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16th Annual Restaurant Industry Conference Legends and Lessons

Tue, Apr 17, 2012 7:30am-7pm Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel Century City, California

Welcome to the 2012 ConferenceFor the past 16 years, UCLA Extension has worked to develop our annual restau-rant industry conference and expand from a regional to a preeminent national event. Our goal is always to bring the collective synergy of honored speakers and panelists together to present topics addressing current issues and trends in the restaurant industry. Education, practical application and networking are the key components to making our conference a relevant event year after year. This year’s conference is no different and includes vital sessions in regard to management, financing, design, emerging concepts, and the future of the industry. I would like to thank our amazing planning committee and staff for all the hard work and effort that they put into creat-ing such a value added event. Words alone can’t express our appreciation for our wonderful sponsors and Circle of Excellence members who have made this contin-ued learning experience possible. We welcome and thank you all for joining us for the 16th Annual UCLA Extension Restaurant Industry Conference and hope to see you again for many years to come.

Van AndersonProgram Director, Department of Business, Management, and Legal, UCLA Extension

Circle of Excellence MembersThe following restaurant operating companies support the 16th Annual UCLA Extension Restaurant Industry Conference in our advocacy of education, leadership development, networking, innovation, and community involvement in the restaurant industry:

Thank you for attending the 16th Annual UCLA Extension Restaurant Industry Conference. The theme of this year’s conference, “Legends and Lessons in the Restaurant Industry,” seems highly appropriate given the improving economic outlook, favorable trends in restaurant operating performance, escalating consumer confidence, and increasing same store sales. While we are not yet enjoying a complete recovery, most restaurants feel they are operating on firmer ground and are now spending time and effort on the extras that delight their customers. To assist in the process, conference speakers will introduce intriguing and progressive ideas which can be put into practice immediately to help restaurant operators recapture the magic of their brands.

During the conference, recognized experts will share best strategies for engaging your guests and ensuring higher traffic through creative marketing approaches, innovative menu items, and unique customer experiences. We will learn how restaurant companies are building remarkable brands, highlighting their distinctive cultures, appealing directly and instinctively to their target audiences, and generating strong loyalty to their concepts. Our speakers include social media pioneers, motivational leaders, and experts in building a sense of community, both inside and outside their restaurants’ doors. On the legal and economic side, we have food law and privacy experts, and economic and industry forecasters and analysts. The human capital side is covered too. All the tools you need are here!

We are extremely fortunate to have two outstanding keynote speakers: Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, and Chip Conley, founder and former CEO of Joie de Vivre (JDV). We will be honoring an extraordinary man and an extraordinary concept: Jerry Deitchle, Chairman and CEO of BJ’s Restaurants. These gentlemen will share the insights and experiences that have led to their incredible successes, and in so doing, challenge your current way of thinking. We are also tremendously lucky to have more than 10 restaurant CEOs/presidents among our speakers, ranging from the leaders of some of today’s most rapidly growing new concepts to several who epitomize the word “legend,” all of whom are true masters of hospitality and innovation.

We have put together an amazing group of people, both on the stage and behind the scenes. I am very proud to serve as conference chair, and grateful to the members of the planning committee and the staff of UCLA Extension for their dedicated work in designing the curriculum and organizing such a powerful and prestigious group of speakers. I am also very thankful to our generous sponsors and members of our Circle of Excellence, without whom there would be no conference. And I want to thank all of you for attending.

The conference can continue to maintain its relevance to the industry only with the support and commitment of dedicated industry participants. If you would like to become more personally involved with the conference through sponsorship or other opportunities, I invite you to contact me at anna.graves@pillsburylaw.com.

Anna M. Graves Co-Leader of the Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Anna M. GravesConference Chair, Co-Leader of the Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Anna Graves is co-leader of Pillsbury’s Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group and a partner in the firm’s corporate & securi-ties practice. Ms. Graves has broad-based experience in M&A, securities, finance, licens-ing, and general corporate matters. Voted by her peers as one of Southern California’s “Super Lawyers,” Ms. Graves represents a number of restaurant and retail clients. She concentrates her practice in the core areas of mergers and acquisitions, capital formation activities (including private placements), brand licensing transactions, supply and distribution agreements, asset sales, private equity investments, joint ventures, SEC compliance matters, and restructurings. Ms. Graves’ public and private finance experience includes acting as counsel for operating entities, ven-ture investors, strategic buyers, private equity funds, start-up companies, issuers, underwrit-ers, and selling stockholders. Her mergers and acquisitions experience includes representing both buyers and sellers, asset acquisitions through bankruptcy, other distressed transac-tions, structural reorganizations, and advising independent director committees.

A Message from the Conference Chair

Legends and LessonsConference Program

7:30-8:30am

Registration and Continental BreakfastLocation: Los Angeles Ballroom Foyer

8:30-8:45am

Welcome and Program OverviewLocation: Los Angeles Ballroom

Van Anderson, Program Director, Department of Business, Management, and Legal, UCLA Extension

Anna M. Graves, Co-Leader of the Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

8:45-9:30am

Opening Keynote: Chip Conley Founder, Joie de Vivre

How to Be an Emotionally Intelligent LeaderLocation: Los Angeles Ballroom

Chip Conley is founder and former CEO of Joie de Vivre (JDV). After 2 dozen years as CEO, he came to realize the best leaders understand that the most neglected fact in business is that we are all human. Author of The New York Times bestseller, Emotional Equations: Simple Truths For Creating Happiness + Success, he will show you how to make emotional intelligence practical in your day-to-day restaurant operations to create more engaged employees, more loyal customers, and a stronger operating model. (chipconley.com)

9:30-10am

Restaurant Industry Status and Outlook: Who Will Be the Winners and Why?Location: Los Angeles Ballroom

Following a brief industry review and forecast, our speakers discuss the drivers of consumer behavior and the impact these have on the industry. They also examine the competi-tive environment and identify some of the likely winners and why they are the ones best positioned for success.

Speakers: Andy Barish, Managing Director, Restaurant Equity Research, Jefferies & Company, Inc. Ron Paul, President and CEO, Technomic, Inc.

10-11am

Emerging ConceptsLocation: Los Angeles Ballroom

This panel probes the all-important questions of how to effectively build to last an emerging concept. What’s most important: capital, people, real estate, culture, or ? We ask the leaders of today’s impressive concepts to share their experience.

