Ariel Dalton is a seasoned, high-impact executive with over 17 years of experience leading transformational commercial strategy, sales, and go-to-market operations in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. Currently serving as Senior Vice President of Commercial at Danone North America, Ariel is recognized for her dynamic leadership, ability to drive top- and bottom-line growth, and unmatched talent for building engaged, high-performing teams.
At Danone, Ariel leads a comprehensive commercial organization of 145 direct employees and a broker network of over 4,500, responsible for the company’s expansive portfolio, including Baby, Organic Dairy, Coffee Creamers, Plant-Based Beverages, Waters, and Yogurt. Her team spans core commercial functions including Category Leadership, Channel Development & Strategy, Customer Planning, Industry Relations, Omni-Channel Activation, eCommerce, Sales Communication, Trade Marketing and Training, and Retail Execution. Under her leadership, Danone achieved a record-breaking year, becoming the fastest growing large-cap CPG in North America.
Ariel’s track record of innovation and capability building includes the creation of a Business Mastery Program and the Danone Way of Selling, the development of enterprise-wide Channel Playbooks, and leading the largest and most successful commercial and sales transformation in the company’s history. Danone Way of Selling was recognized as a best practice and adopted globally by Danone, which was rolled out to every market around the world. Her career reflects a steady ascent through key leadership roles in GTM strategy, sales planning, and customer development, where she has consistently delivered results far exceeding market benchmarks. Notably, she grew an $850M business by double digits in her first year as VP of Sales and unlocked $28M in savings through operational optimization.
Before joining the manufacturing side of CPG, Ariel began her career at a top-tier direct marketing agency, where she ignited her passion for consumer behavior and marketing innovation. Since then, she has built her career at Danone across both of the company’s U.S. headquarters, leading growth across traditional channels like Grocery and Mass as well as emerging, strategic channels including eCommerce, Foodservice, and Military—some of the fastest-growing verticals in the industry.
Ariel is equally passionate about people and culture. A leader of Danone’s LIFT Women’s Leadership ERG, she has also been a speaker at NextUp conferences, an active contributor to The Illuminators, and was recognized at the Makers Conference as one of Danone’s most influential female leaders. Her teams have received 23 Danone STAR Awards, 4 Danone Behaviors ONE Awards, and 9 Global Best Practice Awards, a reflection of the thriving, high-performance culture she cultivates.
Beyond her corporate achievements, Ariel is committed to authentic leadership and mentorship. She’s a graduate of the IMD High Performance Leadership Program and USC’s Food Industry Executive Program and has been trained in advanced negotiation through Scotswork and The Gap Partnership. She also brings a global perspective, having studied international marketing and communication theory at the University of Oxford, traveled around the world and led several global initiatives and projects for Danone, including serving most recently as the Sales AI lead for Customer Value Creation.
Ariel resides in Golden, Colorado with her husband Jamie and their three children. Together, they enjoy spending time outdoors, riding bikes, and staying active. With her deep expertise in commercial operations, omnichannel strategy, and culture building, Ariel is now pursuing board service opportunities where she can contribute her leadership to innovative, values-driven organizations seeking to build capability and culture. She is eager to share her insights, expand her impact, and support the growth of businesses through strategic governance and mentorship.
Character: Ariel is an action-oriented and resilient, people-focused leader who inspires teams through authenticity, work ethic, and a commitment to personal and organizational growth.
Knowledge: She brings 17 years of deep expertise across commercial strategy, sales operations, and omnichannel execution within the CPG and food & beverage sectors.
Strategic: Ariel has consistently driven transformative growth through visionary planning, operational efficiency, and innovative go-to-market strategies with proven success commercializing teams behind a common mission to drive unprecedented business impact.
Communication: She excels in engaging diverse stakeholders, empowering teams through clear direction, and delivering impactful thought leadership at industry and internal events.
