Mark Pacinda
President and CEO
Boston Pizza International Inc.
Mark Pacinda is President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Pizza International Inc. (BPI). He is also Director and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Pizza GP Inc., Managing General Partner of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, administrator of Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund.
Mark joined BPI as Executive Vice President in 1997 to lead the company’s expansion into Eastern Canada. He was named BPI President in 2002 and Chief Operating Officer in 2009, overseeing the performance of Canadian operations and managing the executive team responsible for defining BPI’s strategy, objectives and business planning for more than 340 locations across Canada.
Previous to Boston Pizza International Inc., Mark was President of Arby’s International, where he was responsible for the company’s operations in 12 countries worldwide. He also held several senior management positions with Pepsi Co., including Chief Financial Officer for the South Pacific region.
Mark currently serves as a Director of the CRFA. In addition, he is actively involved in the Boston Pizza Foundation, a registered charitable organization that has raised more than $12.1 million for Canadian charities including the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Kids Help Phone and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
He earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Southern Connecticut. Mark lives in Oakville, Ontario, with his wife Debbie and their two children, Joanne and Ryan. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing and spending time with his family.
Donna Dooher
Chef, Author and Restaurateur
Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
Chef Donna Dooher, celebrated cookbook author and restaurateur, is one of North America’s leading advocates of the return to the table. With over 25 years of professional experience in the kitchen, Donna has established herself as a prominent figure in the Toronto hospitality community. Donna expanded her successful catering business Avant-Goût in 1990 to create an intimate restaurant called Mildred Pierce. Built in the west end of Toronto’s warehouse district, Mildred Pierce introduced its guests to a unique dining experience and established brunch as a culinary trend in the city.
In 1998, Donna founded The Cookworks Cooking Studio, offering entertaining and informative workshops focused on practical cuisine. Her hit Food Network show The Cookworks grew out of this initiative and is currently aired in over 120 countries worldwide. Donna served as Food Editor for WISH magazine, and authored the best-selling Market to Table cookbook, adding to her previous triumph with Cuisine Canada’s award-winning Out to Brunch with Mildred Pierce.
Donna’s newest venture is Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in the heart of Toronto’s Liberty Village and reflects her commitment to providing locally sourced seasonal ingredients, simply and sumptuously prepared. Donna sits on the board of Directors for the CRFA and will serve as Chair in 2012. As an active member of Slow Food, Donna is a self-proclaimed ‘fork hugger’ dedicated to supporting Ontario farmers and local agriculture.
Kevin Friesen
Chief Operating Officer
Scores Rotisserie (a division of Imvescor Restaurant Group Inc.)
Kevin joined the Imvescor in 2002 and has had responsibility for a number of roles including Chief Operating Officer for Pizza Delight and Baton Rouge, and Chief Marketing Officer for Imvescor. He now serves as Chief Operating Officer for Scores Rotisserie and his current responsibilities include marketing, operations and development.
Kevin has 35 years of experience in the foodservice and franchising industry. His previous experience included five years as the Senior Vice President and General Manager for Little Caesars Canada and Zone Vice President for Little Caesars Enterprises in the mid-west USA. Prior to Little Caesars, he spent 10 years as Director of Marketing for A&W Food Services of Canada and three years as National Director of Operations for Smitty’s Pancake Houses Canada.
Kevin has been a member of the Board of Directors of the CRFA since 2004 and sits on the Board’s Executive Committee as Vice Chairman. He is currently Chairman of the Member Products Committee and has chaired Government Affairs (Federal), Marketing and the Dairy Task Force.
Warren Erhart
President and CEO
White Spot Hospitality
Warren Erhart is the President and CEO of White Spot Hospitality. In 1990, after spending 14 years with the Keg Restaurant group, Warren joined White Spot as the Division General Manager. In 1994 he was promoted to President and CEO. At that time White Spot had 35 locations with sales of $71 million.
White Spot Hospitality now has more than 100 locations with sales of over $200 million dollars and will serve over 16,000,000 guests this year.
A major factor in Warren’s success has been his ability to build relationships with employees, guests and business partners, and his passion for giving back to the community.
White Spot celebrates its 84th anniversary this year, making it one of North America’s most enduring and best loved restaurant chains.
John E. Betts
President and Chief Executive Officer
McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited
John Betts, President and Chief Executive Officer, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited, began his career with McDonald’s in 1970 as crew in Southampton, New York. He then held numerous roles of increasing responsibility in the areas of operations, field service, training and purchasing throughout the U.S. operation.
Throughout his career, John has been recognized as an outstanding contributor to the global McDonald’s system, receiving numerous awards, including the prestigious Presidents’ Award reserved for the top 1% of McDonald’s employees globally.
Since assuming his current role at the helm of McDonald’s Canada in 2008, the company has achieved significant increases in annual sales and guest counts, has undertaken a comprehensive restaurant reimaging program, and has brought new and relevant menu enhancements to Canada including McCafé, which includes a full lineup of authentic espresso-based beverages. An unprecedented focus on coffee and breakfast has sparked an intense consumer connection and business momentum is at an all-time high. McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate over 1,400 restaurants and employ more than 80,000 Canadians from coast to coast.
John lives in Toronto with his wife Bridget and their children, John and Anastasia.