Moderator:Wallace Doolin, Chairman/Founder, Black Box Intelligence & Principal of People Report

Panelists:Keith Cox, Co-Founder and CEO, Pacific Catch Jim Mizes, President, Freebirds World Burrito Erik Oberholtzer, Chef/Owner, Tender Greens Phil Ratner, Consultant, Synergy Restaurant Consultants; CEO, Bicoastal Restaurant Partners LLC (DBA Five Guys Burgers and Fries)

11-11:15am

Networking BreakLocation: Santa Monica Ballroom

11:15am-12:15pm

Concurrent Sessions: Session ILocation: Los Angeles Ballroom

The Newest Frontier: Engaging Your Guests through Mobile StrategiesStatistics show smartphone usage and data consumption continue to rise, with 91.4 million smartphones in the U.S. alone. Experts predict that mobile will overtake fixed Internet access by 2014. Currently, half of all local searches are done on a mobile device, and these include searches for a great place to dine or a favorite chain restaurant in a new city. How can restaurateurs take advantage of this technology to reach guests and create loyalty, and what are the legal implications when it comes to privacy? Our panelists provide insight from multiple angles:  a service provider, a restauranteur using the technology successfully, a trend forecaster predicting the next step in the evolution of mobile marketing, and a legal expert to help us avoid the pitfalls of this exciting technology. The group also shares thoughts on the future of mobile couponing, QR codes, tracking mobile connections, and whether your restaurant should invest in a customized mobile app.

Moderator:Beverly Macy, UCLA Extension Distinguished Instructor, CEO, Gravity Summit

Panelists:Gar Benedick, Director, Mobile Strategy, bizM3, Inc. Avery Block, Social Engagement & Brand Champion, Taco Bell Catherine D. Meyer, Counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Rob Reed, Founder and CEO, MomentFeed Todd Shasserre, Founder, ShoutGeo

11:15am-12:15pm

Concurrent Sessions: Session IILocation: Constellation Ballroom

Updates on Food Law and PolicyLearn about recent developments in food regulation and law that affect restaurants, including areas of food safety, label-ing, nutrition, obesity, and animal welfare. The presentation also projects future regulatory trends and focuses on unique regulatory challenges for restaurants.

Featured Speaker:Michael Roberts, Director of Law & Food Policy, UCLA Law School

12:15-1:30pm

Luncheon ProgramLocation: Beverly Hills Ballroom

Remarks:Roger L. Torneden, PhD, CFP®, CPCU, Department Director, Department of Business, Management, and Legal, UCLA Extension

Keynote Speaker:Danny Meyer, CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group

Keynote Address:The Power of HospitalityIn October 1985, Danny Meyer, at age 27 with a good idea and little restaurant experience, opened what would become one of the most revered restaurants in New York City, Union Square Cafe. Today, Danny is CEO of an extremely dynamic and highly acclaimed restaurant organization, which has been the winner of 24 James Beard Awards and holds an unprecedented number of “Most Popular” ratings in the New York Zagat Survey. What is his winning recipe for creat-ing and sustaining so many winning brands in the world of food?  He calls it “enlightened hospitality.” Listen as Danny shares his philosophy of putting the power of hospitality toward the people who work for you FIRST, then applying it to your guests, community, suppliers, and investors. Danny considers this philosophy the foundation of every success he and his restaurants have achieved... and you will too!

1:30-2pm

Networking BreakLocation: Santa Monica Ballroom

2-3pm

To Franchise or Not to Franchise: An Examination of the IssuesLocation: Los Angeles Ballroom

Collecting royalties from franchisees and operating restaurants are two completely different business opportunities which require vastly different skill sets. While some restaurant com-panies engage in both activities effectively, others struggle with the conflicting management skills required to successfully act as both operator and franchisor. (Complicating the issue today is industry and market pressures to generate higher operating incomes through expanding operating activity vs. decreasing corporate overhead and liability through re- franchising.) Veteran CEOs Greg Creed of Taco Bell and Stephen Carley of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers discuss the merits of corporate restaurant ownership vs. franchising.

Moderator:Kevin Burke, Managing Partner and Founder, Trinity Capital, LLC

Panelists:Stephen Carley, CEO, Red Robin Greg Creed, CEO, Taco Bell Corp

3-4pm

Inside the Operators Studio: The Secrets to Achieving ExcellenceLocation: Los Angeles Ballroom

Famed filmmaker and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola says the two professions are almost the same; each depends on source material and each takes a lot of time to perfect. The big difference, according to Coppola: “Today’s winemakers still worry about quality.” Come hear the insights of top exec-utives of 3 restaurant companies that not only care about quality, but achieve excellence in their segment. Join us for this highly interactive session where audience members have the opportunity to engage top industry leaders as they share their winning strategies and why they work.

Moderator:Teresa Siriani, Industry People Expert

Panelists:Paul Bolles-Beaven, Senior Managing Partner, Union Square Hospitality Group Philip Cummins, Partner, Innovative Dining Group GJ Hart, CEO, California Pizza Kitchen

4-4:15pm

Networking BreakLocation: Santa Monica Ballroom

4:15-5:30pm

Presentation of the 2012 Innovation AwardLocation: Los Angeles Ballroom

Recipient:Gerald (Jerry) W. Deitchle, Chairman and CEO, BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.

Our 2012 Innovation Award recipient Jerry Deitchle is Chairman and CEO of BJ’s Restaurants, Inc., a publicly-held operator of 115 high volume, casual dining restaurants in

13 states with total sales of $620 million in 2011. Prior to joining BJ’s board of directors in 2004, Mr. Deitchle served in executive and financial management positions with other national restaurant companies, including The Cheesecake Factory, Long John Silver’s, and Fazoli’s QSR. He earned a BBA from Texas A&M and an MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and maintains an active CPA license in Texas. Mr. Deitchle restaurant industry recognitions include IFMA’s 2011 Silver Plate Award, People Report’s 2011 Legacy Award, and Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2009 Golden Chain Award.

Interviewer:Mark Saltzgaber is an active consultant and partner to leading restaurant companies, aiding them in managing and financing their develop-ment, and to prominent private equity firms looking to make restaurant industry investments. He previously co-founded and was a venture

partner of Dorset Capital Management, a consumer-focused private equity firm, where he was responsible for evaluating, making and monitoring private equity investments in the res-taurant industry. Prior to co-founding Dorset Capital, Mark was a Managing Director and a Co-Director of the Restaurant Investment Banking Group at Montgomery Securities. From 2001-2006, he served on the Board of Directors and the Corporate Governance Committee and acted as Chairman of the Compensation Committee of Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Inc.

