Industry leaders share what they look for in future leaders

WASHINGTON — At the NextGen Baker Leadership Forum, held Sept. 30-Oct. 1, attendees had the opportunity to hear from industry leaders about how they grew their careers as well as what the future of the industry looks like. NextGen Baker co-chairs Lili Economakis, division vice president, customer development, non-commercial, Aspire Bakeries, Los Angeles, and Bradley Cain, president of Cain Food Industries, interviewed Larry Marcucci, chief executive officer, Alpha Baking Co., Chicago; Don Carrell, CEO, Kwik Lok Corp., and Miguel Moreno, CEO, Roskam Foods, Grand Rapids, Mich. 

When looking for future leaders in their companies, all three expressed the importance of employees who could rise to the occasion. 

“I look for someone passionate and committed,” Marcucci said. “Or someone noticing the problems so we can engage them in the solution. Every day people are willing to tell me what’s wrong, but I want the person who is resolving the problem. It might not be the perfect solution, but they took initiative.” 

Moreno agreed, saying he looks for people who are volunteering to do things for the company instead of constantly passing things off. 

“I look for those people who say, ‘Don’t worry about it; we’re getting it done,’ ” he said. “We can always improve, but what we need is people who are focused on the final objective and raising their hand to make things happen.” 

Carrell stressed the effectiveness of servant leadership. This leadership style has proven to show the most success in his experience, and those traits are what he looks for in future leaders. 

“They’re really digging in and understanding the people who are working for them,” he said. “They really know them; their employees aren’t just a number. It really makes a difference.” 

Moreno encouraged attendees in the room to continue speaking up and making themselves visible in their companies. 

“Sometimes people don’t have the opportunity to share the many things they can do, and it’s critical to us as we try to build our leadership bench to know what our employees are capable of,” he said.