2025 Food Industry Center of Excellence Summit

Renowned keynote speaker, author, and training and development expert Jim Knight teaches organizations of all sizes how to attain their own “rock star” status.

Although his illustrious career started at Gatorland in Florida (he has scars to prove it), Jim cut his teeth in the hospitality training industry and eventually led Global Training for Hard Rock International for two decades. Jim’s customized programs show audiences how to amp up organizational culture, deliver world-class differentiated service, and build rock star teams and leaders.

Jim’s role at Hard Rock involved many facets of organizational training including creating and managing all staff and management training materials and programs; facilitating Hard Rock’s corporate university; overseeing management training locations; producing training videos; directing company e-Learning initiatives; facilitating leadership transitions; and traveling to properties to deliver onsite classes and measure company standards.

Jim put his experience and creativity to work, which consistently developed cutting-­edge training concepts. During his time with the Hard Rock brand, his team won coveted Telly Awards (Guest Service in 2000, Menu Rollout in 2007, Harassment & Discrimination Prevention in 2008); garnered Training Directors Forum’s 1998 prize for “Reengineering Training”; and won Brandon Hall’s Gold Best in Class Award for their “Service Recovery” e-­Learning course.

Jim Knight was also recognized by Training Magazine as representing one of the Top 125 training companies in the world out of all industries & businesses. He has since been featured in Forbes Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, Entrepreneur Magazine and Fox Small Business News. Jim has also been a contributing member of Rolling Stone’s Culture Council, since 2020.

Jim has a music degree in Vocal Performance & Education and taught in the Florida public school system for 6 years. He is a life­time member of CHART (an Association of Hospitality Trainers); previously sat on the Certification Governing Board of the National Restaurant Association; and founded a local training forum & networking group (The Training Summit: CHART’s 1st Regional Training Forum) with over 100 active members in Central Florida, to share best practices and discuss common issues with other industry professionals.

Today, Jim Knight is the Owner & CEO of Knight Speaker, delivering numerous programs worldwide on leadership, organizational culture, customer service, and employee engagement and was listed in the “Top 10 Most Booked & Rated Speakers in the U.S.” by The Speaker Experts (2016).

Jim is also the best-selling author of Culture That Rocks: How to Revolutionize Your Company’s Culture, a how-to business book designed to amp up a brand in any industry. Entrepreneur Magazine listed the book as one of the “Top 5 Books That Will Transform Your Business”. His latest books, Leadership That Rocks: Take Your Brand’s Culture to Eleven and Amp Up Results and Service That Rocks: Create Unforgettable Experiences and Turn Customers into Fans were amazon #1 Best Sellers. A portion of Jim’s book sales and speaking fees goes to:

• No Kid Hungry – which works to eliminate childhood hunger in the U.S.
• Cannonball Kids’ cancer – which funds innovative, accessible research for children fighting cancer with better treatments, quality of life, and options for those told they have run out of options and
• Tunnel for Towers – which supports 1) fallen emergency first responders and U.S. Gold Star families who have lost a spouse, 2) U.S. service personnel who have been wounded in combat by supplying specially-adapted smart homes, and 3) eradicating homelessness for U.S. military veterans.

You can connect with Jim through his website

Mary Purk is a visionary leader dedicated to advancing the applications of artificial intelligence and analytics to benefit enterprises, consumers, and society. As the Co-Founder and former Executive Director of AI at Wharton research center, Mary has been at the forefront of AI innovation and bridging academia and industry to solve complex business challenges.

Mary is a prominent speaker and scholar in generative AI research, co-authoring the 2024 Wharton AI Adoption Report and currently is a visiting scholar at The University of Illinois Chicago. Recently, she expanded her influence in the AI/technology space through collaborative industry research projects focused on AI Adoption in the C-Suite and AI workforce readiness, the creation of the popular Wharton AI Horizons webinar series and creating several Industry Advisory Boards. She has successfully launched AI academic conferences and analytics accelerator labs and advised AI start-ups. She is a sought after thought leader among academics, professionals, and students across industries, leveraging AI to drive meaningful impact.

As a champion for data science, Mary co-founded the annual Penn’s Women in Data Science conference. Previously, Mary served as the first Executive Director of the now Kilts Marketing Center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she played a key role in advancing marketing and retail analytics research with CPG and retailer partnerships and published in esteemed academic journals.

In addition, Mary contributes her expertise to the Department of Homeland Security’s SAGE program and is a selected member of the OpenAI Community Forum, as well as a contributing editor to the Journal of AI, Robotics & Workplace Automation and is launching a new podcast series AI EmpowerHER.

