Edit

Lead with Courage

April 7 - 10, 2019 Phoenix, AZ

Lead With Courage

The event for making connections, accessing groundbreaking insights and elevating your business acumen.

Agenda

Speakers

Sponsors

Meet and learn from RLC's forward-thinking speakers. RLC's agenda includes more than 100 thought leaders who will provide the latest industry, financial and leadership insights.

View Speakers

Network with attendees

RLC is attended each year by 2,000 of the most progressive and influential professionals in the industry. Representing a tremendous range of skills and connections, RLC attendees are a most valued networking community.

View Attendees
100+Speakers
2kAttendees

Speakers

Seth
Larsen

Chief Relationship Officer
Cheba Hut

Julia
Oswald

Senior Vice President - Strategy & Insights
Domino's Pizza, Inc.

Sterling
Douglass

CEO
Chowly

Stephen
Van Note

Chief Operations Officer
RBM Restaurants

Brian
Best

VP, Digital and Marketing Technology
Tropical Smoothie Cafe LLC

Rich
Shank

Vice President of Research & Insights, Technomic
Technomic

Tonya
Robinson

Chief Financial Officer
Texas Roadhouse

Don
Zimmerman

Vice President, Global Hospitality Product Management
NCR

Saverio
Ferraro

Sales Director
Fourth

Susannah
Ryan

Vice President, Industry Relations and Business Development
PepsiCo Foodservice

Charles
Watson

CEO
Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC

Ray
Blanchette

CEO
TGI Fridays

Hope W.
Neiman

CMO
Tillster

Kathryn
Fenner

Principal
Technomic

Mitesh
Gala

Founder and CEO
Altametrics

Karen
Eadon

President /Chief Operating Officer
Farmer Boys Food, Inc.

Hugh
Roth

Senior Vice President, Chief Customer and Business Development Officer
PepsiCo Foodservice, Inc.

David
Barr

2019 IFA Chair, Managing Director & Partner, Franworth, and Chairman, PMTD Restaurants

Earvin "Magic"
Johnson

Chairman and CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises
President of Basketball Operations, Los Angeles Lakers

Robert
Cresanti, CFE

President & CEO
International Franchise Association

William
Jenkins

VP Sales Technology, Restaurants
Epsilon

Hattie
Hill

President & CEO
Women's Foodservice Forum

Mike
Vichich

Co-founder and CEO
Wisely

Scott
Lawton

Co-founder
bartaco

Cindy
Goody

Chief Nutritionist
McDonald's USA, LLC

Jeff
Carr

CEO
Inkling

John
Poulos

President
DiscoverLink

Roger
David

President & CEO
Gold Star Chili, Inc.

Kelli
Valade

President & CEO
TDn2K

Amy
Hunt

Vice President, Strategic Consulting Group
Epsilon

John
Wade

CEO
AES Restaurant Group, LLC

Gilbert
Bailey

VP Analytics & Customer Engagement
Xenial

John
Aiken

Senior Director of Learning and Development,
Golden Corral

Melissa
Wilson

Principal
Technomic

Dana
Baggett

Executive Director, Client Marketing Restaurant Category
Valassis Inc

Doug
Willmarth

Chief Marketing Officer
Mongolian Concepts

Greg
Creed

CEO
Yum! Brands

Johnny
Wilkinson

Head of Workforce Management Technology
Fourth

Jason
Morgan

Managing Partner
Hargett Hunter Capital Partners

Jim
Rand

Operating Partner, Off-Premises Sales
Act III Holdings

Bob
Paulsen

CEO & Co-founder
PlayerLync

Paul
Damico

CEO
Naf Naf Grill

Trish
Giordano

Chief Sales and Marketing Officer
Earl Enterprises

Peter
Romeo

Editor-at-Large and Vice President of Content Innovation
Restaurant Business

Shyam
Rao

Co-Founder and CEO
Punchh

David
Meiselman

Chief Marketing Officer
ezCater

Amit
Deshpande

Senior Vice President, Analytics
Epsilon

Stephanie
O’Rourk

Partner
CohnReznick LLP

Tim
Hand

Partner
Kinetic12

Karina
Coen

Director of Labor Productivity
Fourth

Andrew
Davis

Global Marketing Influencer, Former Television Executive and Best Selling Author, "Brandscaping"

Vince
Crimaldi

Vice President, Retail
Capgemini

Brian
Slowik

SVP of Wage & Corporate Disbursements
rapid! Disbursements

David
Cantu

Co-Founder
HotSchedules

Martin
Lines

VP Beverage Marketing
Nestle Professional USA

Ed
Keller

Director of Off Premise Business Development
Corner Bakery Café

Scott
Martin

Vice President, Restaurant Partnerships
Dinova, Inc.

