Life Lessons with Brian Ronholm

Brian Ronholm did not start his career in food policy. His early work on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-related issues exposed him to regulatory matters, but it wasn’t until he joined the staff of U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) as agriculture appropriations associate that he really took a deep dive into the food policy world.

“She is a member of Congress that’s deeply involved in these issues, and that was part of my portfolio,” said Ronholm. “That was how I got intimately involved in it, getting to know people, building relationships, building a network.”

Those relationships he built with food safety professionals as a congressional staffer led him to be considered for the position of deputy under secretary of food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — a role he ultimately assumed — during former President Barack Obama’s administration.

As deputy under secretary of food safety, Ronholm oversaw the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), providing leadership and management to the agency. He also was the chair of the U.S. Codex Policy Steering Committee — which engages stakeholders in advancing science-based food standards to protect public health and practicing ethical standards in the global food trade system — and the chair of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), a committee that provided impartial scientific advice and recommendations to USDA and other government agencies on issues related to the country’s food supply.

Following the Obama administration, Ronholm served in regulatory consultant roles at two law firms: first at ArentFox Schiff and then at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Working at both firms allowed Ronholm to share his knowledge and expertise in policy and regulation, he said.

Today, Ronholm serves as director of food policy at Consumer Reports, where he leads the organization’s food safety and health advocacy efforts. Jobs in food policy aren’t widely available, so Ronholm said he had to be patient for an opportunity like his position at Consumer Reports to become available. With nearly two decades of experience in policy, Ronholm has brought a variety of experiences to the organization in his six years there.

“It was just a thrill to be able to land here and to do the work that I’m doing,” he said. “You don’t love a job like this unless it aligns with your values.”

Ronholm shared more with QA about his career in food policy, consumer trends, his philosophy on leadership and his hopes for the future of his sector of the industry.

I think, ultimately, the big lesson that you learn is maintaining trust. You build a reputation as you build your network. It’s very important to maintain that trust, to maintain that credibility and maintain that respect. Of course, there are going to be those moments where you have sharp disagreements on issues. It’s important to lean on those relationships to get you through those moments and recognize that there’s still a foundation of trust and respect to enhance each other’s reputations.

When you look at the data about what consumers are really most worried about, it indicates that they are more concerned about food chemicals and additives — even though there’s not an immediate threat of illness. We’re talking about chronic exposure over time. Meanwhile, pathogens like E. Coli, Salmonella and Listeria can make you sick immediately. It's taking that information and making sure our advocacy efforts are focused on those issues, since it aligns with what our members, our subscribers, want to focus on. Leadership is about being able to pivot like that and ensuring there is alignment with the rest of the organization.

Another key piece of relationship building is it really helps build context around a particular issue. From a policy perspective, especially if you’re working on Capitol Hill or if you’re working at the department, you’re not exposed to the day-to-day operations of the food industry. So, you don’t have that context. If you have those relationships with industry folks, you’re able to seek their guidance and ask, “OK, this is the policy that’s under consideration. How does that fit into your world?” And that really helps everyone shape their perspectives and be able to get to a point where maybe something is agreeable on all sides.

Our responsibilities mainly are about advocacy, stakeholder engagement, going before policymakers, state, federal and local, as well as industry, and pushing for positive change for consumers. Consumer Reports is involved in various issue areas: auto safety, product safety, technology and food. I lead the food policy efforts for the organization, which involves advocating on behalf of consumers on policy matters at the federal/state level and in corporate practices.

Overall, we need a system that’s focused on prevention, and to me, that’s what food safety is all about, because you have to have the infrastructure and the culture that is focused on preventing illnesses and outbreaks before they become major problems.