2026 Presidents Conference Speakers

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Joseph Bild CEO & Founder Better Earth	BILD, JOSEPH
Kristin Bird President Foodservice The Marzetti Company More Info In 2019, Kristin joined The Marzetti Company as President of Foodservice. Prior to joining Marzetti, she served as General Manager of Basic American Foods. Before that, Kristin was Senior Vice President of Foodservice Channel Development for Tyson Foods. She has also held roles with Hillshire Brands, Unilever, ConAgra Foods, and McCain Foods. Kristin earned her degree in political studies from Queen’s University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.	BIRD, KRISTIN
Sid Dixit Chief Technology Officer ITradeNetwork More Info Sid leads iTradeNetwork's technology vision and product innovation. He brings deep expertise in enterprise AI and a talent for making complex technology accessible and practical for business leaders.	DIXIT, SID
Ellie Doty Chief Brand Officer Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) More Info As Chief Brand Officer of the Women's Foodservice Forum, Ellie brings the full weight of her marketing expertise to one of the industry's most important missions of advancing women’s leadership in foodservice. With over two decades of experience in restaurant marketing, Ellie is a dynamic leader known for blending strategic rigor with creative vision. She has led marketing for large, complex global brands, helping them grow traffic, strengthen customer connections, navigate periods of transformation, and deliver brand relevance at all levels. Particularly, Ellie has served as CMO and CBO for KFC, Chili's, Burger King and Denny's, successfully setting each on a turnaround course, delivering trend-shifting results. She has built and led high-performing marketing teams of 60+ and budgets of $500MM, both globally and domestically. Additionally, Ellie created the agency High-Impact Marketing where she serves as a consultant, advisor, speaker and board member.	DOTY, ELLIE
Joy Dubost PhD RD, Owner & Consultant NJOY Health & Nutrition More Info Dubost holds a PhD in food science and is a registered dietitian. Much of her 20-plus-year career in the food industry has been spent at the convergence point of nutrition science, regulatory, and policy. Her prior positions include five years as Senior Director of Nutrition for the National Restaurant Association, and two years as Senior Director of Science & External Affairs for the Beer Institute. Her work within the private sector includes leading global health and scientific affairs positions at Unilever, Lipton, and PepsiCo. She currently is the owner of NJOY Health & Nutrition, LLC, a consulting firm focused on food policy, scientific strategy and health communications. Dubost is a frequent source for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and NPR, among others. She has testified a number of times before governmental agencies on health and science-related issues. Dubost earned her doctorate at Penn State and a master’s in food science from the University of Georgia.	DUBOST, JOY
Aaron Frazier VP of Public Policy National Restaurant Assocation More Info Aaron Frazier is an experienced public policy professional with a proven track record in advocacy and leadership. He currently serves as the Vice President of Public Policy at the National Restaurant Association.	FRAZIER, AARON
Adam Friedman Director - Food & Beverage Solutions Datassential More Info Adam has more than 25 years of experience in the food service industry, beginning fresh out of college with culinary school working in kitchens throughout San Francisco. Over the course of his career, he's has been fortunate to gain invaluable experience spanning across all facets of the industry—including food and beverage operations, and sales leadership in both manufacturing and the broker communities. Prior to joining Datassential, Adam was head of the foodservice division for Tajin USA, helping build this iconic seasoning into one of the fastest growing brands in the U.S. marketplace. As a long time customer, Adam provides real world experience in leveraging data and insights to drive strategy, innovate menus, and discover new sales opportunities.	FRIEDMAN, ADAM
Sanjeev Gokhale VP, National Foodservice Distribution Coca-Cola Foodservice More Info Sanjeev Gokhale is the VP of National Foodservice Distribution at The Coca-Cola Company, with over 23 years of experience at the organization. His career spans leadership roles in supply chain strategy, operations, customer relationship management, and operational excellence, with a strong focus on both the foodservice and retail grocery sectors. Gokhale completed his MBA from Georgia Institute of Technology and holds an undergraduate degree in Architecture. Beyond his professional accomplishments, he is passionate about mentoring emerging talent and exploring how cutting-edge technologies can enhance operational efficiency and the customer experience.	GOKHALE, SANJEEV
Brad Haga Senior Vice President of Prepared Food and Dispensed Beverages Casey's General Stores More Info Haga heads the third largest convenience retailer and fifth largest pizza chain’s $1.5 billion food business. Casey’s is a FORTUNE 500 company operating 2,900 convenience stores throughout the Midwest and South. Haga is responsible for accelerating the company’s PF&DB sales, driving a robust innovation pipeline and fostering a restaurant mindset focused on the guest. Prior to this, Haga was Vice President of Grocery and General Merchandise, leading a team or merchants focused all the categories found throughout Casey’s packaged goods and private label offering. Haga has previously served in a variety of roles at 7-Eleven with increasing responsibilities in the company's acquisition integration, merchandising, and food and beverage strategy. Haga was honored with a Silver Plate Award from IFMA The Food Away from Home Association in 2026.	HAGA, BRAD