5:30-7pm

Closing ReceptionLocation: Santa Monica Ballroom

Sponsored by Young’s Market CompanyThis year’s wine-tasting reception features more than 40 premium wines.

Coordinated by Leanne Lindsey, President, Leewine Consulting

Note: Program and presenters are subject to change without notice.

Conference Speakers & PanelistsAndy Barish, Managing Director, Restaurant Equity Research, Jefferies & Company. Mr. Barish joined Jefferies in June 2010, from Cowen and Company, where he was a manag-ing director for consumer investment banking. Previously, he was a managing director and senior restaurant industry research analyst at

Banc of America Securities, where he spent 7 years and was consistently a top-ranked institutional investor analyst. Before that, he spent 6 years as a senior restaurant industry analyst at Robertson, Stephens and worked in equity research at Kidder, Peabody & Company. He received a BS from the University of Southern California.

Gar Benedick, Director of Mobile Strategy, bizM3. Mr. Benedick creates, innovates, and motivates. He comes from a background in design, production, and presentation of large screen media for corporate, education, and entertainment. To stay ahead of the curve, he saw the world heading toward mobile, social

digital integration as the new interface to the consumer and landed at the doorstep of bizM3 2 years ago. Mr. Benedick is now integral in heading up mobile marketing and customer relation management for bizM3 major accounts. 

Avery Block, Social Engagement & Brand Champion, Taco Bell. Ms. Block’s fast-paced career spanning 16 years in the restaurant industry has made her a sort of “Jackie-of-All-Trades.” Her multi-disciplined experience and journey through various functionalities and roles has enabled her to develop, implement, and

evolve relevant initiatives to drive and support strategies sur-rounding social media, internal brand alignment, employee retention and engagement, training, people performance and development, total compensation, and recognition. Ms. Avery has served as an industry panelist covering an array of sub-jects and has been featured in publications such as Nation’s Restaurant News and Human Resource Executive.

Paul Bolles-Beaven, Senior Managing Partner, Operations, Union Square Hospitality Group, whose acclaimed restaurants include Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Union Square Events, and others. Mr. Bolles-Beaven became a founding employee of Union Square Cafe (USC) in 1985 after

graduating from Columbia College with a bachelor’s in music. He started at USC as a waiter, and ultimately rose through the ranks to become a managing partner. Mr. Bolles-Beaven is the only GM to have presided over a restaurant which earned Zagat Survey’s #1 Most Popular Restaurant rating for 6 consecutive years. As GM of Union Square Cafe in 1999, Paul was named one of “50 Tastemakers” by Nation’s Restaurant News.

Kevin Burke, Managing Partner and Founder, Trinity Capital LLC. Mr. Burke joined Franchise Mortgage Acceptance Company, the nation’s largest franchise lender, in 1997 after executive roles at investment banking firms in New York. In July 2000, he formed Trinity Capital LLC, an Los Angeles-based investment banking

and restructuring boutique. The firm has been involved in over $20 billion of transactions during the past 12 years and is an acknowledged leader in the U.S. restaurant industry. Trinity has served as an investment banker or restructuring advisor for Taco Bell, Burger King, Dunkin Brands, Yum! Brands, Metromedia Restaurant Group, Farmland Industries, Schlotzsky’s, El Pollo Loco, Quiznos, Church’s Chicken, and many other companies.

Stephen Carley, CEO, Red Robin. Mr. Carley has more than 30 years of marketing and oper-ations experience in the restaurant, foodservice, and consumer products industries. At Red Robin, he oversees all activities, including communications with investors and the board of directors. Prior to joining Red Robin in 2010,

Mr. Carley served as CEO and president of El Pollo Loco. He also served in various management positions at Taco Bell Corporation, Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park and Citywalk, General Mills, Inc., The Pillsbury Company, and PepsiCo, Inc. Mr. Carley holds a bachelor’s in finance from the University of Illinois in Urbana and a Master’s with a Concentration in Marketing from Northwestern University.

Chip Conley, founder, Joie de Vivre (JDV). In 1987, Mr. Conley started JDV and grew it into the second largest boutique hotel company in the nation. At the age of 26 with no industry experience, he transformed a seedy 1950s “no-tell motel” into the world-renowned Phoenix Hotel, a legendary rock ‘n’ roll destination cater-

ing to the likes of David Bowie, Linda Ronstadt, and Nirvana. JDV expanded into a collection of over 35 award-winning hotels, restaurants, and spas, each with its own unique theme that inspires guests to experience an “identity refresh-ment” during their stay. Mr. Conley and his company’s time-tested techniques and transformational leadership practices have been featured in every major news outlet. His latest book is The New York Times bestseller, Emotional Equations: Simple Truths For Creating Happiness + Success. (chipconley.com)

Keith Cox, Co-Founder and CEO, Pacific Catch, a growing chain of Pacific Rim-inspired seafood restaurants in Northern California. Earlier in his restaurant career, Mr. Cox launched and served as CEO/CFO of World Wrapps, a west coast chain of gourmet, quick-service restaurants and Hot Concepts Award winner. As a serial entre-

preneur, Mr. Cox has also founded businesses in the resort real estate and consumer technology industries as well as starting a venture capital firm; portfolio companies have included OpenTable.com, Zappos.com, Santa.com, and Me.com. Mr. Cox’s previous business experience included management consultant at BoozAllen Hamilton and financial consultant at Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Cox graduated from UC Santa Barbara and received his MBA at Stanford University.

Greg Creed, CEO, Taco Bell Corp. Mr. Creed has more than 30 years’ experience in marketing and operations with leading packaged goods and restaurant brands. He joined PepsiCo in 1994 as director of marketing for KFC in Australia. When Yum! was formed in 1997, Mr. Creed’s responsi-bilities expanded to include Pizza Hut and Taco

Bell in Australia. In 2001, Mr. Creed joined the U.S. team as Taco Bell’s CMO, spearheading the popular “Think Outside the Bun” campaign. In 2006, Mr. Creed became CEO for Taco Bell. He has presided over Taco Bell’s tremendous growth over the last 6 years, including the revolutionary product Doritos Locos Tacos.

