The Business of Food

Susan Guerin is the President and CEO of World Finer Foods, a middle-market specialty food and beverage company that competes in the premium and “better for you” space nationwide across all retail channels, including e-commerce and foodservice. Ms. Guerin has driven a threefold increase in shareholder value by transforming the brand portfolio, attracting more consumer-relevant brands through a new business development approach, introducing new brand and product development processes, and building capabilities and talent across the organization.

Prior to her role at World Finer Foods, Ms. Guerin was the co-founder and managing partner of Stratham Hills Partners, consulting for organizations ranging from large public companies to startups. She focused on strategy and business development, business startup and transformation, and successful liquidity event creation. Ms. Guerin’s prior roles include President of the Americas at Paxar, where she was part of the team that successfully positioned the company for a sale to Avery Dennison; CFO of Sun Chemical Corporation; CFO of the Vehicle Services Division of Cendant; and CFO for Lerner New York, New York & Company, a former division of The Limited Corporation. She began her career at Unilever, where she held management roles both in the U.S. and overseas.  

Ms. Guerin has been recognized for her work at World Finer Foods as a winner of the Brava Award honoring top female CEOs, Progressive Grocers’ Top Women in Grocery, and as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. She received her B.S. from Cornell University and her MBA from New York University.

Ed McLaughlin is the Robert G. Tobin Professor of Marketing Emeritus at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. He served as interim dean of Dyson from July 2020 to July 2021 and from June 2016 to June 2017. McLaughlin directed Dyson’s undergraduate business program, the largest undergraduate major at Cornell, for 20 years. He also served as the faculty director of the Food Executive Program (now in its 56th year) and directed Cornell’s Food Industry Management Program. He is a distinguished expert in the efficiency of food distribution systems who has worked with food industry companies, trade associations, and public policymakers over many decades.

The founder and editor-in-chief of leading industry and consumer publications, such as Produce Business, Deli Business, Floral Business and Cheese Connoiseur magazines, Jim Prevor has led an effort to utilize the internet and modern information technologies to advance the interests of the fresh foods industry. As part of this initiative, he launched “Jim Prevor’s Perishable Pundit,” which quickly became the industry’s most important forum for the discussion and analysis of issues relevant to the trade. Further efforts, such as the launch of PerishableNews.com and ProduceBusinessUK.com, have expanded and reinforced this leadership. 

In addition, Mr. Prevor launched the Retail Institute and the International Prepared Foods Conference and Exposition, and he was a founding partner in the launch of both the Institute for Produce Entrepreneurs, designed to help family businesses, and Perishable Solutions, a consultancy specializing in bringing strategic thinking to the fast-moving business of perishables. Mr. Prevor has also spearheaded the establishment of a network of live marketing events, including The New York Produce Show and Conference, The London Produce Show and Conference, and The Amsterdam Produce Show and Conference, as well as conferences including the Global Trade Symposium and the “Ideation Fresh” Foodservice Forum.

Prior to launching his own company, Mr. Prevor served as a director of his family’s company, an importer, exporter, and wholesaler of foodstuffs such as produce, deli meats and cheeses, fresh eggs, and frozen poultry. At various times, the business also owned supermarkets and convenience stores, a restaurant chain, and various farming operations.

Todd R. Schnuck is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Schnuck Markets, Inc. — the third generation of the Schnuck family to lead the company. Prior to his present position, Mr. Schnuck served as President and Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. He spent four years in the Investment Banking division of A.G. Edwards & Sons.

Mr. Schnuck holds an MBA from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Virginia. He is passionate about community engagement and serves as chairman for the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Board while also serving on the United Way of St. Louis, The Opportunity Trust, and Greater St. Louis, Inc., boards. Professionally, Mr. Schnuck serves on the board of directors for Commerce Bancshares, Inc.; Food Marketing Institute; and Topco. He and his wife, Julie, have four children and two grandchildren.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Fair Oaks Foods, Michael Thompson has championed the success of this Wisconsin-based supplier of par-cooked sausage, bacon, and other meat and poultry products since taking ownership in 2003. Under his guidance, revenues have increased over 300% and staffing has increased threefold, from 100 to nearly 300 people. The Department of Commerce has named Fair Oaks Export Supplier of the Year, and the State of Wisconsin recognizes Fair Oaks as a top manufacturer in that state. 

Mr. Thompson and his company have also earned several awards from McDonald’s, including awards for achievement of excellence, teamwork and top Innovation Supplier of the Year. He also received the McDonald’s Shining Light Award for his persistence and determination through sharing and caring in the spirit of both Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ray Kroc. In 2019, Fair Oaks was selected as Company of the year by Black Enterprise Magazine. Mr. Thompson was also named Entrepreneur of the year by the Kenosha Area Business Alliance.

Before acquiring Fair Oaks, Mr. Thompson spent nearly 20 years within McDonald’s, where he held a number of positions in supply chain and operations. As Regional Manager/Vice President of the San Francisco region, he successfully led the company with top-ten performance in sales and income increases. As Vice President of North America Supply Chain Management, Mr. Thompson spearheaded achievements for the U.S. and Canada Supply Chain Management, U.S. Quality Systems, U.S. and Canada Equipment Systems, and the Integrated Logistics departments.

Mr. Thompson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Economics from Cornell University. He went on to attend Harvard Business School and Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth for agribusiness and entrepreneurial leadership programs.