Key facts
- Women in Agribusiness (WIA) announced 13 winners for its inaugural WIA Leadership Awards.
- The awards recognize influential women for their specific contributions to the future of the food and agriculture sector.
- The selection process was guided by an independent judging panel.
- Honorees will be recognized at the 2026 Women in Agribusiness Summit in New Orleans on September 24.
Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has announced the 13 winners of its inaugural WIA Leadership Awards, a new program designed to recognize influential women for their specific contributions to the future of the food and agriculture sector. These awards are the only independently judged, discipline-specific recognitions in agriculture aimed at honoring executives, investors, technologists, and advisors who are shaping the industry's future.
According to Svitlana Synkovska, WIA portfolio director, the honorees represent "strategic and operational excellence that is driving the agribusiness sector forward." She added that these leaders are defining possibilities in agricultural technology, finance, talent development, and executive strategy.
The selection process involved an independent judging panel that evaluated nominations based on defined criteria for six categories: Executive Leadership, Innovation & AI Leadership, Investment & Capital Leadership, Talent & Workforce Leadership, Advisory & Consulting Leadership, and Rising Leadership. Nominees were assessed on quantifiable outcomes, recent achievements, and impact beyond their immediate organizations.
The winners include Sarah Beth Aubrey (The Envoy Group), Marji Guyler-Alaniz (AgriSompo North America), Meryl Kennedy (Kennedy Rice Mill, LLC), Christy Seyfert (Farm Credit Council), and Sara Wyant (Agri-Pulse Communications) in Executive Leadership. Sarah Hinkley (Barn Owl Precision Agriculture) received the Innovation & AI Leadership award. Susan Payne (Holistic Agricultural Investments Group Ltd) was honored for Investment & Capital Leadership. Kathy Eichlin (Syngenta North America) received the Talent & Workforce Leadership award. Jacqueline Langlois (Gen D Consulting) and Krista Swanson (National Corn Growers Association) were recognized in Advisory & Consulting Leadership. Samantha Shapess (Mercer Milling), Natalie Shaw Wagner (CHS Inc.), and Baylie Williams (Eden Bay Advising) were named Rising Leaders.
The winners will be formally recognized at an awards presentation on September 24, 2026, during the Women in Agribusiness Summit in New Orleans.