Philip Cummins, Partner, Innovative Dining Group. Mr. Cummins began his career at the prestigious investment banking firm of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), advising Fortune 500 clients on high-profile deals. Working with companies like Occidental Petroleum, Starbucks, and MGM, he developed

sophisticated finance and management philosophies, while refining strategic planning, modeling, and growth techniques. After leaving DLJ, Mr. Cummins transferred those skills to the hospitality industry, founding three nightclubs in L.A. and contributing to New York’s nightlife culture. A founding part-ner in Innovative Dining Group (IDG), Mr. Cummins is responsible for strategic planning, finance, design, and con-struction. The Hollywood Hills resident is a member of Young Presidents Organization.

Wallace (Wally) Doolin, Chairman/Founder, Black Box Intelligence & Principal of People Report. Mr. Doolin’s unique experience working with multiple concepts on a global basis, from turn around, start up, high growth, public owner-ship, and private ownership, as well as his com-mitment of time and resources to the foodservice

industry, has established him as a trusted and effective leader within the global hospitality industry. Mr. Doolin is currently an entrepreneur and Chairman of the Board of Thomas Doolin and Associates LLC, the holding company of People Report, the leading Human Capital Business Intelligence Company in the restaurant business (currently tracking 1,000,000 employ-ees monthly). He is also founder & CEO of Black Box Intelligence, a state-of-the-art business intelligence product for the restaurant industry (currently tracking approximately 12,000 restaurants weekly). Additionally, Mr. Doolin serves on the boards of Famous Dave’s, Caribou Coffee, ESP System, and Share Our Strength.

Anna M. Graves, Conference Chair, Co-Leader of the Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (see Message from the Conference Chair for full bio)

GJ Hart, Executive Chairman, CEO, and President, California Pizza Kitchen. Mr. Hart is the former president and CEO of Louisville-based Texas Roadhouse restaurants. Founded in 1993, Texas Roadhouse has grown to more than 350 restaurants in 46 states and two countries. Under Mr. Hart’s leadership, revenues

have increased from approximately $63 million in 1999 to more than $1 billion in 2010. In 2004, Mr. Hart led the $600-million initial public offering of the company’s stock, which trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol TXRH. In 2006, readers of Consumer Reports magazine voted Texas Roadhouse as the top concept in the Pub/Grill category, and the company was given the prestigious Golden Chain Award in 2006 by Nation’s Restaurant News.

Beverly Macy, UCLA Extension Distinguished Instructor; CEO, Gravity Summit. A unique thought-leader in the new “real-time” web, Ms. Macy draws on her experience as author, educa-tor, and expert on the evolution of social busi-ness to help brands and individuals leverage social media’s speed to create buzz, strengthen

their message, listen to customers, and effectively measure results. She is the co-author of The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing, a critical new business book for understanding social media. Ms. Macy is also the CEO and co-founder of Gravity Summit, the premier series of social media marketing conferences that educate, inform, and empower businesses and organizations with these new communications tools.

Catherine D. Meyer, Counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Before her current position, Ms. Meyer was a partner with the firm for 20 years practicing in the areas of finance and privacy regulation. She regularly counsels financial institutions and other commercial cli-ents in compliance with state, federal, and inter-

national statutes and regulations affecting the collection, use, protection, sale, transfer, and sharing of customer and employee information, including responding to data security breaches. Ms. Meyer is a frequent speaker and writer on data protection and privacy issues, co-authored Privacy Compliance and Litigation in California, Chapter 5, “Marketing and Sales Regulation” (Continuing Education of the Bar-California 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011).

Danny Meyer, CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group, which includes Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard, Shake Shack, The Modern, Maialino, Untitled, Union Square Events, and Hospitality Quotient, a learning business. At the end of 2011, USHG opened

its newest fine dining restaurant, North End Grill, in Battery Park City. Mr. Meyer, his restaurants, and chefs have earned an unprecedented 24 James Beard Awards. Mr. Meyer’s first business book, Setting the Table (HarperCollins, 2006), a New York Times bestseller, examines the power of hospitality in restaurants, business and life. An active national leader in the fight against hunger, Mr. Meyer has long served on the boards of Share Our Strength and City Harvest. 

Jim Mizes, President, Freebirds World Burrito. Mr. Mizes has successfully led other fast-grow-ing concept restaurants, including Jamba Juice, Noah’s Bagels, and Taco Bell. Over the past 30 years, he has served at every level in the restau-rant business, building sales and profits through innovation, consistent execution, and leader-

ship. Mr. Mizes has opened over 400 fast casual restaurants and recently served as CEO and President for a leading health and fitness organization. Mr. Mizes earned his BA in Economics from Dartmouth and his MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Erik Oberholtzer, Chef/Owner, Tender Greens. Mr. Oberholtzer was born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country and his parents often took him to the local Amish farms, where he first developed his love for fresh food and seasonal influence. After attending Johnson & Wales Culinary, Mr. Oberholtzer moved to the

Bay Area, working in notable kitchens, including The Lark Creek Inn under Bradley Ogden, Aqua with Michael Mina, and Roland Passot’s Left Bank. He was then recruited as Executive Chef of Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, where he met his Tender Greens business partners David Dressler and Matt Lyman.

Ron Paul, President and CEO, Technomic, Inc., a company that offers consulting and market research services to suppliers, distributors, and chain restaurant organizations. Since its incep-tion, Technomic has conducted more than $100 million worth of client-funded research on the restaurant and foodservice industry. The com-

pany publishes the Technomic, Inc. Top 500 Report, an annual analysis of the chain restaurant market. In addition to heading Technomic, Mr. Paul is a frequent speaker at indus-try events and the co-author of the Winning the Chain Restaurant Game: Eight Key Strategies.

Phil Ratner, Consultant, Synergy Restaurant Consultants; CEO, Bicoastal Restaurant Partners LLC (DBA Five Guys Burgers and Fries). Mr. Ratner is a veteran restaurant execu-tive, who served as a CEO for more than 20 years in the casual-full service segment. His record of successful turnarounds began at

Acapulco Restaurants in 1984, where he took the nearly bankrupt company and doubled its size to $90 million in sales with a 10% EBITDA. He moved onto Spaghetti Warehouse in 1994, reducing debt from $19 million to $6 million in less than 4 years. Most recently, he served as CEO of Marie Callender’s Restaurants where he improved both sales and profits and successfully merged the company with Perkins Family Restaurants. Mr. Ratnor has both a bachelors and MBA from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

Rob Reed, Founder & CEO, MomentFeed, a Los Angeles-based venture-backed startup offering an integrated solution for managing analytics and campaigns for Facebook Places, foursquare, Gowalla, Twitter, and other location-based services (LBS) platforms.

