Retired four-star General John Kelly is a 45-year Marine veteran who headed the U.S. Southern Command, where he focused on U.S. border security, organized crime, terrorist organizations and drug traffickers in his Latin American region for more than three years. Less than a year after retiring in 2016, General Kelly was offered the opportunity to serve the nation and its people again, now as the secretary of Homeland Security. After he and his family served a lifetime in service to the nation — and knowing no other life — the opportunity to serve again was welcomed. The U.S. Senate gave him and his family the great honor of confirming him on January 20, 2017, and he was immediately sworn in as the fifth secretary of Homeland Security. After six months, he was selected to serve as White House chief of staff, a position he held until January 2019. Kelly earned a reputation for being an aggressive enforcer of ethics, established Homeland Security policy, and, most importantly, the law.

Drilling down into the best practices and tools for design-build projects using the structure of a Marine Corps boot camp.

Drilling down into the best practices and tools for bid work using the structure of a Marine Corps boot camp.

Several of the industry’s strongest tech visionaries will discuss the state of foodservice equipment technology – and the tech initiatives that can help ensure sustainability, growth and success for dealers and manufacturers.

Kevin Hochman serves as CEO and president of Brinker International, one of the world’s leading casual dining companies and home of Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy. He is also president of Chili’s and a member of Brinker’s Board of Directors. As CEO, he leads more than 60,000 team members who strive to make millions of guests feel special every week. Hochman is responsible for driving Brinker’s growth strategy, ensuring the company’s core values and culture are embedded in every restaurant and the Restaurant Support Center, and overseeing restaurant operations worldwide.

Dr. Emily Williams Knight is the president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA), which represents more than 53,000 restaurants generating a combined $87 billion in sales and employing 1.3 million people in the Lone Star State. Since moving into the position in 2019, Knight’s efforts on behalf of the industry have earned her a reputation as a fierce and effective leader, and she has furthered the TRA’s mission of safeguarding and advancing the interests of members while closely monitoring a broad range of legislative issues. Knight has held executive leadership positions across the globe in several multinational companies, in which she found success by building high-performing teams, a passion for winning and a tireless work ethic. Leveraging her empathy for others, Knight has driven change at the state and national levels, culminating in 2021 with the most sweeping success the TRA had ever achieved when the association helped drive the passage of six bills supporting restaurants in the Texas legislature.

Practical strategies for setting short- and long-term business goals to help young professionals identify ways they can directly contribute to company operations while maintaining focus on the organization's strategic goals. Attendees will learn how to develop impactful goals, set realistic expectations, measure progress and ultimately achieve objectives. Earn 1 credit toward FEDA Leadership Certification.

Learn more about cybersecurity basics and what individuals can do to protect their company from online threats. The program was moderated by Rich Walsh, president and CEO of SmartSource Management, and featured insights from a panel of experts, including Matthew Eggers, vice president of cybersecurity policy and legislation for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; James Rogers, CIO for KaTom Restaurant Supply; and Mary Ellen Seale, director, CEO and founder of the National Cybersecurity Society. Earn 1 credit toward FEDA Operations Certification.

10:30 a.m. CDT Tuesday, Dec. 6 The value-added sales call is the tactical execution of the Value-Added Selling Process®. The eighth and final part of the 2022 Live Webinar series will demonstrate a step-by-step execution of the process in front of the customer.

10:30 a.m. CDT Tuesday, Nov. 8 In this phase of the sales process, dealers are supporting the customer and providing a smooth, seamless transition. Part seven of the 2022 Live Webinar Series on value-added selling will discuss after-market strategies for delivering on all the promises made to the customer on the front end.