As a companion to its popular Lunch and Learn online speakers’ program, now in its third year, PLMA has announced the debut of Lunch with Leadership, a series of noontime interviews featuring five of the leading store brand chief executives in the U.S.
The interviews will be conducted by Michael Sansolo, former Senior Vice President of the Food Marketing Institute, a well-known food industry speaker, author and writer and a regular contributor to PLMA.
The series will focus on how these corporate leaders view their organization now and where they believe it fits in the future of American retailing and the store brand supplier community. The five interviews will be revealed by PLMA one at a time on successive Thursdays, from April 4 to May 2.
"We're very excited to launch this professional development program for all those involved in the store brands industry. The overwhelmingly positive response we've experienced for our Lunch and Learn sessions was a motivating factor in the inception of Lunch with Leadership," said Peggy Davies, PLMA president.
The kickoff session will air April 4 and present Harry Overly, president and CEO of Flagstone Foods, Minneapolis, since September 2022. Flagstone Foods manufactures high-quality, private label snacks for retailers in the club, mass, grocery, drug, limited assortment, and convenience channels.
Following Overly, interview subjects include Anne O'Hara, President, North America of Huhtamaki, (set for April 11); Lou DeMent, Owner and CEO of Giovanni Foods, a leading private label manufacturer of tomato-based products over the past 30 years (April 18); Camilo Romero, CEO of Luker Chocolate, a Colombian family-owned chocolate manufacturer (April 25); and Joe Mollica II, CEO of LNK International, Inc., one of the nation's largest manufacturers of OTC pharmaceuticals (May 2).
"We believe our audience will be interested to learn about the inner workings of a wide variety of PLMA member food and nonfood companies, particularly as they are described by their leaders," Davies said.
For more information on PLMA's Lunch with Leadership program and instructions on how to register, contact PLMA at info@plma.com or +1 212 972-3131.