People Report^TM Announces Chair and Speaker Panel for
2003 Best Practices Conference

Dallas – People Report^TM announced this year’s chair and keynote speakers for its seventh annual Best Practices Conference to be held October 29 and 30, 2003 at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Dallas, Texas. Chairperson for the event is Jim Lynde, senior vice president of people for Red Lobster Restaurants. Keynote speakers include Bill Catlette, CSP, partner and author of Contented Cows Give Better Milk and John Sullivan, Ph.D, author of HR Metrics: The World-Class Way. Special guest speakers include Richard E. Rivera, president and chief operating officer, Darden Restaurants, Inc.; Regynald Washington, vice president and general manager of Disney Entertainment and current NRA chair as well as Kathleen Wood, president, Elliot Solutions.

“Our members are truly committed to learning more about the strategic integration of human capital metrics and our goal is to bring in the some of the most respected experts inside and outside of the industry to share valuable information,” said Joni Thomas Doolin, chief executive officer and founder of People Report. “By attending our Best Practices Conference, members are able to learn from industry leaders and subject matter experts that will provide attendees sound business advice about the people side of the business.”

 

Jim Lynde joined Red Lobster in July 1995 as senior vice president of people and has leadership responsibility for creating business results through the capabilities and experiences of the 60,000 people employed by Red Lobster.  He has functional responsibility for staffing, training and development, employee relations, leadership development, compensation and benefits, and Canadian human resources functions.

 

Red Lobster received the first “Best People Practices Award” from People Report at its 2^nd Annual CEO and Senior Executives Symposium in 1998 and was a recipient of the award again in 2001. 

 

Bill Catlette is a human resources consultant with 26 years experience helping build highly successful organizations. He is the co-author of Contented Cows Give Better Milk: The Plain Truth About Employee Relations and Your Bottom Line. Catlette has worked in a variety of human resource management and executive capacities with some well known and highly regarded service distribution firms. His corporate ports included Federal Express Corporation; where, as a managing director, he and his staff were responsible for developing many of the Human Resource programs which enabled that company to become recognized as one of the nation's five Best Managed Companies (Forbes), one of the 100 Best Companies in America to Work For, and, without question, one of the true "world class" service organizations.

Dr. John Sullivan is a noted author, speaker and educator. Dr. Sullivan continuously challenges the HR profession, driving individuals and corporations to "world-class" performance. His efforts focus on "Changing the DNA" of the HR profession to create a function capable of building and sustaining competitive advantage through talent. His ability to "push the envelope" of HR has led many industry publications to name Dr. Sullivan one of the most influential people in the field of HR. He currently serves as a professor and head of the nationally ranked Human Resource Management Program at San Francisco State University.

Richard E. Rivera is president of Darden Restaurants, parent company of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones BBQ restaurant companies.  He is also a member of Darden’s Board of Directors. A veteran restaurant industry leader, Rivera is responsible for day-to-day operations at the world’s largest casual dining company, which in the spring of 2003 Fortune magazine recognized as corporate America’s most respected casual dining restaurant company and Business Week recognized as casual dining’s best performer in the S&P500.  Darden owns and operates more than 1,200 restaurants in 49 states and Canada, and employs more than 135,000 people.

Regynald G. Washington is an elected officer and Board member of the National Restaurant Association, and currently serving as chairman of the board for the administrative term of 2003-2004. Washington is also the vice president and general manager for Disney Regional Entertainment, where he has responsibility for the strategy, direction and growth of Disney’s ESPN Zone.  Prior to his current role, he was director of Resort Food and Beverage Operations for the Walt Disney World Company in Orlando, Florida, where he was responsible for all food and beverage operations for 18 Walt Disney Resorts.  ESPN Zone is also a member of People Report.

Kathleen Wood, founder and president of Elliot Solutions leads the premier strategic consulting firm for growing and emerging hospitality organizations. Elliot Solutions partners with organizations and provides strategic and organizational consulting, executive development and customized vertically integrated training solutions to support organizations in their development. Wood is also a co-founder of  the Elliot Leadership Institute at Johnson & Wales University, which focuses on development of emerging executives in the foodservice and hospitality industry.

For more information about People Report and their Best Practices Conference go to www.peoplereport.com.

Photos available upon request.

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People Report is the foremost provider of human resource metrics, benchmarks, trends and best people practices for the foodservice industry. Acknowledged by the National Restaurant Association and the NRA Educational Foundation as an expert in workforce practices, this innovative research and consulting practice publishes quarterly and annual reports for its members that track, analyze and benchmark the people side of the P&L. Widely recognized by executives as a credible, confidential and timely resource. Key research components include: recruiting, hiring and training practices, compensation and benefits, diversity, turnover rates and costs and business outcomes related to workforce issues. For more information visit www.peoplereport.com.