Women in the Lead 2023: Honoring 21 of Fast Casual's Top Female Leaders
In honor of International Women's Day, FastCasual interviewed 21 female executives leading the industry.
Happy International Women's Day!
When I started the "Women in the Lead" series seven years ago in honor of this special day, as well as Women's History month, it was a lot harder to find female executives to participate. Although we still have a long way to go before the number of women is equal to the number of men in c-level roles, we are making headway — and with good reason.
Even though females are less frequently in higher-ranking positions in the restaurant and hospitality industry, teams with more women in those positions perform better. That's a fact, according to Castell Project's Women In Hospitality Industry Leadership report, which found companies with over 30% women on executive teams were more likely to significantly outperform those with between 10 and 30%. This is especially true when comparing companies with 30% women or more to companies with no female executives.
Pretty obvious, in my humble opinion, but I always like to quote a good research study. Here's another one, which isn't so grand. According to an Altrata study, women lead fewer than 7% of U.S. restaurants, and fewer than 5% are hospitality CEOs.
We can do better; we MUST do better.
I hope that in the years to come, female leaders are so common that we won't need a special day or month to celebrate their accomplishments. Until then, I want to thank these 21 leaders for sharing their advice and for their willingness to help the next class of women climb the ladder.
It starts with us.
Interviews are with:
Regina Cheung, CFO, Pokeworks.
Anchal Lamba, president, Gong Cha Tea.
Jennifer Schuler, CEO, Wetzel's Pretzels.
Kim Ellis, CDO, Scooter's Coffee.
Jodi Boyce, CMO, Teriyaki Madness.
Donna Golik, chief brand officer, Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream.
Julie Davis, VP of franchise development, Salata.
Denise Pedini, CMO, Newk's Eatery.
Katrina Guevara, director of marketing, Mo' Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food.
Kim Freer, chief marketing officer, Wetzel's Pretzels.
Julie Wade, senior director of marketing, Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe.
Lauren Lumbley, senior director of marketing, BRIX Holdings.
Julie Canseco, RDN and COO and co-founder, Main Squeeze Juice Co.
Leslie Monson, EVP/CMO, Ballard Brands.
Abby Taylor, co-founder and CMO, Playa Bowls.
Marianne Radley, CMO, Smoothie King.
Heather Boggs, CMO, Beef 'O' Brady's & The Brass Tap.
Jelena Pasic, founder, Harlem Shake Restaurant Group.
Daniela Moreira, owner and chef, Call Your Mother Deli.
Lauren Coulter, co-founder, Biscuit Belly.
Taylor Gregory, director of marketing, United Franchise Group.
Biggest professional struggle that you overcame: Balancing motherhood and work. As a mother of three, and at one time a divorced mother of two, I always had a struggle with how to dedicate sufficient time and attention to both my career and my family. Growing a family and growing a business are competing endeavors, and this is especially true in the restaurant industry which we know has no 9-5 schedule! A lot of times throughout the years I had to go out on a limb and be VERY creative to make things work, and this still holds true today with my 5-year-old.
I am grateful to my co-founder Emil Radonci, my life and business partner Pedro Ramirez, my mother and all my daughters, and my extended work team for their understanding and flexibility through it all because without their sacrifice I would not be able to achieve my professional goals.
Advice to women trying to move up the ladder in the restaurant industry: We women have some special skills, so be sure to use them to your competitive advantage. Women's emotional intelligence and communication skills are supreme and will be a huge asset to your leadership. On the same token, analyze and confront your downsides as a woman decisively. For example, especially at the onset of my career, I often had to force myself to take more risks or be less shy when bringing up ideas in a team. In the upper echelons, there is still a glass ceiling to be shattered and while we women made strides, there are still subtle microaggressions present in work teams, and this becomes especially noticeable in boardrooms. Be prepared, and don't let that get under your skin. Instead, persevere, always believe in yourself, and create your own ladder. If nothing else works, gain experience and knowledge working for someone else, then go out and get your own. That is a surefire way to not let anyone take your crown! Regardless of anything you experience, be graceful and lead by example of fairness for all gender expressions. The world rests on our shoulders!
Favorite meal/item on your menu: I love our Impossible Hot Mess burger, paired with a side of kale salad and Cherrywine fancy soda.
To see the full list, view the article here: https://www.fastcasual.com/blogs/women-in-the-lead-2023-honoring-21-of-fast-casuals-top-female-leaders/