The TCU Neeley School of Business featured Wendy Davidson, Hain Celestial CEO, in the Tandy Executive Speaker Series. Davidson inspired the audience with her experience navigating career changes and leading with transparent communication.
February 20, 2025
The latest installment of the Tandy Executive Speaker Series welcomed Wendy Davidson, president and CEO of the Hain Celestial Group, to share her experience as a seasoned leader in the food and beverage industry.
In a fireside-style chat with Craig Crossland, the John V. Roach Dean of the TCU Neeley School of Business, Davidson engaged the audience of North Texas business leaders, students and faculty. She provided insights from her decades-long career spanning Tyson, Kellogg’s and McCormick, as well as her journey to the C-suite at Hain Celestial, which produces popular products like Celestial Seasonings® teas, Garden Veggie Snacks™ and TERRA® chips.
A Career Built on Food and Curiosity
Davidson’s path to leadership began in the Iowa cornfields, where she developed an early appreciation for the food industry. Initially planning for law school, her career took a different turn with a full-time job offer from Tyson, where she had interned.
What started as a temporary role sparked a deep curiosity about the science behind food and the intricate processes that shape what ends up on consumers’ tables. That curiosity drove her career, leading her through leadership roles at Kellogg’s and McCormick before stepping into her current position at Hain Celestial. Over the years, she learned that success isn’t just about strategy—it’s about culture.
Leading with Transparency and Accountability
At Hain Celestial, she now leads a company focused on health-conscious brands, emphasizing not just what people eat, but why they choose it. She credits her eagerness to learn and willingness to explore different aspects of the food industry as key factors in shaping her leadership style.
Davidson has worked to foster a culture of transparency and accountability, ensuring that employees feel empowered to share honest feedback and take calculated risks.
“I want people to feel like they can tell me anything,” she shared. “Information comes into the organization as a cornflake. By the time it gets to the top of the organization, it’s a frosted flake. If I really want to fix what is broken in a company, I need to hear the unfiltered view of what needs to be fixed.”
To create that open dialogue, Davidson holds regular “CEO tea talks”, where employees at all levels are encouraged to ask questions and share concerns directly with her. She credits these meetings with helping break down barriers between leadership and staff, allowing for more honest, unfiltered communication across the company.
Her approach to leadership left a strong impression on students in attendance. Andrew Barnes, a first-year marketing and finance major and director of marketing & communication for the TCU Management Club, reflected on a key takeaway.
“I appreciated how she emphasized the importance of distributing power within an organization,” he shared. “We learned how to manage individuals spread across different geographical regions and the value of empowering people at every level.”
Advice for Future Leaders
Davidson closed her talk by offering advice to students and young professionals, encouraging them to embrace curiosity, adaptability and lifelong learning.
“Find ways to tinker,” she urged. “Learn a lot. Be curious. Meet a lot of people.”
Davidson also emphasized the importance of building an authentic professional network, reminding students, “Always lend a hand before you need a hand.”
Her message resonated with audience members, including Michelle Crim from Leadership Fort Worth, who appreciated Davidson’s perspective on leadership and mentorship.
“I loved her wisdom and approach to leadership,” Crim shared. “Her quote about lending a hand first really stuck with me. I appreciate that pay-it-forward mentality.”
Davidson’s journey from the cornfields of Iowa to the boardroom of a global company served as a powerful reminder that career paths are not always straightforward—but a willingness to learn, adapt and take risks can open doors to unexpected opportunities.
