UW-Oshkosh MBA grad Trevor Farrell, president at Schreiber Foods, to add CEO role this fall

Trevor Farrell '00, who earned his master of business administration degree from UW-Oshkosh, serves as president of Schreiber Foods and is set to become president and chief executive officer (CEO) on Oct. 1. The Green Bay native leads one of the world's largest employee-owned dairy companies, which operates across five continents.

Trevor Farrell did not set out to become a CEO. He set out to keep learning.

Today, the UW-Oshkosh MBA graduate serves as president of Schreiber Foods and is set to become president and chief executive officer on Oct. 1.

"I was born and raised in Green Bay and leading a company headquartered in my hometown makes this role especially meaningful to me," said Farrell, who earned his master of business administration degree in 2000 from UW-Oshkosh.

A global company with local roots

Based in North America, Schreiber Foods is a global leader in customer-brand cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, beverages and yogurt. The employee-owned company operates across five continents, employs more than 10,000 people and generates more than $7.5 billion in annual sales.

Its mission to do good through food, shapes both its business strategy and community engagement.

Farrell sees a natural connection between that philosophy and his graduate education.

"My commitment to service aligns closely with Schreiber Foods' mission of doing good through food and putting people first," he said. "UW-Oshkosh reinforced values like ethical leadership, community impact and responsibility beyond the business."

After completing his undergraduate degree, Farrell chose to pursue an MBA as he advanced in his career.

"After earning my undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I wanted an MBA program that would allow me to continue developing my analytical and leadership skills while building my career," he said. "The UW-Oshkosh program had a strong reputation and included students from local businesses that I wanted to learn from as well. It was a great experience."

At the time, he held a sales and marketing leadership role, applying classroom lessons to real business challenges.

"I was early in my career and focused on applying my financial skills while continuing to grow professionally," Farrell said. "My parents believed in the importance of a good education. That was a great baseline. My wife Brenda was also very supportive during the time I was pursuing my MBA. We had young children and she was working full-time too. We just worked hard, believing that the sacrifice would be worth it."

Two takeaways from the MBA experience proved to be lasting.

"The importance of continuous learning has stayed with me throughout my career," he said. "Also, the value of teamwork became even more clear to me. We did a lot of group projects during the MBA program, and I learned about what could make teams cohesive and effective."

Rising through the ranks

Farrell's 27-year tenure at Schreiber has included positions across sales, procurement, new business development and executive leadership, most recently serving as executive vice president and president, U.S.

Throughout that progression, he consistently sought new challenges.

"I always raised my hand, took risks and moved around," he said.

Those varied experiences shaped his approach.

"My leadership style has evolved through experience across 11 different roles at Schreiber Foods, learning from many leaders along the way and focusing on trust, accountability, and caring deeply about people," Farrell said.

Advice for future Titans

As he prepares to step into the CEO role, Farrell encourages current UW-Oshkosh MBA students to prioritize growth over position.

"Work hard, keep learning, urgently drive results and focus on developing yourself and other people rather than chasing titles," he said.

He credits the education at UW-Oshkosh that helped prepare him.

"I am proud to represent a university that prepares leaders to make a meaningful impact on their organizations and communities," he said.

Learn more:

School of Business at UWO

Master of Business Administration at UWO