Presenter's Material
Keynote Address: "It's Time For Tea -
An Outsider's Perspective of the Opportunities for Tea in the US Marketplace"
After twenty-five years in executive management in the food and confectionery industries in the UK, Canada and the US, Dr. Peter Rogers branched out in 1989 into more entrepreneurial ventures, taking equity positions through Basildon Enterprises or Basildon Investments L.P., in businesses where he takes a moderately active role, based on the concept of "added value." Peter also has operated as Acting CEO of four companies during the past twelve years.
While in the corporate world, Peter was CEO or President of eleven companies/divisions, ranging in sales from $65 million to $6 billion. During most of his career, Peter has been involved with turn-around situations or situations where structural changes were taking place within an industry.
In addition to actively running businesses, Peter has been responsible for managing support groups such as Commodity Trading Logistics, Information Technology, Corporate Engineering, Corporate Purchasing and Corporate R & D in large multi-division, multi-national corporations.
After a period in Academia, Peter began his business career in 1963 with M&M/Mars in the UK. He was recruited to Canada in 1967 to join the Weston organization, moving from there to John Labatt, and finally to Standard Brands as president of Walter M. Lowney. In 1973 Peter moved to the US and assumed the position of CEO of the Curtiss Candy Company in Chicago. Three years later he moved to New York as Group Exchange in charge of all US operations of Standard Brands. After three years in the Pacific Northwest, managing the country's largest fish company through Chapter 11, Peter returned to the East Coast holding a variety of executive positions with Nabisco Brands including President of Life Savers, Chairman & CEO of the Nabisco Biscuit Co., President of Nabisco Brands USA, and President of International Nabisco Brands. Since becoming an entrepreneur, Peter as assumed the role of Acting CEO for Gist-Brocades USA, Brach/Van Houten, Tom's Foods Inc., and Salerno Foods LLC, all companies in transition.
Peter received his BS and PhD degrees from the University of Leicester in the UK. He has served on the boards of several industry associations, including the National Confectionery Association, the Biscuit & Cracker Manufacturers Association, and the Tea Association. He has been, or is, a member of the boards of FICAH, (Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger), the Lupus Research Institute, Business Network Israel, and the Information Technology Resource Center. He was also a Commissioner on the Economic Development & Planning Commission of the City of Chicago from 1991 through 1994. Since 1974, Peter has spent considerable time working on adult illiteracy and illiteracy in the workplace, developing innovative programs with trade unions, various State authorities and ABC/PBS. He was Chairman of the Illinois Literacy Foundation from 1993 to 1995.
He has been and is a director of several small private & public companies where he believes that he "adds value". Peter is married, lives in downtown Chicago, has two married children, and five grandchildren.