Jay Leno, Martha Stewart Top IDDBA Speakers Lineup

Heavy hitters from entertainment, sports, politics and food retailing lead the lineup of speakers expected to appear at Dairy-Deli-Bake 2015.

The event, June 7-9 in Atlanta and hosted by the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA), will feature a dais that includes Jay Leno, Martha Stewart, Arianna Huffington, Shaquille O’Neal, Youngme Moon, Walter Robb and Chuck Hagel.

Jay Leno: What Did the Cheese Say to the Bread?

The acclaimed comedian and long-time host of "The Tonight Show," will deliver a 45-minute stand-up gig. Called the “hardest working man in show business,” Leno makes more than 100 live appearances each year and has earned millions of fans across the globe. In addition to traversing the U.S., he’s entertained military troops abroad and uses his talents to help those less fortunate. Each year, he does numerous benefit performances, including shows for those whose lives were devastated by 9/11, the tsunami in Thailand, hurricanes in the Gulf and the severe economic downturn in Detroit. An avid motorcyclist, he also leads the annual Love Ride in California to benefit numerous humanitarian organizations.

Martha Stewart: Staying Relevant: Four Decades of Experience; A Fresh Perspective on the Future

This Emmy Award-winning TV host, entrepreneur and author is a trusted source of “how-to” information for everything from cooking and crafting to holidays and home renovation. In 1972, she opened her first catering business; 10 years later she published her first book. She founded Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 1996 and continues to run it today, 77 books and 18 Emmy Awards later. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia reaches about 66 million consumers monthly through thousands of retail products; TV and video programming; award-winning magazines and best-selling books; and innovative, interactive websites and mobile applications.

Arianna Huffington: Brave New World: How Social Media Has Revolutionized the Communications Landscape

One of Time’s 100 most influential people, one of Forbes magazine’s most powerful women, and described by Fortune as one of the few people who “get” the Internet, Arianna Huffington is chair, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, the online powerhouse that helped lead the rise of digital media. After launching in 2005, HuffPost quickly became one of the most widely read, linked to and cited media brands on the Internet and, proving its mettle and quality content, received the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 2012. Last year, Huffington’s 14th book, "Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder," debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Shaquille O’Neal: Thinking Big on Leadership

During nearly two decades in the NBA, “Shaq” made 15 All-Star appearances and led his teams to four championships. Yet O’Neal cites earning his doctorate in organizational learning and leadership – he’s the first of the “Top 50 NBA Players of All Time” to hold that title – as his crowning achievement. His research focused on using humor in leadership and he’s since shared insights with Pepsi, Reebok, Starbucks, Apple and Carnival Cruise Lines. In this interactive session, he’ll discuss how his own leadership style has evolved as he manages an innovative and multi-faceted business empire. Ranked among ‘‘The 100 Most Creative People in Business’’ by Fast Company magazine last year, O’Neal is currently an NBA analyst on TNT/NBATV.

Youngme Moon: Different in a Way That Makes a Difference

In this thought-provoking session, that question will be answered by Dr. Youngme Moon, the Donald K. David Professor of Business Administration and the Senior Associate Dean for Strategy and Innovation at Harvard Business School (HBS). Moon focuses on the intersection of business, branding and culture, and meaningful differentiation is the subject of her best-selling first book, Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd. On multiple occasions, she has received the HBS Student Association Faculty Award for teaching excellence, and she’s the inaugural recipient of the Hellman Faculty Fellowship for distinction in research. Moon has published more than a million case studies on companies ranging from Microsoft to IKEA to Starbucks.

Walter Robb: Conscious Capitalism 

As the Co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, Walter Robb has dedicated four decades to sharing his passion for organic, all-natural foods and making them accessible to everyone. In 1976, Robb opened Mountain Marketplace in Weaverville, Calif; 15 years later, he sold to Whole Foods Market and stayed on as the local owner and operator. He started a string of promotions that led him all the way to the Co-CEO position in 2010. From this post, he’ll discuss how Whole Foods Market balances a competitive advantage with corporate responsibility, address the challenges of breaking into new markets and share his vision for the future of food retailing.

Harold Lloyd: Supermarket Rules: A Road Map for Success

What kind of transformation and progress is possible given the right road map to follow? In this talk, author, teacher and presenter Harold Lloyd will share golden nuggets from his book, "Supermarket Rules! 52 Ways to Achieve Supermarket Success," including everything from improving customer service to operational efficiency to fresh merchandising ideas.

Phil Lempert: Consumer Attitudes: Food Safety in Supermarkets

Lempert will share results of a custom study, in consultation with IDDBA, to explore consumer attitudes about food safety in the supermarket, with particular emphasis on the dairy, deli and bakery departments.

Chuck Hagel: Challenges and Opportunities: A Global Perspective on America in the 21st Century

Having the distinction of being the only Vietnam veteran and first enlisted combat veteran to hold the post, Chuck Hagel served as the United States’ 24th Secretary of Defense from February 2013 to February 2015. Hagel also served two terms in the United States Senate, representing the state of Nebraska from 1997-2009 and serving as a senior member of several different committees. He is the author of the book, "America: Our Next Chapter," a straight-forward examination of the current state of our nation, and he will discuss a variety of domestic and global challenges facing us in the 21st century.

Michael Eardley: Trend Watch: Our New CEO Serves Up a Hot Dish

At his first IDDBA show as president and CEO, Michael Eardley plans to be very, very busy … and he wouldn’t have it any other way. There will be many hands to shake and sessions to see and events to lead, but one of his most important duties as fearless leader will be to reinforce IDDBA's commitment to food safety and define and discuss implications of omnichannel in the grocery industry, specifically in dairy, deli and bakery.

Eardley is already a familiar face to many, having served for a decade on the IDDBA Board of Directors and as a Past Chairman of the Board. He was also recognized as a Chairman’s Award winner for his outstanding contributions to the industry and to the Association. 

Kicking off his grocery career at his family’s supermarket while still in grade school, Eardley then worked for nearly three decades for D&W Food Centers in Grand Rapids, Mich., before accepting a position with HEB Supermarkets in San Antonio. He held a variety of leadership positions with both companies and took over the reins at IDDBA in August 2014.

Madison, Wis.-based IDDBA is a nonprofit membership organization serving the dairy, deli, bakery, cheese and supermarket foodservice industries.