The Takeover: Women leaders claim the stage and the conversation at RC Show

Every year, the President/CEO panel is one of the most hotly anticipated and eagerly attended sessions at RC Show, and RC Show 2024 was no exception.

This year’s panel stood out as a historic milestone: for the first time ever, the stage was exclusively commanded by women, marking a groundbreaking moment in the event’s history and the reflection of leadership in the foodservice and hospitality industry.

Acting as the session moderator, Kelly Higginson, CEO & President, Restaurants Canada, was the first to point out that it shouldn’t be remarkable. The foodservice industry has always been staffed by a broadly diverse demographic. In addition to long being the source of first jobs, women make up 58 per cent of entry-level positions in foodservice.

Unfortunately, that number dwindles as the positions increase in importance. Kelly noted the problem is less ‘glass ceiling’ than ‘broken rung’: despite making up the majority of entrants to the field, women don’t proportionally advance. Women comprise of only 30 per cent of management in the foodservice sector, and at the C-suite level, that drops to a mere 11 per cent.

Encouragingly, female ownership of foodservice businesses is on the rise. And the all-female slate of power brokers on the stage gave weight to the idea that times are, in fact, changing. Sometimes quite rapidly: Chantalle Butler, President, Molson Coors Canada, was confirmed in her role mere days before RC Show, taking the reins as the first female CEO of a major North American brewery on April 2, 2024.

Taking the Big Chair

Formerly the Vice President of Sales Finance for Canada, Chantalle, who holds a Masters of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and CPA and NACD Directorship certifications, oversaw the company’s national fiscal activity for five years. She also currently serves as Chair of The Beer Store (TBS), the largest beer retailer in Canada. In her new role with Molson Coors Canada, Chantalle intends to build a collaborative and innovative workplace culture.

Chicago restaurateur and Let’s Talk Womxn founder Rohini Dey’s foray into foodservice was unexpected. Having earned a Masters in Economics and a Doctorate in Management Science, Rohini served as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. and an economist with the World Bank. “Frankly, to leave the World Bank was ridiculous,” she said. “It’s not what good Indian girls do.” Making the jump to restaurant ownership came with both financial and social risks, yet in 2004, her Chicago restaurant Vermilion opened to great acclaim, making headlines and hitting ‘Best Of’ lists. “So maybe that risk paid off,” she acknowledges.

Juanita Dickson met Janet Zuccarini, owner of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group, while on holiday. With a Masters in Marketing and Communication from Schulich School of Business and a Degree in Hospitality and Business Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University, Juanita had decades of brand growth experience. In 2014, Juanita was brought on board as Vice President of Brand Expansion to help Gusto 54 go global. In less than six months, she was promoted to President. Today, Gusto 54 Restaurant Group has 10 restaurants in Canada, and two more in Los Angeles.

As Susan Senecal was finishing her Bachelor of Science (Biology) from McGill University, she already knew she preferred the connection and pace of the foodservice industry. She joined A&W in 1992, working as Area Manager, Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Operations on her way up. As CMO she led the company’s shift to using only beef raised free from added hormones or steroids. When she became A&W’s fifth CEO in 2018, she was the first woman in the role.

The Importance of Mentorship

While each woman’s journey has been unique, they all agreed on one thing: the profound consequences of good mentorship. “Mentorship is so important,” said Chantalle, who considers Darryl Rowe, of Weston Bakeries, one of hers. “He was the first to treat me as a businessperson, not just a finance person. He pushed me to add value, rather than numbers.”

Susan concurs. She learned a lot from Bob Johnson, who introduced her to a new kind of strategy creation. “As CEO, your job is to help people get the strategy out of people’s heads,” she said. “Choosing, not creating, is important.” The process helped Susan usher in A&W’s major Strategy Renewal in 2023.

Juanita is grateful to have been supported by incredible male leaders, “but Janet (Zuccarini) was the most pivotal for me.” Zuccarini’s guidance was invaluable to Juanita; so was her enthusiasm. “She’d say ‘Let’s get things done. Let’s work together to make magic!’ That kind of bravery is empowering.”

Rohini approaches mentorship from the other direction, actively creating opportunities for women to connect and thrive. In 2012, she launched the James Beard Foundation Vermilion Women in Culinary Leadership Scholarship, to open doors and shine a spotlight on women in the culinary field. At the same time, she founded the ongoing JBF Vermilion “Chefs for Women” program at Vermilion. In 2020, in the thick of the COVID-19 crisis, Rohini launched Let’s Talk Womxn, an action movement that unites and supports women restaurant operators in cities across North America.