Phil Kafarakis President & Chief Executive Officer IFMA The Food Away from Home Association More Info Phil Kafarakis is the President & CEO of the IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, a leading trade association serving the more than $271Billion food-away-from-home food and beverage industry. Kafarakis is a global food industry executive with more than 30-years of leadership experience. Previously, he served as President of the Specialty Food Association (SFA) representing more than 4,000 small and emerging food entrepreneurs in the $160 Billion U.S. Specialty Food Industry, and was the Chief Innovation & Member Advancement Officer at the National Restaurant Association (NRA). Prior to his association work, Phil successfully led and managed businesses at McCormick & Co., Cargill, Jones Dairy Farm, and Kraft. Mr. Kafarakis was born in Athens, Greece and immigrated to the U.S. with his family as a child. He holds an International Executive MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and a BSBA from Northern Arizona University.	KAFARAKIS, PHIL
Heather Lalley Director of Communications IFMA The Food Away From Home Association More Info Heather Lalley comes to IFMA The Food Away from Home Association after nearly a decade with Winsight/Informa. She most recently served as managing editor of Informa publications Restaurant Business, CSP Daily News and Supermarket News, and previously was editor-in-chief of Winsight Grocery Business. Before that, she reported on independent restaurants and fast-casual chains as they navigated the challenges of the pandemic. Her work with the team at Restaurant Business earned multiple Jesse H. Neal Awards for reporting and writing. She holds a degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and also received an associate’s degree in baking & pastry from Kennedy-King College. She is the author of the farm-to-table book, “The Chicago Homegrown Cookbook.” Heather is a mother of two and rarely passes up the chance to eat tater tots. In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts, reading and exercising.	LALLEY, HEATHER
Charlie McConnell Vice President, Industry Insights, Education & Research IFMA The Food Away from Home Association More Info Charlie’s foodservice career includes experience with both manufacturers and with US Foods. His career began with The NPD Group where he managed clients’ consumer research needs. He translated that experience into consumer and operator insights roles with Unilever Foodsolutions and Sara Lee Foodservice before joining US Foods. At US Foods, he managed their research needs and developed their one-to-one marketing promotion, My Kitchen.	MCCONNELL, CHARLIE
David Melnick Partner/EVP of Brand Integration Marriner Marketing Communications More Info David Melnick is Partner and EVP of Brand Integration at Marriner Marketing. With 15+ years of experience working in the business-to-consumer advertising space, Melnick brings a strategic understanding of how integrated marketing solutions positively impact a customer’s business. Before joining Marriner, Melnick was with Baltimore agency Siquis where he served as the President for two years and VP, Director of Account Management for seven years. He was responsible for business growth, redefining the firm’s communication strategy and managing the integration of marketing initiatives. He was also in the Client service role for key accounts including Spirit Airlines, The Greene Turtle, California Tortilla and Streamlight Flashlights. Melnick’s professional background includes senior positions at Eisner Communications, where he managed forward-thinking marketing initiatives for US Airways, AMF Bowling and Johns Hopkins Medicine.	MELNICK, DAVID
Steve Pattison CEO & President Supply Leadership Administration & Management (SLAM Co-op) More Info Steve Pattison is CEO & President of Supply Leadership Administration & Management LLC, or SLAM, the supply chain cooperative established for the Denny’s system. In his role, Pattison leads with a member-first approach, drawing on his extensive experience to strengthen the supply chain, enhance operational performance, and deliver long-term value for the Denny's system and SLAM members. Pattison brings decades of executive leadership experience spanning finance, supply chain, risk management, and franchise operations. Most recently, Pattison served as EVP and General Manager of the Franchise Finance Division at Auxilior Capital Partners, where he supported growth and capital solutions for franchise businesses. Prior to this, Pattison spent nearly two decades with Restaurant Services, Inc. (RSI), the independent purchasing and distribution cooperative serving the BURGER KING® system.	PATTISON, STEVE
Nagi Prabhu Chief Product Officer ITradeNetwork More Info Nagi Prabhu is a distinguished technology executive with over 25 years of proven leadership in SaaS and enterprise B2B software, driving innovation and transformation across multiple industries. He has led high-impact product organizations in companies ranging from early-stage startups to publicly traded enterprises, consistently elevating product excellence, accelerating growth, and strengthening market position.	PRABHU, NAGI
Amy Reiter Sr Director of Community Engagement, Apparel and General Merchandise GS1 US More Info As the Senior Director of Customer Success at GS1 US, Amy Reiter leads the GS1 US Apparel and General Merchandise Initiative, a collaborative industry group that works to solve supply chain and e-commerce challenges using GS1 Standards. She guides the implementation of these standards to help industry improve product information accuracy, inventory visibility and supply chain efficiency to drive successful omni-channel strategies and innovation. She earned her bachelor of science in accounting from the Pennsylvania State University.	REITER, AMY
