History

A roundtable discussion convened during the 1988 National Restaurant Association Show to gather insights on the state of women in the Food Industry inspired the formation of the Women’s Council in 1989 which evolved in 1990 into Women’s Foodservice Forum. Fourteen forward-thinking women became the founders of WFF and dedicated their personal time to create an organization that would help develop women leaders and ensure career advancement among executive women in the industry.

WFF holds its first national conference “Open Minds – Open Doors” for 50 participants in San Francisco.

WFF forms its first Board of Directors.  Fourteen women and five men come aboard, providing critical early endorsement of the organization.

WFF hosts the first Executive Women’s Summit, giving senior-level members the opportunity to network and benefit from a customized curriculum.

WFF formalizes its boldest goals ever with the publication of Roadmap to Results.

To celebrate its 20^th anniversary, WFF publishes Women at the Table, and establishes its archives to collect and inventory significant materials of the legacy of the organization.

As part of its 25th Anniversary celebration, WFF hosts Poet Maya Angelou as a keynote conference speaker.

WFF introduces its one-day, in-market Leadership Development Workshops (LDWs) with top speakers to focus on key areas of career development and serve the needs of more women.

McKinsey & Company determine it will take at least 100 years to reach gender parity in the C-Suite across industries at the current pace of change.

WFF convenes 32 pioneering food companies to participate for the first time in the Women in the Workplace Study by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org. The Study provides detailed data on women’s progress within the food industry.

The CEO Advisory Council was formed with CEOs from the convening companies who participated in the Women in the Workplace Study in 2017 and recognized at Conference in 2018. The Council’s purpose and commitment was to make change within their organizations supporting DEI efforts and best practices.

In celebrating its 30th Anniversary, WFF highlights Industry Companies committed to leading the way to gender equity and Change Makers early in their careers who exemplify inclusive leadership.

Under the leadership of a new CEO & President, Therese Gearhart, and with a robust team in place, WFF expands services to members and Partners. As part of her bold vision for the organization, in 2020 WFF launched new online Partner and Member Portals (WFF Connect) to provide daily inspiration and solutions for companies striving to advance women leaders and members building their careers in the Food Industry.

WFF Exchange Networks re-launched in a virtual format, providing a Q&A session with a foodservice industry executive, followed by small networking groups. WFF continued to grow its virtual offering, expanding the organization's global reach and propelling women's leadership around the world.