On the morning we speak with Danone’s Arancha Cordero, her company is celebrating a big win. Tennis superstar and Danone global ambassador Carlos Alcaraz had just lifted the US Open Grand Slam title in New York after outlasting Jannik Sinner in the tournament’s hotly-anticipated final.
Signing Alcaraz, one of global sport’s most charismatic athletes and a Gen Z icon, has been a coup for Danone. He has already promoted water brand Evian and high-protein dairy ranges from Oikos in the US and YoPRO in Europe.
Cordero, who is senior vice-president (SVP) Dairy and Head of Global Category at Danone and previously worked at the firm’s waters division, has much to juggle in her day job – but was attracting the Spaniard as ambassador on her to-do list this year?
“You’re asking me after he’s become world number one,” she smiles. “We couldn’t be happier to have signed with him – and I did have something to do with that, of course. It was a joint deal with Waters, but I was in the driving seat of that decision for Dairy.
“We very carefully chose Carlos because he embodies the brand values of YoPRO and GetPRO. It’s about perseverance, putting in the work every day, and we believe Carlos embodies that very well. For him, having the right nutrition is absolutely critical. We want to motivate people to make the right nutritional choices.”
Tennis superstars aside, dairy has been riding on the wave of consumer demand for nutritionally-dense natural foods, with categories from cottage cheese to yogurt flying off the shelves across the globe. Meanwhile, interest in high-protein dairy has continued to gather pace, with Danone among the heavyweights in branded yogurt and drinks globally.
Cordero says the company’s approach to innovation and product development in protein has been one of the ‘very rewarding’ parts of her journey as SVP so far.
A seasoned FMCG professional, she spent 24 years at Unilever in a variety of roles across the CPG major’s home and personal care division before moving over to Danone, where she first worked as chief growth officer at the waters division with responsibilities across marketing, global sales, R&D, and sustainability.
The role of SVP Dairy is Cordero’s first job in food, where she looks after global strategy for the category, including innovation and communications, delivery strategy, and sustainability.
Protein’s expanding role
“Protein is not a fad,” she says, delving into one of food’s biggest global trends. “It’s a reality that more and more people are waking up to. Every human needs protein and ideally, high-quality protein. Consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about health and they are realizing that protein plays an essential role in health and longevity.”
These perceptions continue to evolve, she says, and globally, opportunities in emerging markets are increasingly coming to the fore as affordability and quality of life improves.
“Dairy is well-suited to serve this trend because it’s a complete source of quality protein. And when it comes to yogurt, it’s very affordable, familiar, incorporated into most people’s routine, and it’s delicious, which makes it the ideal product to serve this consumer need.”
Danone’s NPD approach
So what are the main pillars of NPD for Danone? Microbiome science, taste and functionality and brands that inspire are key drivers behind the dairy major’s longevity on the market.
“Our know-how comes from way back: we are not a company that started out some 20 years ago,” Cordero says. “We’ve been doing this for more than 100 years and we continue to keep ourselves at the forefront of science developments.
“And it’s not just about science – we don’t want to make medicine, we want to make food; and food is to be enjoyed. So our R&D is just as much about texture, taste, mouthfeel, and so on.”
Turning to Danone’s global dairy portfolio, Cordero says the company remains ‘very consumer-oriented’ and adapts its offering to suit regional tastes and preferences. “I don’t think we have any gaps in our portfolio,” she explains. “In particular markets, there’s an opportunity to expand further. Consumer preferences differ country by country, so we don’t apply a one-size-fits-all approach.
“If you try and impose a view or a trend on the consumer, they tend to find that either confusing or not credible.”
Arancha Cordero, SVP Dairy, Danone
“So we tend to prioritize a certain aspect of their needs or benefits that a product delivers.”
Yogurt is ‘a perfect match’ for GLP-1 users
Delving into the wider global health trend, we can’t discuss this without mentioning GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
“It so happens that protein and in particular yogurt is so well-suited to respond to the needs of GLP-1 consumers,” Cordero says. “It’s a perfect match, particularly high-protein yogurt, and we respond to that trend through our general portfolio – Oikos Triple Zero or Oikos Pro in the US and Danone Skyr in Europe are also very well-suited for consumers on GLP-1.
