Gail Allen, First Female Sysco Op-Co President, Dies at 51


Allen was the first ever female president of a major food service distribution company. She began her food service career at I. Feldman and Co. in Washington, D.C., and in 1993 joined Sysco’s Albany division as vice president of merchandising and marketing. She was promoted to the top spot there in 1996, according to the report.

Allen led the op-co through its decision to build a $30 million distribution center in East Greenbush when the company outgrew its Albany facility.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Financing

For Papa Johns, the CEO departure came at the wrong time

The Bottom Line: The pizza chain worked to convince franchisees to buy into a massive marketing shift. And then the brand’s CEO left.

Trending

More from our partners