If you Google the qualities for effective leadership, you’ll see a list of words that often include the following: courage, respect, and resilience. Others may tell you that integrity and patience are the essential characteristics; others still that a good leader simply takes charge.
If I may present my own addition to the canon of leadership skills, I would suggest empowering others to become leaders themselves.
This is where Elyse Lipman is thriving.
Since her start, Elyse has led with a confidence emblematic of someone raised adjacent to the industry. Her determination and strategy-driven mindset are the center of the operation she presides over as Chief Executive Officer: Lipman Family Farms.
Taking up a fresh path with the World Economic Forum, she played a pivotal role in launching its Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It was here that Elyse’s interest in technology was piqued, and where she was able to facilitate partnerships across a diverse set of stakeholders.
“My early career allowed me to explore how technologies interrupt industries and global markets,” Elyse tells me. “With how fast the world is changing today, strategy requires more than understanding trends. You need to sift through the noise and distill vast amounts of information into patterns that are relevant for your company.”
“I value practical ingenuity and a nimble approach, knowing these qualities make Lipman strong from the ground up.”
Elyse Lipman, Chief Executive Officer, Lipman Family Farms
Elyse first joined Lipman Family Farms in 2019 as Director of Strategy, quickly making the jump to Chief Strategy Officer a little less than a year and a half later. Her tenure as CEO has thus far been marked by innovations, such as the opening of the company’s greenhouse facility in Jalisco, Mexico, as well as the recent addition of Jones & Church Farms, to its operational portfolio.
How Elyse leads Lipman through these changes is testament to her ambition and drive—seen in the trust and camaraderie she’s quickly built with team members across the company.
“My leadership style focuses on always growing, which matches well with a farming company,” Elyse shares with a smile. “I value practical ingenuity and a nimble approach, knowing these qualities make Lipman strong from the ground up. The produce industry is filled with brilliant, passionate experts. My team is encouraged to thrive in this environment by challenging the status quo. They know that I’m going to keep setting higher goals because I believe they and this company can achieve great things.”
Becoming a mother has also influenced her leadership style, as having to balance both parenting and overseeing a company strengthened Elyse’s resilience.
“As a female leader in a country where women make up 36 percent of the farming population but own just 7 percent of farmland, I am acutely aware of the challenges women face in the produce industry,” Elyse asserts, diving into one of the topics I’m most eager to explore. She’s creating space for excellence within the industry—and she’s ready to bring more women into the fold. “Even at Lipman, women historically haven’t always been recognized for the roles they played in our history.”
Lipman Family Farms was founded in 1948 by Elyse’s great-grandfather and his sons and sons-in-law.
“But there were—and always have been—women at the core of our company’s success,” Elyse notes. “My role today is an opportunity to tell their stories, while continuing to elevate and shine a light on the incredible women who have long contributed to Lipman and agriculture.”
In order for more leaders to step into C-suite roles, Elyse wants to see more women in leadership positions ASAP.
“We need to have more women visible in those roles and at the microphone of our industry. I’ve had the privilege of sitting next to many strong leaders in the industry that I greatly admire, including Raina Nelson of Westfalia Fruit, who often says that ‘Produce is a female-forward industry.’ I prioritize amplifying the voices of women in the industry and actively mentor women at different levels of the organization,” she adds.
One of the ways in which Lipman Family Farms supports its female team members is through its Women of Lipman network, which helps facilitate collective support and resourcing.
“But there were—and always have been—women at the core of our company’s success.”
“I have a daughter of my own. Our efforts today are equally, if not more important for seeding future generations of female leaders,” Elyse says.
That’s another admirable quality of Elyse’s leadership. She is always considering the future.
“As CEO of Lipman, I’m thinking not just about tomorrow, but about generations to come. We know that in order to succeed over decades it requires constant innovation, so we
foster a culture of continuous improvement. By constantly seeking new and better ways to operate, we ensure that our growth is both sustainable and responsive to customer and consumer needs,” Elyse asserts.
Not only does this approach keep the produce industry vibrant and thriving, as Elyse explains, but it positions Lipman Family Farms as an industry leader.
“Since Lipman is a vertically integrated company, we’re able to test the impact of innovations across the supply chain. Technology, for example, is going to continue to have a major impact on our industry,” Elyse says, harkening back to her love of the analytical. “From expanding how our Research and Development (R&D) team continuously improves our produce varieties to automation on the farms and packing houses, Lipman is uniquely positioned to actualize the value of new technologies and continue to improve our products and services for customers.”
Under Elyse’s guidance, Lipman will empower the next generation of produce industry leaders by continuing to invest in the infrastructure and supply chain needed to bring produce to more families. 
