Leadership is not about profits, clients, and mergers. It’s about building a sustainable, dynamic work culture and creating the next generation of leaders so that a company can continuously thrive, meet the challenges of today and create solutions for tomorrow.

Undoubtedly, there are countless heroes who have and will emerge from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, especially throughout the food industry. You likely know of a few and may have even witnessed their extraordinary feats first-hand. It is of utmost importance to take the time to recognize them for their efforts privately and publicly now and as we recover from this crisis. It doesn’t always take a worldwide event to identify and see heroes emerge. It’s often in the quieter times that greatness is realized.

For five months now, requirements in addressing COVID-19 have touched, affected, or changed most every aspect of our lives. Not the least of these is the fact it has reversed a significant food trend; it has driven us from being an eating culture, back to being a cooking culture.

Ray Brown has a leadership style that combines dedication, mentorship, vision, agility and a good nature. He meets with his leadership team one on one and in group settings, where they set and then celebrate the achievement of goals.