Michael Roberts, Director of Law & Food Policy, UCLA Law School. With a background that blends academic and private practice, Mr. Roberts is well versed in a broad range of legal and policy issues from farm to fork in local, national, and global food supply systems. He is a prolific author, has lectured on food law at

various law schools in the U.S. and abroad, and is a co-director of the Food Drug Supervision Center at East China University of Science and Technology Law School in Shanghai, China. Mr. Roberts is currently the director of the newly formed nonprofit, Food Law and Policy Center, and serves on the advisory boards for the World Food Law Institute, The Los Angeles Food Policy Council, and the National Agricultural Law Center.

Todd David Shasserre, Founder, ShoutGeo. Mr. Shasserre has a rich background in adver-tising, digital production, mobile marketing, social media, and business development. His past includes working as an interactive pro-ducer and creative director, with a focus on emerging technology. Through multiple-chan-

nel marketing, Todd has provided innovative solutions to many international brands, universities, political organiza-tions, and charities. He has a unique gift of identifying orga-nizational weaknesses and providing accountable solutions, with an eye toward relationship nurturing, solid ROI, and quantitative results.

Teresa Siriani, Industry People Expert. Recognized as one of the industry’s best human resource and training executives, Ms. Siriani brings passion, commitment, and many years of operations and human resource experience to every presentation. Now partnered with Technomic, Inc. as program principal for opti-

mizing employee engagement, Ms. Siriani focuses on improv-ing the workplace for our industry. She is a graduate of UCLA, and devotes herself to Share Our Strength, the nation’s leading anti-hunger organization. She serves on the board for Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out and serves as chair for Taste of the Nation – Laguna Beach. Teresa knows that together we can end childhood hunger!

Conference Sponsors

ADM Marketing provides direct marketing services to iden-tify, attract, and retain customers on behalf of our restaurant chain clients. Working within the fields of database, list, direct mail, email, social media, and promotions, we use trackable ROI positive tools to maximize the effectiveness of our clients marketing spend every year.

Altametrics has been providing web-based enterprise soft-ware solutions for the restaurant industry since 1997. Altametrics solutions are affordable, easy-to-use business management solutions designed specifically to help busi-nesses of all sizes work more productively, operate more profitably, and increase customer service and value. Their suite of applications provide food management, workforce management, supply chain management, and point of sale.  Altametric’s products are currently deployed in some of the world’s most successful companies, including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Chipotle.

Catering to your unique needs with insight and commitment

Working with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, you have access to the full integrated capabilities of one of the world’s largest financial institutions. We’ve served the unique needs of restaurant operators for more than 25 years, from advising on the capital structure of acquisitions to remodeling facili-ties, providing specialized knowledge and investing billions of dollars. Leveraging our extensive experience and expertise, we work with you to identify the connections between how you can raise, manage, and protect capital and achieve your strategic objectives. While we are at the forefront of some of the most transformative client successes in the global mar-ketplace, our relationships reach deeper than large deals and critical transactions. They are day-to-day, ongoing partner-ships that lead to mutual success over the long term.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) is the third largest refreshment beverage business in North America with nearly $6 billion in revenues. With a brand heritage spanning more than 200 years, the DPS portfolio includes some of the most recognized beverages in the Americas. DPS manufac-tures, bottles, and distributes more than 50 brands of car-bonated soft drinks, juices, teas, mixers, waters, and other premium beverages. More than 75% of the company’s over-all volume is from brands that are either #1 or #2 in their flavor categories. In addition to its flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, the DPS portfolio includes 7UP, Mott’s, A&W, Sunkist soda, Hawaiian Punch, Canada Dry, Schweppes, RC Cola, Diet Rite, Squirt, and other well-known consumer favorites. DPS has approximately 20,000 employees and operates 22 manufacturing and bottling facil-ities in North America, including more than 200 warehouses and distribution centers across North America. In 2010, Dr Pepper celebrated its 125th anniversary as America’s oldest soft drink. Since its modest beginnings in 1885 in Waco, Texas, the drink formerly known as the “Waco” has grown into a beloved national brand.

Elevate My Brand (EMB) is a boutique marketing company dedicated to elevating food, wine, and retail brands globally. Our purpose is to bring new passions and flavors into peo-ple’s lives through food, wine, and fashion. We at EMB dedi-cates ourselves to this goal by helping new and existing brands in these markets develop and implement full circle marketing plans to successfully take their company or prod-uct to the next level. Whether you are re-branding, taking your first steps into online marketing and social media, launching a new brand or product, or are in need of high-level brand strategy, EMB has a team that’s hungry to help.

The global Ernst & Young network has the largest integrated real estate, hospitality, and construction practice of any Big Four organization, with 5,000 professionals around the world. We work hard to earn and maintain our clients’ trust and con-fidence, and have implemented methodologies, quality control policies, supporting tools and technology, and training to pro-vide quality services. Ernst & Young’s hospitality practice ser-vices more restaurant companies from the Nation’s Restaurant News’ Top 100 Restaurant Companies list than any other firm, including the largest restaurant company in the world. We assist our restaurant clients in addressing the challenges that confront them, including real estate issues, operational hur-dles, human resource constraints, and meeting financial objec-tives. Our global network of professionals offers advice in a variety of areas of interest to restaurants, including energy, risk management, tax, transactions, and human capital. Our approach combines entrepreneurial understanding and work-ing knowledge of restaurant issues with broad restaurant experience, significant resources, and a diverse network of clients and contacts.

FocalPoint is an investment banking firm that specializes in mergers and acquisitions, private placements (both debt and equity), and financial restructurings. The firm’s primary focus is on middle-market companies. Recent restaurant clients include Fuddrucker’s, Buca di Beppo, Claim Jumper, and Fat Burger. For more information visit focalpointllc.com.

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Foodservice Social Media

FohBoh, Inc. is a leading social web technology company dedicated to providing unparalleled social web technology and services to the $1.7 trillion foodservice industry. In addi-tion to Foodservice Social Media Universe (FSMU), the only social media conference created for and dedicated to the restaurant and hospitality industries, social CRM, food + tech, and restaurant social media and technology are at the center of FohBoh’s world. FohBoh’s mission is to build the world’s largest, most vibrant and vital online community and resource to help restaurant professionals worldwide. FohBoh is a powerful tool that gives you a voice in the global restau-rant industry. We are passionate about creating a community that engages you, educates you, and helps you in your busi-ness. As we like to say, The Conversation Starts Here™.

