It was a packed room at the 21st annual Friends Dinner, hosted at FMI Midwinter by Friends cofounders Bill Kies, president and principal of Kies Consulting, LLC, and Mike Gorshe, president of the The Gorshe Group.
Ron Margulis
Friends cofounder Bill Kies welcomes the room. While the dinner is not a charitable event – in lieu of entertainment – over the years funds have been allocated to charities designated by attending retailers.
Ron Margulis
Carole Christianson of the Western Association of Food Chains was the first honoree of the night. “This industry has given me so much happiness. So much of my heart is truly embedded in it. And I have so much hope for the future.”
Ron Margulis
Rick Brindle of Mondelez was up next as an honoree. “I said it earlier: I love this industry. It’s an honorable industry, it’s a phenomenal industry — we feed people for crying out loud. We care about our communities, we put our money where our mouths are. I gotta tell you: I could not be more proud to be a part of this industry.”
Ron Margulis
Sarah Alter, exiting president and CEO of NextUp, was the final honoree of the night. “I am humbled and honored. It’s all about community. NextStep is all about women in the workplace, but we’re doing it though community. And stay tuned: I’ve got another adventure or two in me.”
