WFF Awards

2013 Jackie B. Trujillo Outstanding SOAR Award Recipient

The Kellogg Company has truly soared to the top of the industry in their efforts to create opportunities for advancing and recognizing women leaders. Over the last year, their Diversity & Inclusion teams and Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s) have helped take their diversity efforts to a higher level.

In 2012, Kellogg Company was named one of Diversity Inc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity, Black Enterprise Magazine’s 40 Best Companies for Diversity and Hispanic Business Magazine’s Top 60 Companies for Diversity. Within the last year they also received a 100% score on the HRC Best Place to Work Corporate Equality Index. The Kellogg Company was also named Top Company for Diversity- Management Progress from Diversity Inc. This commendation specifically recognizes the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through the senior leadership accountability measurements put in place last year.

Women of Kellogg (WOK) was launched in 2000 to assist in attracting, developing, and retaining female employees. WOK’s mission has grown to empowering and encouraging all employees to develop and use their unique abilities, insights, and talents to play a critical role in the success of women at Kellogg. As WOK’s goals clearly align with the WFF mission to advance women leaders, they The Kellogg Company has been actively engaged with the WFF for many years. They are currently a Multi-Year Advocate Level Partner with more than 50 members and volunteers serving on various committees.

The Kellogg leadership team is successfully implementing great measures to build the multicultural talent pipeline, provide support and guidance for their employees and understand how diversity positively impacts the bottom line.

JACKIE B. TRUJILLO OUTSTANDING SOAR AWARD

The Jackie B. Trujillo SOAR Award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding organization that is a proven Standard-Setter for Opportunity, Advancement and Recognition for women within their organization. Established in 2006, the SOAR award honors companies with demonstrable corporate initiatives that result in a strong track record of attracting, developing, retaining and promoting women to the highest levels of the organization.

2013 Trailblazer Award Recipient Carla Cooper

President and Chief Executive Officer Daymon Worldwide

Carla Cooper has dedicated her career to blazing trails to create new pathways for herself and other women in her companies and the foodservice industry at large. She is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Daymon Worldwide. Not only was she the first female member of the Daymon Board of Directors (appointed in 2009), but she is also the first Daymon Board member who has spent her entire business career working on the national brand side of the grocery store.

Prior to joining Daymon, Carla was Senior Vice President, Quaker, Tropicana, and Gatorade Sales for PepsiCo, Inc. At $10 billion in retail sales, QTG is the “warehouse delivery” division of PepsiCo with a cross-functional staff of 2,000 associates including finance, human resources, supply chain, sales strategy, field sales and category management. Her 28-plus years in the consumer packaged goods industry also include leadership positions with such iconic global brands as Coca-Cola, Procter and Gamble and Kellogg.

Carla’s commitment to serving others is displayed through various roles on boards and volunteer positions. She served as WFF chair for over 3 years in its infancy and has continued to give back to the WFF throughout her career.

Carla also serves on the board of directors of the Food Marketing Institute and the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). She co-founded the Women in Leadership network group at the CIA where she mentors aspiring women leaders. Carla has the reputation throughout the industry for being a transparent and servant leader, always ensuring she is bringing others along with her and keeping the door open.

TRAILBLAZER AWARD

The Women’s Foodservice Forum’s Trailblazer Award is reserved for those individuals (female or male) who are dedicated to improving the foodservice industry through their support of gender diversity, creating new pathways for women in their company and the industry at large, implementing them at all levels of their organization.

2013 Leadership Award Recipient Kathy Walters

Executive Vice President – Consumer Products Group, Georgia Pacific

Kathy Walters is the senior executive leading Georgia- Pacific’s Consumer Products Group, which contains the largest retail and commercial tissue and tabletop businesses in North America spanning more than 80 locations and 15,000 employees. You likely know many of the group’s familiar consumer tissue brands, including Quilted Northern® and Angel Soft® bath tissue; Brawny® and Sparkle® paper towels; and Dixie® and Vanity Fair® napkins as well as the Dixie® brand of disposable cups, plates and cutlery. The commercial tissue business brands include the enMotion® touchless automatic hand towel dispenser.

As a senior leader, Kathy advances the culture of the organization through the company’s Market Based Management® Guiding Principles including “Respect” – treating others with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity, appreciating the value of diversity and encouraging and practicing teamwork. She is actively involved in succession planning across each of the businesses under her leadership and ensures women and minorities are provided opportunities across Georgia-Pacific.

