reside in Golden, Colorado where they enjoy biking and spending time in the mountains.
Previously, as SVP of Commercial for Danone’s largest market, Ariel led a 160‑person organization and an extended broker network of more than 4,500, spanning category leadership, go‑to‑market strategy, eCommerce, customer planning, channel development & strategy, shopper marketing, and sales execution. She has played a key role on global and regional executive steering committees, including shaping the globally adopted Danone Way of Selling and representing Danone North America in Sales AI initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Ariel transitioned from a leading direct marketing agency into manufacturing, advancing through high‑impact commercial, sales and strategy roles at one of the fastest‑growing large‑cap CPGs. Her experience spans both Danone US HQs and most Channels of trade, enabling her to scale strategies from enterprise design to in-market execution. Her teams have earned 29 Danone STAR Awards, four Behaviors ONE Awards, and 11 Global Best Practice Awards, and she has been recognized as a game‑changing female leader by the Makers Conference. A committed advocate for leadership development, Ariel has led Danone’s Women’s Leadership ERG, served on NextUp’s NextGen Committee, and currently advises the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs’ Women in Leadership with AI‑Driven Engagement program.
She is an APU honors graduate, studied abroad at Oxford, and is an alumna of IMD’s High Performance Leadership Program and USC’s Food Industry Executive Program.
Ariel, her husband Jamie, and their three kids reside in Golden, Colorado where they enjoy biking and spending time in the mountains.
Speaking At
