From the county fair to the C-suite

The first time Lanette Shaffer Werner stepped into a corporate office wasn't for a job interview – it was on a field trip with her East Cambridge Cubs 4-H Club. 

As she toured the Betty Crocker Kitchens at General Mills, little did she know she'd eventually return to the C-suite. 

Now as the company's Chief Innovation, Technology & Quality Officer, she's traded 4-H demonstrations for executive presentations, expressing her passion for food science at the forefront of the industry. 

Foundations in food and science

Shaffer Werner learned the building blocks of food science, and the importance of trial and error, early in 4-H. 

She rebaked her banana bread four times to make “something worthy to bring to the county fair.” 

As her skills became so advanced, her curiosity deepened, with her projects evolving from basic cooking skills to sophisticated scientific exploration.

"When I was in more advanced foods and nutrition, I did a project on the impact of food on brain biochemistry. It was my first foray into thinking about food science and dietetics," she explains. 

This early exposure to nutritional science laid the groundwork for her future career path in food science at General Mills.

Leadership through public speaking

Beyond stoking her interest in food science, her 4-H experience built valuable skills in public speaking. 

"I use those public speaking muscles every day," she shares. "I tell them I was a 4-H'er to become a great public speaker. There’s no magic. It's about repetition, and I got my repetitions in 4-H."

Her public speaking achievement even led to an international experience in Israel as a teenager, broadening her cultural horizons in ways that continue to influence her global perspective, including during a recent international expat assignment in France.

Values shaping corporate leadership

"One of our underlying values at General Mills is 'do the right thing all the time' - the golden rule. These are values that come through in how we work in 4-H," Lanette shares. 

She particularly appreciates how 4-H taught her to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. 

“We learn by doing, and 4-H is about doing. If it doesn't work out, try again — that's one of the values that stays with me. At General Mills, we're on a journey of experimentation and learning. If we don't fail, we're not pushing hard enough or testing the limits of what's possible."

Giving back to ensure 4-H's future

Shaffer Werner’s support of the Healthy Living Initiative reflects her belief in developing the whole person. "It's inclusive of health, nutrition, and the whole person. I love that we’re zooming out to see the bigger picture," she says. 

After stepping into her new role, she reflected on what led her there, and made contributions to Minnesota 4-H to acknowledge the formative role it played in her success.

"Giving is a small token of appreciation from me. It's an investment in what I know to be a remarkable program for youth. I want it to survive, sustain and keep growing," she says. 

4-H made Shaffer Werner beyond ready for her career. Her generosity will ensure future generations can benefit from the same transformative opportunities.