Kathy is an advocate of the daycare center at Georgia-Pacific headquarters that allows mothers and fathers to stay actively engaged in their careers while their young children are cared for nearby. The center has been a significant benefit for professional women and has helped Georgia-Pacific retain top talent.

She also is recognized as an advocate of the WFF and participates in programs and events for the organization.

LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Women’s Foodservice Forum’s Leadership Award is given each year to a woman executive in the foodservice industry who shows exceptional leadership qualities within her company and the industry at large, and whose professional growth and achievements are recognized through career advancement.

2013 Volunteer of the Year Award Recipient Patrice O’Malley

Field Sales Director Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Patrice O’Malley is the co-Chair of the Ambassador Program, the Ambassador Program Development Committee and serves as the WFF Ambassador for Land O’Lakes. Through her tireless volunteering over the last several years, Patrice has been instrumental in creating a sustainable and significant impact on the WFF Partner Engagement Model. Patrice co-created a Value Creation Model to aid Ambassadors in maximizing their organization’s WFF ROI. Her efforts have truly accelerated the organization’s strategic initiatives and women’s advancement in WFF partner companies.

As Chair of the Ambassador Committee, Patrice leads the strategic planning and delivery of the WFF Partner Engagement Model. Under her lead, the WFF Ambassador community has expanded to nearly 200 individuals, the role of the Ambassador has been elevated to a strategic advisor to their organizations and an Ambassador Scorecard and Company Profile & Engagement Plan has been established. Patrice also executes the monthly Ambassador support call. Patrice is an outstanding role model. She consistently represents Land O’Lakes with the utmost integrity and professionalism. Patrice also shares with the ambassadors WFF best practices she has implemented within her organization, that have in turn become game changers for other companies.

Patrice is a seasoned sales development professional working in both national and regional markets in the Foodservice and CPG industries throughout her career. She has extensive knowledge in building businesses by applying a strategic approach to customer and profitability development, compliance, risk assessment, market analysis and comparative pricing work through direct and B2B sales. Patrice enjoys leading and building high performing teams as well as working with cross-functional teams to help grow business. Patrice is a graduate of Indiana University earning a B.S. in Marketing, Sociology with a minor in Economics.

In addition to being recognized as the 2013 WFF Volunteer of the Year, the WFF is pleased provide Patrice with the opportunity to continue her own development. She will receive a full scholarship to the WFF Executive Leadership Program fueled by Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

volunteer of the year AWARD

The Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to a WFF volunteer who has been an active contributor and leader in our community for at least three years. S/he builds strong relationships, makes significant and sustainable contributions, coaches, teaches, mentors others and enthusiastically pursues the goals and overall success of the Women’s Foodservice Forum.

2013 Outstanding Board Service Award Recipient Julie Swan

Former VP of Finance, Specialty Business SYSCO Corporation

Julie Swan recently retired from her role as VP of Finance and Specialty Business at Sysco and as the Treasurer on the WFF Executive Committee. Her service to the Women’s Foodservice Forum has been vital in driving the WFF mission forward and advancing women within Sysco.

Known for being a strategic and thoughtful leader, Julie is confident in her abilities and committed to driving for results. Throughout her board service, she was not afraid to ask tough questions, while challenging assumptions and encouraging her colleagues to strive for more.

Julie navigated the WFF through transformational change in accounting procedures and investments. She understands the importance of leadership development and was committed to ensuring financial vitality in order to develop more leaders. Julie advocated for Sysco to devote resources towards developing their talent pipeline and Sysco proudly holds the record for continually sending more than 100 individuals to conference for the past 5 years. She also championed for Sysco to be the first company to send participants to the WFF Executive Leadership Program. After successfully developing leaders internally though this program, Sysco wanted to give that unique opportunity to other women leaders outside of their organization. Julie was an integral member of the team that founded the Sewell Scholarship which annually awards a $15,000 grant for an emerging executive to attend the WFF Leadership Development Program.

Outstanding Board Service AWARD

Established in 1998, the Outstanding Board Service Award honors the outstanding efforts of a WFF Board Member. The recipient of the award is an individual who has made a major impact on the WFF by driving volunteer programs.