ORLANDO, FLA. —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
The discussion, which focused on best practices for the hiring and retention of diverse talent, was led by Diana Wynne, former WFF chairwoman and current senior vice president of corporate affairs at Cracker Barrel’s parent company CBRL Group Inc. —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
Participants included Indigo Johnson, chief executive of consulting firm Careers In Transition Inc.; John Flood, senior vice president of sales at King & Prince Seafood Corp.; Marlene Mitchell Gordon, vice president and assistant general counsel at Burger King Brands Inc., a subsidiary of Burger King Holdings Inc.; Debbie Roberts, vice president of operations at McDonald’s Corp.; Vijay K.Sharma, senior vice president of marketing for Sodexho’s education market; and Linda Landman-Gonzalez, director of diversity and community affairs at Darden Restaurants Inc. —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
The panelists discussed how common it is for women and minorities to face ignorance and hardships, even in today’s workplace. Gordon shared her experiences working for a former boss who had never worked with or hired a black woman. Flood discussed losing his native Spanish tongue when he came to the United States because his peers and even his teachers made fun of his accent. Sharma said that in 1983, when he interviewed for a job as a dishwasher, he was told the restaurant “didn’t hire colored people.” Landman-Gonzalez spoke of being asked whether she and her family “swam to the United States.” —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
“If we don’t talk about it, we won’t get to tomorrow,” she said. “We have to talk about this and get to the bottom of it because at the end of the day we are all women and men trying to be successful and happy.” —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
Companies need to have courage to make the right decisions and to take risks, the panel concluded. Diversity programs and quotas do not work, they said, adding that a diverse workplace comes from creating and fostering an inclusive culture. —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
“Take a risk,” moderator Wynne said. “If you are in a hiring authority, think about how you can think differently.” —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
Landman-Gonzalez encouraged foodservice executives not to be scared to admit there are problems related to diversity and inclusion in their workplaces or in their direct areas of supervision. —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
Special Report WFF leadership conference urges industry women to be bold —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
“The ability to say ‘I don’t get it’ is needed, and it is OK,” she said. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to be educated.” —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
The session ended with a pledge from the WFF’s current chairwoman, Jane Sumner, to work to improve the organization’s efforts surrounding diversity, including conference content, the board’s makeup and even the selection of scholarship winners. —A panel of foodservice executives and consultants spent an afternoon discussing “real world” stories and solutions related to diversity in the workplace at this year’s Women’s Foodservice Forum leadership development conference held here recently.