“And we recently launched Oikos Fusion, a product specifically designed to address the needs of GLP-1 consumers in the US, because we feel we have the science to give those consumers a more targeted solution.”
The biotic ‘phenomenon’
What are the health and nutrition spaces that Cordero finds exciting? “There’s so much research and development happening on biotics - it’s a phenomenon,” she says. “And we are seeing only the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to come and we still don’t fully understand the impact of our microbiome but we do know it’s fundamental to health.”
Danone completed several strategic acquisitions this year, including that of biotic research firm The Akkermansia Company. Akkermansia developed a biotic strain, which is clinically-proven to strengthen the gut barrier, reduce inflammation, and counteract metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
“It’s a very recent acquisition but we’re very excited because it will allow us to continue in this path of delivering health based on science,” Cordero adds. “It’s a probiotic that’s well-studied, well-documented in terms of the impact it has. We will be leveraging that, but it’s still early days.”
Biotics will continue be key to pushing the envelope in dairy functionality, Cordero suggests; giving an example with the probiotic-enhanced range of kefir from Activia, which also caters to consumers looking for mild dairy taste and convenience.
“People want products that are easy to consume throughout the day: drinkable, with added fiber. Those formats are growing.”
Split formats and mix-ins are also trending as they allow consumers to get creative with their food choices. “We are seeing a big trend in self-prepared dishes, but also anything that’s convenient and makes it easier for people to make healthy choices,” Cordero says.
Navigating corporate leadership as a female: Mentorship is ‘really critical’
Gender representation in food and beverage leadership remains unbalanced in 2025, with leadership development one of the greatest unmet needs for women in the industry, according to a recent state of the industry report by Females in Food, a global networking platform for women in food and beverage.
For Cordero, delving into that topic could make for “another whole interview in itself” as she said the role of females in leadership is an issue ‘very dear’ to her heart.
“I feel very fortunate, because I’ve worked in companies where I never felt discriminated against for being a woman, genuinely,” she says. “I also had very positive female role models to look up to.”
“Still, there are always barriers because it’s not just about where you work, but the whole environment around you.
“For each of us, it’s a personal journey to develop our confidence, to really exercise our leadership and be ourselves rather than mimic a more masculine way of leadership. And to acknowledge that there’s value in how we lead and leverage that humbly but confidently at the same time.
“Women have a tendency to feel small, to meet societal expectations: to be quiet, to be passive. And in my opinion, it’s about being focused on your goal, on the impact you want to have and to work towards it. Dismiss the noise!”
Mentors and a support system of female leaders is ‘really critical’, Cordero adds: “We need to encourage ourselves and younger women starting out to seek mentorship, because it really works.”
And finally: what’s Cordero’s favorite Danone dairy brand or product? “That’s like asking me which of my children I love the most,” she quips. “I can’t choose.
“If anything, I have too much yogurt. You’d laugh if I told you how much yoghurt I have every day. But really, I find all our brands fantastic.”
Danone's dairy strategy: from protein to GLP-1
Danone has made waves with various strategic acquisitions and product launches this year.
In North America, high-protein dairy brand Oikos has continued to be crucial to Danone's growth ambitions in the region. From debuting a Super Bowl advert featuring Ted Lasso star Juno Temple to launching Oikos Fusion, a market-first bever age formulated for consumers on GLP-1 medications, Danone has refined its offering while staying ahead of wellness trends.
The company also acquired Kate Farms, a medical nutrition company that released a plant-based protein shake for GLP-1 users: a unique proposition in Danone's branded portfolio. Biotics firm The Akkermansia Company was also acquired to bolster Danone's next-gen biotics capabilities.
Danone is also working on a brand refresh for Activia to make the probiotics yogurt brand more attractive to modern audiences. And in coffee creamers, where the firm competes toe-to-toe with Nestlé, bottlenecks in International Delight's supply and manufacture have been addressed with the opening of a new production and distribution facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
In Europe, Danone released skyr yoghurts and drinks range in the UK and re-introduced its kefir line through Activia, while banking on the high-protein trend through multi-format ranges from YoPRO and GetPRO.