Earlier in her career, Mary held senior leadership roles at Nielsen, Information Resources, and Accenture, in the areas of retail and food manufacturers. Mary is a proud alum of University of Illinois and the University of Chicago Booth. Connect with Mary at mepurk@msn.com or on LinkedIn.

Dr. Mark Frascatore serves as Dean of the Holzschuh College of Business Administration at Niagara University, where he has led significant growth and innovation. Under his leadership, the college was named the Holzschuh College of Business Administration in 2022, following a transformative $10 million gift from Jeff and Mary Helen Holzschuh. He led efforts that secured a $1.5M gift from Wegmans to establish the inaugural Robert B. Wegman Director of Food Industry Innovation and Supply Chain Excellence, and helped guide fundraising efforts exceeding $2M for the future Bieler Institute of Business Ethics. Under his direction, the college expanded into the Greater Toronto Area with a new facility in Vaughan, Ontario, and obtained ministerial approval to offer MBA and MS Finance programs in Canada. He also oversaw the development and NYSED approval of two new undergraduate degrees: a B.S. in Supply Chain Management and a multidisciplinary B.S. in Food Industry Leadership. These initiatives reflect his commitment to advancing the college’s academic offerings, global reach, and reputation for innovation.

A recognized scholar in supply chain economics, Dr. Frascatore has published extensively in prestigious journals including the International Journal of Industrial Organization, International Game Theory Review, European Journal of Operational Research, and International Journal of Business and Economics. His research expertise spans supply chain economics, industry structure, game theory, and microeconomics. Recently, he served as Co-PI on a $1M NSF Grant to develop advanced resilient microgrid technology for improved disaster response capability.

As an educator, Dr. Frascatore has taught courses in Supply Chain and Industrial Economics, Managerial Economics, Personnel Economics, and Principles of Microeconomics. His teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple awards, including the MBA Program Best Professor Award, Student Association Outstanding Teacher Award, Outstanding New Teacher Award, and the University Distinguished Teaching Award.

Dr. Frascatore currently serves as President of the Northeast Business Deans Association (NEBDA) and board member of the Mid Atlantic Association for Colleges of Business Administration (MAACBA). His international academic experience includes a Fulbright Scholar Research Lectureship at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome, Italy, and an appointment as Adjunct Research Professor at Massey University in New Zealand. Before academia, Dr. Frascatore worked as an economist at Glassman-Oliver Economics Consultants Inc. in Washington D.C.
Dr. Frascatore holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in Economics from SUNY Binghamton.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Dr. Frascatore enjoys woodworking, playing piano, bicycling, cooking, and traveling.

Nick Nickitas is a seasoned entrepreneur with a track record of building successful software startups across North America and globally. He currently serves as General Manager of Local Independent Grocery at Instacart, where he leads strategy and business development for this vital segment of the grocery industry.

Prior to Instacart, Nick was the Founder and CEO of Rosie, a leading e-commerce platform that empowered local grocers with ecommerce, mobile apps, and digital tools to compete with national chains and online marketplaces. Rosie was acquired by Instacart in September 2022.

Beyond his leadership roles, Nick is passionate about education and industry advocacy. He has taught entrepreneurship and strategy at Cornell University and Lehigh University, and currently serves on the NGA Foundation Board of Regents and as Chairman of the ROFDA Advisory Council.

John Clevenger’s diverse career includes 35 years of CPG industry experience spanning brand marketing, sales, strategy consulting, market research and data analytics. He has held executive roles at companies including Pepsi, Meridian Consulting Group and IRI (now Circana). Prior to starting TPC, John led Strategic Advisors, the strategy consulting and shopper insights practice at Acosta Sales & Marketing. Currently, as the Managing Director of Trundy Point Consulting, John advises CPG manufacturers and sales agencies on sales strategy, shopper insights, innovation and sales effectiveness.

John has been a close partner to Affinity Group since 2020, and helped create the Pathways Consulting team in 2025. Pathways Consulting combines Affinity’s market knowledge and activation expertise with TPC’s strategy, data analytics and shopper insights to give established and startup companies a one-stop strategy-to-execution partner for all go-to-market activities, especially new product launches.

A lifelong New Englander, John grew up in Maine, earned his MBA at Dartmouth, raised his family in Connecticut, and now lives with his wife on Cape Cod

Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Fergus Byrne now proudly calls Toronto, Ontario home, where he lives with his wife Elizabeth of 35 years. Together, they’ve raised two grown children. Fergus spent over two decades coaching amateur sports and now enjoys supporting from the stands.

