Leisure | Top 101 Industry Experts

Manager of Analytical Services
Research and Development Department
Bimbo Bakeries USA
Greenwich, CT, USA
Industry: Leisure
Field: Ingredient Functionality

Liz A. Bratisax’s passion for food led her to a 30-year career in the food manufacturing industry, where she has worked with prominent food companies such as the General Foods Corporation, Kraft Foods, CPC, UniLever, George Weston Bakeries and Best Foods. For the majority of her career, she has devoted herself to her work for Bimbo Bakeries USA, a food distributor whose mission is “To nourish, delight, and serve America — every meal, every day.” As the manager of analytical services for its Research and Development Department, Mrs. Bratisax is instrumental to the company’s success in achieving this goal. In her current role, she utilizes her expertise in analytical testing and ingredient functionality when testing new ingredients and finished products, writing ingredient specifications, training personnel on testing procedures, and managing front end nutritional information for regulatory groups.

Mrs. Bratisax earned an associate degree from Farmingdale State College and a Bachelor of Science from the Long Island University’s C.W. Post Campus. She speaks at food safety seminars and chairs the annual company Miller’s meeting to ensure that she remains current in the wheat, corn, oat and rye milling industries. An active member of the Institute of Food Technologists and The Association of Official Analytical Chemists (Now AOAC International), she gleans inspiration from the legacies of her heroes Julia Child and Dave Thomas.

Bimbo Bakeries USA’s history in the United States began in 1994, when Grupo Bimbo began exporting and distributing its leading Mexican products into California and Texas. Since then, a diverse number of bread and tortilla bakeries have been acquired and today, this entire legacy has become Bimbo Bakeries USA. Mrs. Bratisax believes that she has been very successful in what is typically a male-dominated industry, and attributes that success to her dedication and strong sense of determination. Continue reading →

President, Chief Executive Officer
Roosters Diner
Bruce Mines, Canada
http://www.roostersdiner.com
http://www.mariajrstruik.com
Industry: Leisure
Field: Hospitality Services

When Maria J.R. Struik met her husband, John, he was the area franchisee for Dixie Lee Food Systems. They were very successful and opened many outlets throughout Northern Ontario. In January 2006, corporate ownership changed, and in June 2006, she and John became entangled in a legal battle with the new corporate owner. In May 2008, John became suddenly ill and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; he passed in June 2008. Mrs. Struik had always been involved in the business, but more in a supporting role. After John’s sudden death, she honored his previous agreement with Dixie Lee and finished the legal battle in September 2011. She then started her own business in the hospitality industry, building it based upon the principles in which she and her late husband believed so strongly.

“Love what you do so you don’t work a day in your life,” says Mrs. Struik. She now serves as the president and chief executive officer of Roosters Diner, a restaurant that is known for its simple, good food, and great hospitality. She enjoys helping people reach their greatest potential and seeing them succeed. She loves her job and aims to attract people with the same business philosophy. Mrs. Struik has been a three-time finalist for North American Marketing’s Marketer of the Year award, and she received the Celebrity Press Editor’s Choice Award in 2012. She has four bestseller slots on Amazon.com for the book that she contributed to, titled “Women Who Mean Business.”

Mrs. Struik is an honorary member of America’s Premier Expert and holds a bachelor’s degree equivalent in business, which she earned in the Netherlands. She attributes her success to her faith and hard work, and looking ahead, she hopes to have the company built up to many more units, and wants to have a restaurant in Bruce Mines, Canada. Continue reading →