09/23/2026
We’re proud to celebrate Ardent Mills® chief financial officer John Barton for being named the winner in the Extra-Large category of the Denver Business Journal’s 2026 CFO Awards.
John has been an integral part of the Ardent Mills team since our formation in 2014, helping build and evolve our financial infrastructure, operating model and high-performing teams that have supported our growth.
Throughout that journey, his impact and leadership have extended far beyond finance. John has helped bring a disciplined, data-informed approach to how we navigate challenges, evaluate opportunities and make strategic decisions that serve the business, our team members and our customers — working closely and cross-functionally with leaders across the organization to help position Ardent Mills for continued success.
This collaborative view of the CFO’s role is central to John’s leadership philosophy. As he shared with the Denver Business Journal:
“A strong CFO is a critical thought partner to the CEO, bringing a different lens to problem-solving, strategy, opportunities and challenges, and the overall leadership of the business.”
That same team-centric approach has been a throughline in John’s career:
“Success is rarely achieved alone. It takes people/teammates with different strengths and responsibilities working together toward a common goal. I've carried that belief throughout my career and have seen time and again that the strongest teams are those where every person understands that their contribution matters.”
Congratulations, John, on this well-deserved recognition and thank you for the leadership, expertise and commitment you bring to Ardent Mills every day.
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Chief financial officers are the unsung heroes of the business world. The Denver Business Journal's CFO Awards aim to change that.