Gallagher Hospitality and Restaurant Group is a leading practice within Gallagher Benefit Services. We understand that restau-rants seeking to provide attractive, yet cost-effective, employee benefit programs face complex issues, including a highly diverse workforce incorporating hourly workers, salaried managers, train-ers, corporate staff, and senior executives; a significant number of part-time workers, unionized employees, or non-union employ-ees; decentralization—making it difficult to process enrollments, provide Internet access and in general, communicate with employees; high turnover and the need for benchmarking tools to stay competitive and retain employees; assistance outside of normal corporate office hours; and the need for easy-to-under-stand communication materials to keep employees informed. Addressing these difficult issues and implementing smart solu-tions can be time consuming for a busy restaurant leadership team. That is why so many restaurants turn to GBS. We provide the full breadth of expertise in employee benefits, compensation, property casualty, and risk management that meet the ever-changing needs of our current and prospective clients.

GoFit® A Better Way to Burger!

We make your favorite foods healthy.  Our products are healthy versions of America’s comfort foods, with high appeal to mainstream customers. GoFit sells to foodservice and retail stores a new class of lean, high protein products for hamburger and sausage.

Innovation Capital is a leading boutique investment bank dedicated to representing mid-market clients in the gaming, leisure, restaurant, and retail industries. Innovation Capital provides comprehensive advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and capital rais-ing, financial restructurings, and valuations/fairness opinions to companies in the $20 million to $500 million value range. Having collectively advised on transactions aggregating over $30 billion, the firm provides its clients with value maximizing strategic advice and unique capital placement expertise.

Jefferies & Company, the global investment banking firm, has served companies and investors for nearly 50 years. Headquartered in New York, with offices in over 30 cities around the world, the firm provides clients with capital mar-kets and financial advisory services, institutional brokerage and securities research, as well as wealth and asset man-agement. The firm provides research and execution services in equity, fixed income, currencies and commodities markets, and a full range of investment banking services, including underwriting, merger and acquisition, restructuring and recapitalization, and other advisory services with all busi-nesses now operating across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Jefferies & Company, Inc. is the principal U.S. operating sub-sidiary of Jefferies Group, Inc. (NYSE: JEF: jefferies.com), and Jefferies International Limited is the principal UK operat-ing subsidiary. Jefferies International Limited, a UK-incorporated company, is authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority.

Moss Adams is the 11th largest accounting and consulting firm in the U.S., and the largest headquartered in the west. Moss Adams provides accounting, tax, and consulting services to public and private middle-market enterprises in numerous industries. It also provides consulting and advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, valuations, per-sonal wealth management, business planning, litigation and forensic accounting, information technology integration and reviews, and compensation. In addition, Moss Adams offers additional services such as investment banking and asset man-agement by drawing upon its affiliate companies, Moss Adams Capital LLC and Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC.

For more than 40 years, Nation’s Restaurant News has served the information needs of foodservice professionals. Today, offering integrated media solutions for changing times, NRN is the media brand over 500,000 professionals turn to every month to help them tackle the challenges facing the foodservice industry. For operators, NRN provides a one-stop resource for complete industry coverage in whatever formats they prefer, whether print, digital, or web-based. For suppliers, NRN’s audience-rich portfolio of print, digital, and live-event products provides the reach, access, and flexibility needed to open doors and grow businesses.

People Report is the foremost provider of human capital metrics, trends, and best people practices for the service industry. Acknowledged by the industry as the expert in workforce practices, this innovative research firm publishes monthly insight reports for its members that track, analyze, and benchmark the people side of the P&L.

Black Box Intelligence, the sister company of People Report, is the only state-of-the-art interactive technology source benchmarking public and private company financial and operational results. With their partner, Consumer Edge Insights, they collectively track the human, financial, and consumer metrics of 12,000+ restaurants, 1,000,000+ employees, and monthly surveys of over 2500 households. (peoplereport.com — blackboxintelligence.com)

PepsiCo Foodservice

The PepsiCo Foodservice Division integrates the relevant units of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay together with Quaker, Tropicana, and Gatorade in the United States and Canada. Rooted in PepsiCo’s “Power of One” principles, PepsiCo Foodservice leverages the scale and breadth of the corpora-tion’s brands to provide a unified voice to its customers and deliver competitive advantage in the fast-growing foodser-vice and vending channels. PepsiCo Foodservice is commit-ted to bringing solutions to the foodservice industry.

PepsiCo, Inc.

PepsiCo offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 22 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses—Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana, and Gatorade—also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our con-sumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized rev-enues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo is committed to sustainable growth, known as Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient, and fun nourishment, reducing our envi-ronmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive work-place culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more informa-tion visit pepsico.com.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is a full-service law firm which offers depth of knowledge in core industry sectors, including Restaurant, Food & Beverage; Wine, Beer & Spirits; and Consumer & Retail. We deliver practice strength in merg-ers and acquisitions, gift card law, ABC law, public and private equity transactions, meal and rest break litigation, trademark and trade dress protection, brand licensing, franchising, con-sumer class action litigation, debt financing, insurance cover-age, and executive compensation and benefits. Our practice is organized to offer our clients a maximum return on the firm’s collective knowledge about our clients’ businesses, industries, and legal issues. We work in multidisciplinary teams that allow us to anticipate trends and bring a 360-degree perspective to complex business and legal issues—helping clients to take greater advantage of new opportunities and better mitigate risk. This collaborative work style helps produce the results our clients seek.

Piper Jaffray is a leading investment bank and asset manage-ment firm serving clients in the U.S. and internationally. Our proven advisory teams combine deep product and sector expertise with ready access to global capital. Founded in 1895, the firm is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices across the United States and in Hong Kong, London, and Zurich. 

The current business environment demands that every com-pany, new or established, optimize its profitability, outdis-tance the competition, be vigilant in its quest to attract top talent, and grow revenue. Our focus is to help you make more money, increase sales, and energize your team! We save you money and optimize your profitability The restaurant industry is in a period of turmoil; challenged by a housing crisis, a credit crunch, and rising commodity prices, compa-nies have slowed growth, reduced staff, closed locations, and sought ways to reduce costs and increase sales. Our supply chain, operations, and financial experts aid companies in identifying cost savings in overhead and operating areas. Recognizing the need for an immediate ROI, we perform an assessment that defines potential savings and helps you to execute a plan against your goals. For more details visit resultsthrustategy.com.

