For Immediate Release
Former Starbucks Exec Featured at ASQ World Conference
Founders of Ben & Jerry’s and Famous Amos Will Also Deliver Keynotes
Milwaukee, Wis., December 17, 2008 —Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks North America and Starbucks International, will deliver the opening keynote speech at the American Society for Quality’s (ASQ) 2009 World Conference on Quality and Improvement, May 18–20, 2009, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minn. Behar will share his leadership principles during his address, scheduled for 8 a.m., Monday, May 18.
Behar joined Starbucks in 1989 as vice president of sales and operations and grew the retail business from 28 stores to more than 400 by the time he was named president of Starbucks Coffee International in 1995. Under Behar’s leadership, Starbucks opened its first location in Tokyo in 1996. Shortly after, Behar introduced the Starbucks brand across the Middle East, Asia, and the United Kingdom. He retired as president of Starbucks North America in January 2003.
Other Keynotes
Keynote speaker Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., helped build a storefront venture into a $300 million ice cream empire by making social responsibility and creative management strengths instead of weaknesses. Greenfield’s presentation will deliver a rousing tribute to America’s entrepreneurial spirit, full of anecdotes and radical business philosophy.
Also presenting a keynote address is Wally Amos, founder of the Famous Amos Cookie Company. Within 10 years Amos was able to grow Famous Amos Cookie Company into a $10 million business. Much of his success is due to his infectious enthusiasm and tireless promoting as it is to the cookies’ delicious taste.
The Culture of Quality
The conference content—comprised of more than 90 breakout sessions—is designed to create, promote and grow the culture of quality on a global scale through five focus areas: quality basics; customer service; driving quality throughout the organization; improved performance; and 21st century needs, competencies and issues. The conference will offer attendees the latest quality knowledge and tools through networking with quality experts, as well as opportunities to generate quality ideas through a broad range of sessions.
Back by popular demand are the "After 5" sessions. These unique, interactive presentations are designed to demonstrate how quality can be incorporated into everyday life—with sessions on kitchen improvements, sushi, recreation, networking and much more.
Four Conferences for the Price of One
This year’s conference offers a unique opportunity for attendees to take part in three other conferences that will be held concurrently with the ASQ World Conference, all for one registration fee:
- Quality Institute for Healthcare (QIHC) — 12 sessions and 12 workshops
- Institute for Software Excellence — 9 sessions
- Quality in Sustainability Conference — 8 sessions and 12 workshops
For more information about the World Conference, including breakout sessions, visit the ASQ World Conference Web site, http://wcqi.asq.org.
The American Society for Quality, www.asq.org, has been the world’s leading authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 90,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As a champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers, encouraging all to Make Good Great®. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., ASQ is a founding partner of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly economic indicator, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.