A dedicated lifelong learner, Fergus is currently completing his Executive MBA in Leadership. He holds professional designations from the National Institute of Supply Chain Leaders (NISCL-CSCL), the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS), and Supply Chain Canada (CSCMP).

With over 25 years of experience in the food service industry, Fergus has held senior leadership roles at prominent Canadian companies including Cara Operations (Recipe Unlimited), Tim Hortons, and Boston Pizza. He currently serves as Vice President of Procurement and Culinary at MBI Brands, where he leads strategic sourcing and culinary innovation.

Fergus is passionate about mentorship, coaching and knowledge-sharing. As he approaches the later stages of his career, his goal is to pass on as much industry expertise as possible to the next generation of supply chain and culinary professionals.

With over 30 years of dedicated service at Rich Products Corporation, Mary Kiener is a seasoned leader in global supply chain management. As Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain, she orchestrates the company’s end-to-end supply chain operations in alignment with Rich’s strategic goals.

Mary’s tenure at Rich began in 1990 as an internal auditor, where she laid the foundation for her comprehensive understanding of financial operations. Over the years, she has held pivotal roles, including Senior Vice President of North American and International Finance, and Senior Vice President, Global Chief Procurement Officer. These positions have equipped her with a robust grasp of financial dynamics and macroeconomic factors influencing global markets.

In her current role, Mary leads global Customer Success, Integrated Planning, and Customer Fulfillment, driving innovation and sustainability across Rich’s operations. Her strategic vision and leadership have been instrumental in enhancing supply chain agility and responsiveness in an ever-evolving global marketplace.

Mary is a staunch advocate for diversity and inclusion within the supply chain sector, a field where women have historically been underrepresented. Her commitment to fostering leadership opportunities for women is clear in her recent appointment to the board of directors of the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), an organization with which Rich’s has partnered for over three decades.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a concentration in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Business Administration from the University at Buffalo.

The Musco Family Olive Co is the leading supplier of Branded table Olive (Pearls, Early California) as well as a key supplier of Private Label Olives for most of the Major retailers in the United States. Musco has a significant Food Service Business model as well as a growing presence in C-stores throughout the country.

Ken is responsible for all retail sales, Branded and Private Brand, as well as trade promotion and category management strategies and processes for the Eastern region. This would include Walmart/Sams, Kroger Brand and C-Store Sales. I am a strong sales and marketing professional, skilled in developing top to top collaborative relationships with a dynamic customer base, as well as managing a successful team of Sales Directors and Broker Teams. Experienced in shopper Insight and syndicated data, trade promotion processes, and consumer and customer specific marketing strategies.

Professional Experience:   Ken joined the Musco Family Olive Co. in 1998 as Business Manager of the Eastern Region. Ken took an opportunity to expand his knowledge base taking a short time off from Musco to explore opportunities in the Confection industry both in the US and abroad as well as helping develop the Convenience store and demonstration services of Wilson Farms Convenience stores and Suray promotions. After his 4-year absence Ken returned to Musco in a Senior Director capacity but was soon promoted to Vice President of Sales, responsible for direct key accounts as well as the supervision of three Directors. He is an integral part of the management team and is responsible for developing and communicating key sales initiatives to a diverse customer base.

Prior to Kens entrance into the Consumer Product Industry Ken was the Director of Grocery at Tops Markets in Buffalo NY. Ken started his time at Tops in the stores holding various positions at operations level including new store set and development.  Ken eventually moved into a corporate role and was responsible for weekly ad development and supervision of the Category management team.

Education:   Ken earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Canisius College as well as certifications from Cornell and St. Josephs University Food Marketing Programs.

Jeff Metzger currently serves as publisher emeritus of Best-Met Publishing Company, publishers of grocery industry trade journals Food World, Food Trade News, and the Mid-Atlantic Grocery Industry Directory. Metzger and his late business partner, Dick Bestany, founded the Columbia, MD-based company in 1978. All three publications primarily cover the retail food industry in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, but over the last decade their coverage has expanded to include the Southeast. Best-Met Publishing also operates a website – foodtradenews.com. In August 2025, Metzger sold the company to Alex Wissel but remains as an advisor and columnist.

Metzger is also the founder and president of Taking Stock LLC, a grocery industry advisory firm specializing in retail market research and analytics.

Prior to co-founding Best-Met Publishing, he served as editor of The Griffin Report, the food industry newspaper which covers New England. Metzger was inducted into the Maryland Food Industry Hall of Fame in 2011.

A native of New York, Metzger was graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.  He currently resides in Marriottsville, MD.