Brad
Rukstales

President & CEO
Cogensia

Vladik
Rikhter

CEO
Zenput

Michele
Vance

Chief Sales Officer
Service Management Group (SMG)

Jed
Nachman

Chief Operating Officer
Yelp

Michael
Verdesca

CIO
FOCUS Brands

Chris
Keating

Group President, Restaurant Media & Events
Winsight, LLC

Roz
Mallet

President/CEO
PhaseNext Hospitality

Dr. Robert
Gates

Secretary of Defense (2006-2011) | New York Times Best-Selling Author

Eric
Sheen

Operations Specialist & CEO
Restaurant Partners Procurement

Anne
Fink

President, Global Foodservice
PepsiCo, Inc.

Rusty
Bills

VP of Operations
Galardi Group, Inc.

Rob
Gifford

President
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

John
Richards

COO
RPM Pizza

Rob
Goldberg

Executive Vice President, Restaurants, Bars and Food Concepts
Tommy Bahama

Patrick
LaCava

Executive Vice-President Operations
Syufy Enterprises

Jim
Grandahl

Director-DIRECTV National Accounts, ATT
DIRECTV/AT&T

Tony
Lutfi

President / Maritime Management Company
Franchisee, Arby’s, Church’s Chicken, Jack in the Box, Sizzler

Rozzi
Crane

BMI Featured Artist

Zach
Goldstein

Founder & CEO
Thanx

Lisa
Ingram

President and CEO
White Castle

Jeff
Van Hanswyk

National Foodservice Category Business Development, Natural Colors Division
Chr. Hansen

Sarah
Thomas

First Female NFL Official

Chris
Milisci

Founder and CEO
Romulus Restaurant Group

Terry
Erdle

Chief Operating Officer
National Restaurant Association

Vincent
Purves

President
Consolidated Concepts

Ryan
Achterhoff

Chief Administrative Officer
Pizza Ranch

Jack
Quinn

Vice President, Industry Relations
Ecolab

Lauren
Bailey

Co-founder & CEO
Upward Projects

Joe
Pawlak

Managing Principal
Technomic

Scott
Finlow

CMO
PepsiCo Foodservice

Stefan
Hertzberg

Growth Manager
ItsaCheckmate Inc.

Jim
Balis

CEO
Buddy's Pizza

Patrick
Noone

Executive Vice President
Technomic

Joey
Alfano

Co-Founder & CPO
GoSpotCheck

Robert
Guarino

Chief Executive Officer
5 Napkin Burger

Kendall
Ware

President & COO
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt

Stephen
Farr-Jones

President
ADM Marketing

Tim
Quinlan

Director, Senior Economist
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Wells Fargo & Company

Vishal
Agarwal

Founder & CEO
ItsaCheckmate Inc.

Sara
Rush Wirth

Content Director, Foodservice
Winsight Media

Aaron
Marshall

Director, Business Development
McLane Foodservice, Inc.

Darren
Rebelez

President
IHOP Restaurants

Christian
Barnard


T3

Amy
Wilcox

Director, U.S. Quality Systems, U.S. Supply Chain Management
McDonald’s USA, LLC

Rob
Gifford

Executive Vice President
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

Larry M.
Fiel

VP of Marketing
PDQ Signature Systems

Jayson
Tipp

CEO
PINCHO

Neil
Culbertson

Founder & President
Growth Partners LLC

Christopher
Simms

Chief Executive Officer and Founder
The Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar

Cindy
Culpepper

CEO & Chairperson
Galardi Group, Inc. (Wienerschnitzel)

Donna
Josephson

SVP & CMO
Corner Bakery Café

Kevin
Bazner

President & CEO
A&W Restaurants, Inc.

Helen
Griffith

VP of Marketing
S&D Coffee & Tea

Susan
Adzick

Senior Vice President, Sales & Strategic Relationships
McLane Foodservice, Inc.

Seth
Temko

VP Product Marketing
Xenial

Steve
Joyce

Chief Executive Officer
Dine Brands Global, Inc.

Frances
Allen

CEO
Boston Market

Venkat
Ramamurthy

Vice President and General Manager of Managed Services Product Management
NCR

Michael
Phalen

Managing Director and Head of Retail Investment Banking
Wells Fargo Securities

Dylan
Swift

Senior Director, Enterprise Marketing
Yelp

Stephanie
Rice

Enterprise Marketing Manager
Yelp

Dirk
Izzo

Senior Vice President, Industry Solutions Group
NCR Corporation

Blake
Flores

National Sales Manager
Applegate Foodservice

Bill
Long

Chief Financial Officer
Snooze

Scott
Lasher

Enterprise Sales Manager
GoSpotCheck

View All Speakers

News

Yum CEO Greg Creed named Restaurant Leader of the Year

The longtime marketer was cited for the innovation and boldness he has fostered at Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut

Restaurant Leadership Conference Celebrates “20 Years of Leadership” in 2018

More than 2,000 restaurant industry executives will attend the 20th annual Restaurant Leadership Conference, April 15-18 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, in Phoenix, AZ.

Restaurant Leadership Conference Launches New Site and Agenda for 2018

Restaurant Leadership Conference is celebrating “20 Years of Leadership” in 2018. Our new website and carefully crafted agenda will show the restaurant industry’s most powerful professionals, like you all the winning moves.

More News