Land O'Lakes
Beth Ford took over as the CEO of Land O'Lakes on Wednesday.
- Beth Ford, the newly-appointed CEO of Land O'Lakes, became the first openly gay woman to lead a Fortune 500 company on Wednesday.
- She's also one of just 25 women on the list overall.
- Her promotion to chief executive officer is being hailed as a victory for advocates of LGBT rights.
Land O'Lakes made history on Wednesday when Beth Ford officially took over as the company's new president and CEO.
The move makes Ford the first openly gay woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, and one of just 25 women overall.
Land O'Lakes, the Minnesota-based food and agriculture company most famous for its line of butter products, revealed that Ford would take over in an statement last week, a month after longtime CEO Chris Policinski announced his retirement.
"The Board chose the person they felt best met the criteria to drive success in the business," Ford said in a statement to CNN. "I realize this is an important milestone for many people and I am pleased to share it."
Read on to learn more about the newest name leading a Fortune 500 company.