Christine Lauridsen Sand is an active leader in the Des Moines, Iowa community and serves as the head of the Lauridsen Group (LGI). Originally established in 1916 as a creamery, her company has since evolved into a global supplier of dairy and protein ingredients used in food, animal feed, aquaculture, and companion animal industries. Christine plays a key role in guiding the company, collaborating with LGI team members on business strategy, human resources, and research driven by science.
Christine holds a BS from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She started her career as an analyst at William Blair and joined her family’s business in 2005. She has held various leadership roles, including serving as a business development associate in Barcelona, Spain, and overseeing growth through joint ventures and acquisitions both domestically and internationally.
In her local community, Christine and her husband, Rob, established an endowment for the United Way of Central Iowa, ensuring its support in perpetuity. She has also been involved in the dedication of the Lauridsen Barrack, which provides housing for 72 cadets during the academic year, as well as the summer naval band, honoring her father, a Culver Academies graduate.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I’m up at 6 and enjoy coffee while reading the news. I almost always then head out for a run, which gives me the energy to make the rest of the day productive. The rest varies a lot: some days I’m in the office all day, other days or weeks I am traveling to visit our production facilities or for business development.
How do you bring ideas to life?
At LGI we believe we can hire great leaders if we let them lead. Very few people want to sign up for that level of responsibility without the ability to make their own ideas come to life. So, our approach is to empower our leaders and teams to make decisions and take action. If I have an idea, I’ll share it with them and work with them to make it happen, but rarely will we force it.
What’s one trend that excites you?
We have certainly kept an eye on the lab-grown meat industry, as it could cause significant changes to our own industry and business. It seems that most of those changes, however, are further out on the horizon than expected due to cost to produce and consumer concerns.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Exercise is crucial.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Focus on the big picture, don’t sweat the small stuff.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
Cold plunges are fun.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Exercise. Any form of it is so beneficial, both physically and mentally.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Take some deep breaths and make sure I’m staying healthy by getting the right amount of sleep and eating balanced diet.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I like surrounding myself with smart people and listening to different viewpoints.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
We had a plant expansion effort that had substantial cost overruns and ended in arbitration. It was incredibly frustrating, but taught me to keep a closer eye on progress and costs for capital expenditures—or to have a watchdog doing so for me.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
A social media company that is affirmative and positivity-focused, rather than the opposite.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
My husband and I both use Screen Zen to help us limit app time on our phones. It helps us cut down on screen time and increase connective time.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I enjoy listening to Huberman Lab for the science-based learning about new ways to improve my health.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
My husband and I just watched “Lee” on Netflix. It’s about Lee Miller, one of the first female war photographers. It was a wonderful movie about her experience but also about war journalism as well, and gave us a deeper understanding of both while also being entertaining.
Key learnings
• Taking a little time for yourself improves your hours of work for others.
• Whom we chose to spend time with matters: focus on balance and individuals who help you to broaden your perspective.
• Sometimes, leadership involves cultivating other leaders.