SoCal AMA is the Los Angeles-based chapter of the national American Marketing Association. The AMA is the largest marketing organization in North America with a his-tory spanning over 70 years. With members from some of the largest companies in the greater Los Angeles area, SoCal AMA is the place to go if you want to plug into the local marketing community.

Technomic, Inc. is the most recognized and experienced marketing research and management consulting firm serving the foodservice industry. Founded in 1966, the company has a broad and diverse base of domestic and international cli-ents, including major manufacturing, distribution, and super-market companies, as well as chain restaurants and other foodservice operators, and related trade associations. Technomic helps clients capitalize on growth opportunities and meet market challenges by providing perspectives and intelligence on a broad scope of topics.

The Culinary Edge is a business advising firm specializing in strategic branding, culinary, and operational solutions for the global food and restaurant industry. With clients ranging from multi-unit national chains to start-up entrepreneurs, the com-pany has a consistent track record of growing bottom lines and establishing long-term, sustainable growth for its clients. Headquartered in San Francisco, The Culinary Edge is a privately held company.

Trinity Capital is an internationally recognized boutique investment bank in the restaurant and food sectors. Having completed over $4 billion of successful restaurant assign-ments, Trinity boasts a client list that includes Burger King, Yum! Brands, Panda, and Dunkin’. It has also been hired to complement the restaurant efforts of many of the nation’s most successful private equity organizations, including Bain Capital, Thomas H. Lee & Company, The Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Sun Capital, and Lee Equity Partners. Trinity prides itself on providing each client the full complement of the firm’s professionals, resources, expertise, and experience. For more details visit trinitycapitalllc.com or call (310) 268-8330.

Vine Solutions is the leading restaurant accounting and con-sulting firm for the premier restaurateur. Our specialized res-taurant financial services provide sophisticated tools, proprietary software, and experienced professionals to help maximum business potential. We strive to offer the best busi-ness services possible with personalized hands-on guidance. Our goal is to provide the most accurate and timely informa-tion so restaurateurs can make informed and timely decisions for their continued success. Providing a full range of ser-vices, Vine Solutions helps organize all aspects of restaurant accounting needs, including monthly and annual financials, vendor payments, and payroll. We also provide consulting services on everything from concept development to analyti-cal services.

Founded in 1888, Young’s Market Company is one of the nation’s largest distributors of fine wines and distilled spirits, serving accounts in Hawaii, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Alaska, and Montana. Young’s Market Company distributes fine wines by Trinchero, Kobrand, Wilson Daniels, Hess, DFV, Kenwood, etc. and distilled products from Barcardi, Brown-Forman, Remy USA, William Grant and Sons, and Proximo, among others. The company’s standard is providing excellent customer service to suppliers and retail customers, including national accounts, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels, grocery stores, drug stores, and wine and liquor shops. The Estates Group was started in 2000 with the initial concept of providing an even finer level of service to 1,000 of Young Market Company’s top accounts—a number that has since grown to 4,500—by offering salespeople who have a specialized knowledge and background in wine. The wineries represented by The Estates Group tend to be smaller in size and offer estate-grown fruit from around the world. The personalized service is generally enjoyed by savvy wine programs and top Zagat accounts.

Planning CommitteeDaryl Ansel, Director of Food & Beverage, UCLA Housing & Hospitality. Restaurant industry veteran Daryl Ansel brings more than two decades of experience to his duties as Director of Food and Beverage for UCLA Housing and Hospitality Services. His experi-ence includes operations and finance in exec-

utive level positions at a diverse and prestigious group of food service companies, including the Starr Restaurant Organization of Philadelphia, Los Angeles-based Grill Concepts (NASDAQ: GRIL), and Universal Studios Hollywood. Mr. Ansel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s in Hospitality Management from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

Sarah E. Atkinson, Director, Social Media Marketing, FohBoh, Inc. As a founding employee of FohBoh, Ms. Atkinson has spent the last 4 years in community management, development, advertising, and partnership management. She has served as a panelist at several marketing and restaurant industry con-

ferences. Ms. Atkinson brings over 11 years of professional experience in publishing, social media, and foodservice. She earned her degree in Communication and Business from Arizona State University in 2005.  In her spare time she enjoys traveling, watching sports, and drinking wine. She is a reality TV junkie and a passionate San Francisco Giants fan.

Lynda Boyer, Vice President, CBRE, Inc. Since 1982, Ms. Boyer has been a trusted advisor to restaurateurs across the country. She has successfully represented restaurant owners, operators, chefs, developers, land-lords, shopping centers, and investors in the acquisition, disposition, development, and

leasing of restaurant-related real estate. Ms. Boyer received her undergraduate degree in Finance from the Haas Business School at the University of California, Berkeley. She also worked as a professional development officer for UCLA, raising unrestricted funds for the university for 15 years. Ms. Boyer is also a member of the C5 Youth Foundation Board of Directors.

Karla Cameron, is a Director of National Account Sales for the Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. A restaurant and lodging industry veteran with over 21 years experience. Ms. Cameron has an extensive knowledge base, with cross functional expertise in national account management, contract negotiation,

operations, and managing strategic partnerships. She cur-rently serves on multiple boards in both the public and pri-vate arenas, including the Rebuild New Orleans Foundation. In 2005, Ms. Cameron was honored as one of the top fifteen female executives in Los Angeles County.

Huntley Castner, Executive Vice President, Yogurtland Franchising Inc. Prior to joining Yogurtland, Mr. Huntley served as Vice President, Strategy and Finance on the senior team at Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. Before joining the Panda team, Mr. Castner worked at several strat-egy consulting firms, including Swander Pace &

Company and LEK Consulting. He also founded and operated the San Francisco-based WA-HA-KA Mexican Grill and Baton Rouge Cajon Roadhouse restaurants during the 1990s.

Damon S. Chandik, Managing Director, Head of Restaurant Investment Banking, Piper Jaffray & Co. Mr. Chandik is a managing director at Piper Jaffray and is head of the firm’s Restaurant Group. He is focused on providing investment banking and mergers and acquisitions advisory services to restau-

rant companies. He has 15 years of investment banking experience, including public equity and debt offerings, private capital raising, mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and recapitalizations.

