Janet Duckham
Nashville,USA
Summary
Accomplished C-Suite Leadership Executive and Consultant with a proven track record in the foodservice and restaurant industry, renowned for driving operational excellence and strategic growth in complex business environments. Expertise in global supply chain management, cost reduction, and quality enhancement, with a talent for fostering collaborative partnerships. Demonstrated the competitive stamina in developing high-performing teams, implementing best practices, and achieving measurable performance standards. Recognized for energetic leadership, exceptional problem-solving skills, and a commitment to integrity and results.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Board Member
MILAREX
01.2023 - Current
- Strategic Advisory: Provide valuable expertise and guidance in strategic decision-making to ensure sustainable growth and competitive positioning of the company in the global seafood market
- Industry Insight: Leverage extensive knowledge of the seafood industry to identify emerging trends, consumer preferences, and market opportunities, enabling Milarex to capitalize on current and future demand
- Conductive Governance: Maintain the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct in the governance of corporate affairs, while consistently advocating for the best interests of the company and its stakeholders
Founder
NEXT LEVEL UP, LLC
01.2022 - Current
- Global Supply Chain Expertise: Offering a profound understanding of complex supply chain dynamics, enabling the development of strategic solutions tailored to meet each client's unique requirements
- Profit-Driven Services: Utilizing a value-driven approach to guide effective menu development, manage facilities services, and optimize overall operations for enhanced profitability
- Bespoke Infrastructure Support: Offering a range of targeted solutions while building high performing teams which support the core business needs and objectives
Chief Supply Chain Officer
CAPTAIN D’s LLC
01.2010 - 01.2020
- Supply Chain Negotiation: Facilitated and approved all supply chain contracts with an annual spend of $250 million
- Cost Containment: Achieved an average annual food/paper of 32% over 9 years despite extensive promotional activity
- Revenue Growth: Supported a substantial 23% increase in average restaurant sales over 9 years, primarily through effective traffic-building initiatives and sales-boosting campaigns
- Operational Efficiency: Consolidated distributors from 3 to 1, achieved best-in-class operational metrics, 99.87% fill rate, 96% on-time delivery, and 94% perfect delivery performance
- International Partnerships: Fostered 30 strategic partnerships with international suppliers and processors, securing top industry certifications and social responsibility audits, thereby enabling Captain D's to expand its global supplier network and ensure supply chain resilience
- Cost Reduction Initiatives: Identified and executed various cost-savings measures across waste management, pest control, cleaning and sanitation, fuel and grease recycling, uniform, smallware, and equipment programs, collectively reducing overall operating expenses and enhancing environmental sustainability
- Private Equity Engagement: an active member of C-suite team that successfully sold the organization twice to Private Equity
Vice President Purchasing/Distribution
LUBY'S RESTAURANTS, INC.
01.2009 - 12.2009
- Cost Optimization: Achieved an average annual food cost of 26.3% for 12 years, demonstrating consistent and effective control over expenses related to food procurement and supply chain management
- Commodity Hedging: Successfully hedged numerous commodity-based products, resulting in compounded annual savings of 20%
- This proactive approach helped mitigate the impact of market price fluctuations on essential supplies
- Technology Implementation: Spearheaded the implementation of the Instill Software Contract/Pricing management system as an early adopter, streamlining contract management and pricing processes for improved efficiency and transparency
- Strategic Leadership: Directed a comprehensive purchasing and distribution strategy, enhancing operational resilience and cost-effectiveness while ensuring consistent product availability across all restaurant and culinary service locations
- Supplier Relationship Management: Fostered collaborative partnerships with key suppliers, negotiating favorable terms and agreements to secure quality products and competitive pricing, further contributing to cost savings and supply chain reliability
Vice President, Operations Services
LUBY'S RESTAURANTS, INC.
01.2002 - 12.2009
- Strategic Vendor Management: Spearheaded procurement negotiations, vendor selection, and contract administration for a $155 million annual purchasing budget
- Reduced costs significantly by overhauling vendor partnerships and negotiating high-impact contracts to achieve savings of $3.5 million per year
- Training Program Development: Established a comprehensive five-level curriculum-based management training program that significantly enhanced leadership skill sets and operational excellence
- This training was reinforced by the creation and rollout of innovative online education resources deployed to all locations
- Operational Efficiency Enhancements: Pioneered technological innovations to streamline day-to-day operations, including the implementation of online resource scheduling which led to an 11% decrease in labor hours worked per week and a reduction in annual employee turnover from 32% to 22%
- These efforts directly result in cost savings and exceptional service efficiency
- Sales and Marketing Leadership: Provided strategic direction and core support for multiple business development, growth, and promotional initiatives, such as catering, breakfast buffets, and institutional account management, that successfully
- Guest Experience Enhancement: Championed the establishment of a state-of-the-art guest call center and an innovative online ordering platform to optimize the consumer dining experience and drive operational efficiency
- C-Suite Collaboration: Collaborated closely with the COO and CEO to develop and execute initiatives aimed at system-wide operational enhancement, consistently aligning departmental objectives with corporate performance targets and strategic direction
Vice President, Purchasing/Product Development
LUBY'S RESTAURANTS, INC.
01.1998 - 12.2002
- Supply Chain Department: Successfully launched the organization's first Supply Chain Department and hired the first corporate chef, paving the way for centralized purchasing and product development for 235 locations across 10 states
- Cost Reduction: Consolidated and reduced all major food distributors from 150 to 25, leading to tangible food savings of $5 million in the first year and a significant decrease in SKUs
- Innovative Solutions: Spearheaded the implementation of strategic operational efficiencies, including online food ordering, automated invoice matching, and night deliveries
- Vendor Relations: Fostered strong, collaborative partnerships with distributors and vendors, supporting sustainable cost savings while ensuring the highest standards of quality and integrity
- Menu Innovation: Led a culinary team in pioneering several core menu items and recipe enhancements, resulting in direct savings in food costs and consistent value improvement
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration - Management
Texas A & M University
College Station, TXSkills
- C-Suite Leadership
- Board of Directors Member
- Global Supply Chain Management
- Problem Solving
- Organizational Skills
- Quality Assurance
- Strategic planning
- Logistics and Distribution
- Cost Reduction
- Collaborative Change Motivator
- Menu/Product Development
- Sustainability Initiatives
Accomplishments
- Graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.B.A. in Management, with an emphasis in Marketing.
- Completed leadership training from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.
- Completed the Impact Purchasing Series from the Institute for Supply Management.
- Served as a Council Board member for the World Groundfish Forum for 9 years.
- Advisory Board Member for IntraFish Media and Texas A&M May’s Business School.
- Speaker at numerous foodservice conferences.
- Guest Lecturer for Texas A&M University's Mays Business School.
Timeline
Board Member
MILAREX
01.2023 - Current
Founder
NEXT LEVEL UP, LLC
01.2022 - Current
Chief Supply Chain Officer
CAPTAIN D’s LLC
01.2010 - 01.2020
Vice President Purchasing/Distribution
LUBY'S RESTAURANTS, INC.
01.2009 - 12.2009
Vice President, Operations Services
LUBY'S RESTAURANTS, INC.
01.2002 - 12.2009
Vice President, Purchasing/Product Development
LUBY'S RESTAURANTS, INC.
01.1998 - 12.2002
Bachelor of Business Administration - Management
Texas A & M University