Peter Romeo Managing Editor IFMA The Food Away From Home Association More Info Peter Romeo has covered the restaurant industry since 1984 for a variety of media. Prior to joining the association, Romeo served in various capacities at Informa, beginning as an Editorial Director in 2011 and culminating in Editor-at-Large, a position he held for nine years. His past experience includes writing for Nations Restaurant News, Restaurant Business, and QSR Magazine. He has been awarded numerous Jesse H. Neal Awards, the B2B media’s equivalent of the Peabodys. A seasoned content strategist, Romeo has 46 years of journalistic experience in covering government affairs, business, innovation, entrepreneurship, employment issues and more.	ROMEO, PETER
Mike Schwartz Senior Vice President - Chief Engagement & Innovation Officer IFMA The Food Away from Home Association More Info Mike Schwartz is the SVP - Chief Engagement & Innovation Officer at IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. He leads the strategy and direction for the association’s programs, services, and member engagement, overseeing the team responsible for delivering value through insights, connectivity forums, and innovative initiatives. Since joining the association in 2014, Schwartz has played a pivotal role in developing, launching, and leading the association’s insights platforms, supply chain best practices and conference programming. Prior to joining the association, Schwartz spent six years at Technomic, where he led custom market research and consulting engagements for suppliers and operators, focusing on market analyses, performance benchmarking, and industry trends. He has been a featured speaker and moderator at major foodservice industry events across the U.S. and Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from The Ohio State University.	SCHWARTZ, MIKE
Elizabeth Sertl Sr. Director, Supply Chain Visibility GS1 US More Info Liz Sertl is Sr. Director, Supply Chain Visibility, at GS1 US and has more than 20 years of experience in the CPG industry. Working closely with supply chain partners, Liz facilitates collaboration best practices and guidelines that help companies improve product traceability and supply chain visibility through the adoption of GS1 Standards.	SERTL, ELIZABETH
Eric Span Director of Nutrition Services Sweetwater Schools More Info Eric Span is the Director of Nutrition Services for Sweetwater Union High School District. Eric has served in this role for 12 years. Eric has 19 years in K-12 School Nutrition as well as being a trained chef. Having graduated culinary school 34 years ago, Eric has vast knowledge in recipe building, procurement, and leading large teams . His passion and love for serving great food guides him as he provides the highest quality and nutritious meals for Sweetwater students. Eric is a proponent of the Farm to School movement and is currently working to build a bridge between school food service and classroom education. Eric is currently serving as a Board Member for SNA. Eric served two years as the Public Policy and Legislative Committee Chair for the California School Nutrition Association. Eric was named 2023-24 Director of the Year by SNA and the California School Nutrition Association. Eris is an awardee of the Center for Ecoliteracy Innovative Leadership award for 2023-24.	SPAN, ERIC
Dick Tracy Chief Executive Officer Dot Foods More Info Dick Tracy is the Chief Executive Officer of Dot Foods. As the youngest child of Dot founders Robert and Dorothy Tracy, Dick joined the family business full-time in 1991. His previous positions include National Sales Manager, General Manager of Dot’s e-commerce subsidiary, Vice President of Customer Development, Executive Vice President of Foodservice, Chief Operating Officer, and President. Dick is a member of Dot’s Board of Directors and leads the company’s strategic planning committee. He serves on the boards and executive committees of GS1 US and the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) as well as the boards of FMI and Charter Manufacturing. He previously served as the facilitator of the Tracy Family Council. Dick has a bachelor’s degree in business finance from Colorado State University.	TRACY, DICK
Nigel Travis Board Chair Jersey Mike's Subs More Info Nigel Travis served as Chief Executive Officer at Dunkin’ Brands, a quick-service restaurant franchisor, from January 2009 to July 2018 and assumed the additional responsibility of Chairman of the Board in May 2013. His period as Chairman ended when the Company was sold in December 2020. Previously he served as Chief Executive Officer at Papa John’s Pizza from January 2005 to December 2008. Travis has also served in executive leadership roles at various companies within the retail and restaurant industries including Burger King, Grand Metropolitan and Blockbuster. He is currently Chairperson of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., a global multi-brand specialty retailer. He is also Chairperson of Servpro, Tropical Smoothie Café and Jersey Mike’s, all Blackstone Companies and Fooda, which is a privately held company as well as majority owner and Chairperson of Leyton Orient Football Club in London. He is also a Senior Advisor at Blackstone. His book “The Challenge Culture” was published in 2018.	TRAVIS, NIGEL

2026 Presidents Conference Speakers

Joseph Bild

Kristin Bird

Sid Dixit

Ellie Doty

Joy Dubost

Aaron Frazier

Adam Friedman

Sanjeev Gokhale

Brad Haga

Phil Kafarakis

Heather Lalley

Charlie McConnell

David Melnick

Steve Pattison

Nagi Prabhu

Amy Reiter

Peter Romeo

Mike Schwartz

Elizabeth Sertl

Eric Span

Dick Tracy

Nigel Travis