Trader Joe’s Doug Rauch to Headline United Fresh 2017 Joint General Session
WASHINGTON, DC - As United Fresh gears up to put on its first ever joint general session, the association has announced Doug Rauch, former President of Trader Joe’s, as 2017’s keynote speaker, welcoming attendees of FreshMKT, FreshTEC, the International Floriculture Expo, and the Global Cold Chain Expo to join together on Wednesday, June 14.
Having spent 31 years with Trader Joe’s, serving as President for the last 14, Rauch played a pivotal role in taking the Southern California-based chain from nine stores to more than 340 in 30 states. Prior to his retirement from Trader Joe’s in 2008, he worked tirelessly to build the retailer’s prized buying philosophy, create a unique private food label program, and wrote and executed the business plan to make Trader Joe’s a national chain. Rauch also championed the development and execution of Trader Joe’s University, as well as the company’s customer experience orientation.
“Trader Joe’s national popularity with consumers is thanks in large part to the innovative mind of Doug Rauch,” shared United Fresh President & CEO Tom Stenzel. “He was able to scale a brand in a competitive marketplace and created a unique and self-sustaining culture of innovation. With three decades of retail experience and a conscious driven new venture, Doug will inspire us all across supply chains.”
Rauch has since taken up his new venture, Conscious Capitalism as new co-CEO. According to a press release, Conscious Capitalism looks at how higher purpose, stakeholder integration, conscious leadership, and conscious culture can simultaneously build stronger businesses and improve society as a whole. A recent senior fellow at the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative, Doug has focused on the challenges of food waste, hunger, and obesity, motivating him to also become Founder and President of Daily Table. Daily Table provides both grab-n-go meals and basic groceries at discount prices, bringing affordable nutrition to those living in food insecurity.
The United Fresh 2017 Joint Opening General Session will take place on Wednesday, June 14, from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.
