Strengthening Consumer Loyalty, Amplifying Engagement, and Forging Lasting Connections

With over 25 years of experience in the food industry, I am a market research leader and a food service expert. As a Principal Consultant at Technomic Inc., I provide strategic insights and recommendations to clients across the foodservice value chain, leveraging my deep knowledge of foodservice operator and consumer behavior, and industry trends. Prior to joining Technomic, I held various leadership positions at Kellogg Company, where I managed the frozen and ready-to-eat cereal business units, drove innovation and customer marketing initiatives, and delivered profitable growth and market share gains. I have a proven track record of developing and executing successful strategies, launching new products and services, and building strong teams and relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Chef Michael Wilson began his career as a chef in Long Island, New York starting in 2002 working at several restaurants before landing at Kingston’s in Sayville as the Executive Chef. After becoming a partner at the restaurant, Michael spearheaded the expansion of the restaurant into the Florida Keys and the current franchise concept.
Chef Michael is a Johnson and Wales graduate, a Certified Professional Chef from the Culinary Institute of America and an active member of the American Culinary Federation. He has been a guest Chef at the James Beard House, the DeGustibus Cooking School, and the Autism Speaks Celebrity Chef Gala.
In 2017, Chef Michael joined Aramark as a District Executive Chef in the New York Metro area before taking the position of Regional Culinary Director in 2019. In his role, Michael is responsible for menu planning, culinary innovation, equipment procurement lead, sustainability champion, project management, and overall education of culinary insights & nutrition to the team of chefs.

Janet Kirker grew up in Champaign, Illinois and developed a passion for food at a young age while spending time in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother. Janet received a B.S. in Restaurant Management from the University of Illinois and her Culinary Arts degree from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
After school, Janet joined the team at Chicago’s iconic restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s. She spent most of her time in the pastry department, which led her to be the Assistant Pastry Chef at Danny Meyer’s Contemporary Indian Cuisine restaurant, Tabla, in New York City three years later. From there, Janet broadened her experience in other various positions in San Francisco and then as the Sous Chef at Café Lucy in Napa, Sous Chef and Executive Chef at Trotter’s To Go, and the Culinary Director at The Chopping Block in Chicago.
In July of 2012, Janet joined Lettuce Entertain You as the Executive Chef at Foodease, where she helped expand the concept through menu creation and operations. In 2017 she became a Partner with Lettuce Entertain You and has opened four locations of Beatrix Market in Chicago.
In her free time, Janet is passionate about all things wine, vacationing, visiting local farmer’s markets, and spending time with her husband.

Pat plans and executes the menu sections of Restaurant Business and FoodService Director, covering food and beverage trends, Menu R&D, profiles of chefs and restaurateurs and Technomic research. She also contributes to the digital content of both RB and FSD and is editor of two weekly e-newsletters, Recipe Report and On the Menu. Pat’s biweekly podcast, MenuFeed, covers a wide range of menu topics through interviews with chefs and operators.

Pat came to Winsight from Hearst, where she was an executive editor. She is the co-author of the Mompreneurs series of books as well as two cookbooks. She graduated from Cornell University and earned a Masters in Journalism from Boston University. She is active in several professional organizations, including Les Dames d’Escoffier and the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC), and serves as a judge for the James Beard Media Awards.