Angela Ichwan Senior Director Technical Lead, The Annex by Ardent Mills

Angela Ichwan is the Sr. Director Technical Lead of The Annex, the specialty business unit of Ardent Mills. She joined Ardent Mills in July 2014 and led a team of R&D, Culinary and Technical Services professionals through major changes with the formation of a joint venture, where Angela sustained business growth and integrated two cultures and practices. In this role, she is responsible for supporting partnerships and cross-functional projects including sales, operations, grain trading, supply chain and marketing.  Angela’s focus is on the development of technological roadmaps to discern R&D gaps, determine opportunities and deliver projected growth. In her new role at The Annex by Ardent Mills, she is responsible for innovation pipeline, portfolio expansion to high growth & high value products and commercialization.

Prior to Ardent Mills, Angela’s career working at Pepperidge Farms, Kellogg Company, and H.J. Heinz highlights her ability to lead multiple teams of scientists, develop cross-functional project leaders, technologists, chefs and process engineers to successfully develop a multitude of products from concept to commercialization in both domestic and international markets. Angela is passionate about aligning colleagues and companies to ensure that strategic objectives are accomplished with exemplary results.

Valued as a strategic thinker and futurist, Angela demonstrated her entrepreneurial skills by starting up her own food company which encompassed: working with Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market buyers, raising $2.5 million seed capital and earning the acknowledgment of 2006 U.S. Fastest Growing Company by SPINS, the leading market researcher.

Angela received her Bachelors of Science with honorary distinction from the University of California, Davis in Food Science and Technology, a Master of Science from Cornell University in Food Science, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business.

She currently resides in Denver with her husband and son. In her spare time, Angela loves yoga, cooking and exploring hiking trails in Colorado.