Cyrus DeVere, Vice President, Global Human Resources, 5.11 Tactical Inc. Mr. DeVere started his career as a dish-washer 25 years ago and has enjoyed a restaurant leader-ship journey. He now serves in the apparel industry with 5.11. He understands that “greatness and excellence” are by design, and intentionally approaches results accordingly. He relishes exploiting opportunities and bettering people’s lives. Mr. DeVere holds a MS in Executive Leadership from University of San Diego, a BS in Business Management from Arizona State University, and is currently working on his doc-torate in Business Administration from Walden University.

Wallace Blair Doolin, Chairman, People Report & Black Box Intelligence (see Conference Speakers & Panelists for photo & full bio)

David Goldstein is a highly respected, restau-rant industry veteran with over 25 years’ experi-ence of progressive leadership. With an emphasis on high growth operations, and R&D, Mr. Goldstein has held executive-level positions in some of the industry’s leading brands, such as TGI Friday’s, Kenny Rogers Roasters, and

Baja Fresh. Since 2007, he has played an essential role leading Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill as their Chief Operating Officer.

Steven Goldstein, Partner, The Culinary Edge, a branding, culinary, and operational solutions provider for the food and restaurant industry. With more than 25 years’ experience in the foodservice and consumer packaged goods industries, Mr. Goldstein focuses on client development and management as he success-

fully links food creativity with business strategy and brand attributes to help deliver sustainable growth. Mr. Goldstein is a graduate of the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at The University of Houston, Texas, and The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.

Anna M. Graves, Conference Chair, Co-Leader of the Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (see Message from the Conference Chair for photo & full bio)

Sarah Grover, Executive Vice President and Chief Concept Officer of California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. Ms. Grover joined the company in 1990 as director of public relations and has served as senior vice president of marketing since November 2000, Chief Communications Officer since July 2008, and was recently pro-

moted to her current role. She is also president of the California Pizza Kitchen Foundation. In 1996 and 2007, Ms. Grover was named one of the “Marketing 100” and “Marketing 50” respectively, by Advertising Age magazine, a distinction given to the top marketers in the United States.

Rod Guinn is restaurant industry coverage leader with FocalPoint Partners LLC, a director of FohBoh, Inc., and a director of Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza. Before FocalPoint, Mr. Guinn led Wells Fargo Foothill’s Restaurant and Hospitality business. Several years before this, he led FleetBoston Financial’s Restaurant, Food

& Beverage Group. Mr. Guinn has spoken at numerous industry and capital markets events. He writes a bi-weekly blog on restaurant finance and related topics available on FohBoh and other sites. Mr. Guinn holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Mexico.

Terri Henry, terri henry marketing LLC. Ms Henry founded her company in 2011, after serving for 12 years as vice president of mar-keting for Grill Concepts. Having thoroughly enjoyed 20+ years in the restaurant arena, Ms. Henry has had extensive experience in both marketing and operations in concepts such as

Chipotle, Starbucks, and locally owned Norms Restaurants and Bristol Farms. She is the author of Biscotti, Bars and Brownies (1997, Crossing Press).

Paul Huffman, President and Founder, Commodore Advisory Partners, a boutique investment banking firm. Prior to forming the company, Mr. Huffman spent 18 years as an investment banker with several firms, each with a focus on the restaurant industry. Mr. Huffman has advised clients in connection with over 90

merger & acquisition, capital raising, and advisory transac-tions.  Mr. Huffman’s experience in the restaurant industry includes over 40 completed assignments for clients operat-ing in the casual dining, quick service, family dining, and fine dining sectors. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and an MBA from Vanderbilt University.

Justine Hunter, CPA, Business Assurance Partner, Moss Adams LLP. Ms. Hunter has served the restaurant and consumer product industry for over 26 years. Previously with a Big 4 firm, she has been with Moss Adams for the past two years. Her background includes extensive experience in managing multiple cli-

ents’ service relationships, including audit and tax services, and providing strategic acquisition and due diligence ser-vices solutions for middle-market companies, as well as review of process and procedures surrounding internal control systems.

Leanne Lindsey recently retired from Young’s Market Company, a distributor of fine wines and spirits, where she worked for over 30 years. Ms. Lindsey worked in national accounts, calling on corporate restaurant chains. Ms. Lindsey has traveled through the wine country in California and Europe, and has

completed the Society of Wine Educators Program and received her CSW. She is currently looking to start a wine and spirits consulting business.

Michael Patrick, Managing Director for Gallagher Equity Advisors, the Private Equity Practice of Arthur J. Gallagher. Mr. Patrick is responsible for the growth and management nationally of the company’s private equity prac-tice which specializes in advising the private equity community on acquisitions and strategic

implementation of employee benefits across industries. In addition, Mr. Patrick is responsible for new client prospecting, client renewals, marketing, claim analysis, client management, employee surveying, industry benchmarking, and seminars.

Ron Paul, President and CEO, Technomic, Inc. (see Conference Speakers and Panelists for photo & full bio)

Stephen Pettise, Managing Principal, Golden Spike Resources Group, Inc. After heading successful marketing/strategic planning efforts with IHOP Corp., Carl Karcher Enterprises, and Burger King, Mr. Pettise founded Golden Spike Resources Group to consult in the franchising and foodservice arenas. Leveraging his experi-

ence has enabled Mr. Pettise to focus on consumer strategy and marketing, business start-ups/acquisitions, emerging growth chains, and turnarounds. Some of his current or past clients include Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina, Pepsico, HMS, McAlister’s, Panda, Polly’s Inc. and Baja Fresh.

Lauralynn Rogers manages the Internal Audit function for DineEquity, franchisor of IHOP and Applebee’s. She is responsible for internal control and process improvement, the franchise sales reporting program, and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Ms. Rogers makes regular presentations on audit and

internal control matters to the Audit & Finance Committee of the DineEquity Board of Directors.

Teresa Siriani, Industry People Expert. (see Conference Speakers and Panelists for photo & full bio)

Robert D. Valasquez, Audit Senior Manager, Ernst & Young, LLP. Mr. Valasquez has over 12 years’ experience in serving the attestation needs of high-growth companies, both publicly held and private, in the real estate, hospitality, and construction industries. In addition, he has extensive experience in the coordination, scop-

ing, and testing for various entities that are required to com-ply with section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. His clients have included IHOP Corp, Applebee’s International Inc., Panda Restaurant Group, Elephant Bar Restaurants, Pinkberry, and King Taco, Inc. Robert is a CPA in the State of California and earned his BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from California State University, Los Angeles.