Managing Change

Evolution is constant in foodservice. The panelists had sound advice for operators struggling with change. Chantalle says that consistency is the number one indicator of success. “We need to ask, ‘Who do we want to be?’ We can tweak the answer, but consistency makes alignment possible. When everyone knows what their role is, you can also set what you’re not going to be.”

Last year, Rohini gave Vermilion’s menu a complete overhaul. Presenting different facets of Indian fare is what first inspired her to enter the restaurant business in the first place. “I was appalled by how Italian/French-centric ‘fine-dining cuisine’ was. My arrogant goal was to spread the same veneration to Indian and Latin foods.” And it worked: Vermilion piled up accolades. But eventually, it was time to evolve. “Renewal is fun, and there’s so much to share. For our 21st year, our menu collects the best of three facets of Indian food: Indian-Latin, Indian-Chinese and Chaat (Indian street food).”

“Strategies have to live,” says Susan, who knows about change. During her tenure the company made moves that have become industry standards for chains, among them adding plant-based burgers to the menu and discontinuing plastic straws. Last year, A&W announced their Strategy Renewal. “We’re moving on from nostalgia. It was a little scary.

We had lots of learning, and lots of collaboration.” Susan started the process with responsibilities and accountability. “Climate goals accompany our strategies. There are behaviours we need to improve.”

“We don’t always take the path we start on,” says Juanita. “We’re operating differently than we did two years ago, or than last year.” With so much in flux, she urges leaders to be consistent and clear. “Spend the time up front to think about who you are, where you want to be and how to get there. Your team members execute your strategies, so have a team that shares your beliefs.” She also recommends providing your team with technological tools and dashboards: “Remember, what gets measured gets done.”

Sign of the Times

The roles of CEO and President extend far beyond day-to-day management, especially when it comes to foodservice. But Kelly reminded the audience that there has to be room for more than just work. It’s important to celebrate the wins. And there were several wins over the course of RC Show 24.

Chef Meeru Dhalwala won the Restaurants Canada Culinary Award of Excellence. When introducing Chef Meeru’s keynote, Daniela Profenna, Head of Partner Marketing at Skip, announced the Skip Food Industry Award, a new category in Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 awards designed to acknowledge women in leadership roles and illuminate the many opportunities for young women entering the industry. And Susan won the Restaurants Canada Leadership Award of Excellence.

Looking ahead, the panelists shared the transformations they expected in the next few years, in their companies and the industry at large. Juanita sees a return to basics, with an eye to authenticity and relevance. “We need to be diligent about menu creation, about building team relationships and customer experiences. There’s big opportunity in Toronto; it’s so diverse.”

For her part, Susan believes that evolution is the new normal. “Restaurants often start small and grow. In the pandemic, we were essential.” That connection runs both ways and carries a real responsibility. “What’s part of the world is part of foodservice.” She also recommends budding foodservice entrepreneurs attend local and wider sector events to connect to the community at large.

Big iconic brands like Molson are healthy and relevant. Given that, Chantalle sees innovation as the next necessary step. “The benefit of being a global company is that you can be focused and purposeful. When you have a stable base, it’s time to premiumize.” Meaningful innovation and experiences are what matters.

Rohini is excited to see the spread of world flavours. Even more, she looks forward to more equalization in the industry. “Foodservice is the second largest employer in the U.S., but archaic in terms of policy. 70 per cent of restaurant employees are women but there’s no paid family leave!” Change on social fronts will be key to making the industry better for everyone, including embracing immigrants as the backbone of the economy. These executives found their voices, joined executive conversations, and realized they had the drive, intelligence and power to change the foodservice landscape for good. Which is why, when trying to navigate the many unique challenges of the foodservice sector, it pays to get guidance and support from the experts at the very top.

Rohini sees Let’s Talk Womxn as a macro-level action movement. “We don’t have a vision, or a mission statement. 90 per cent of those are non-quantifiable anyway. Our goal at Let’s Talk Womxn is to invite, share, change and adapt.”

Let’s Talk Womxn (LTW) aims to boost the visibility and build the economic power of women in foodservice. What started with 15 Chicago restaurateurs has grown to more than 850 female foodservice entrepreneurs in Canada and the U.S.

City co-hosts organize monthly ‘Deep Dive’ sessions, and participate in forums, events and keynotes. The group charges no dues, choosing collaboration over competition, cross promoting each other’s ventures and events. LTW was busy in April and May 2024. They hosted a reception at RC Show in Toronto, and two events at the National Restaurant Association Show – curated dining adventures and the LTW/National Restaurant Association Women Owners & Leaders Reception – then a gourmet evening at Vermilion, full of food stations and unfiltered opinions from LTW restaurateurs.

Toronto is the first Canadian city to join the LTW network. For more information about their upcoming events, visit letstalkwomxn.com