Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret.) was the Commanding Officer of the USS Cole when it came under a suicide terrorist attack by al Qaeda in the port of Aden, Yemen, on October 12, 2000. During his command, he and his crew distinguished themselves by saving the American war ship from sinking. This event is widely recognized as one of the most brazen acts of terrorism by al Qaeda prior to September 11, 2001.

Today, Commander Lippold is a popular inspirational figure and leadership speaker who is in high demand with Fortune 500 companies, leading financial institutions, and top industry associations. At a time when everything we’ve come to know is being reshaped by domestic and world events, Commander Lippold reveals how to lead teams and manage challenges successfully in the face of financial, national security, and global uncertainties.

Engaging his audience as a compelling storyteller, Commander Lippold draws upon his Pillars of Leadership to offer strategies he learned and applied to instill integrity into his team members and mitigate crises throughout his naval career. With takeaways for every organization to evaluate their own achievements and shortfalls as they prepare for what the future may hold, his lessons learned can make the difference between success and failure when it matters most.

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Greg Tyler was appointed to the position of President & Chief Executive Officer for the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) on July 1, 2022. USAPEEC is an industry‑sponsored trade organization dedicated to increasing exports of U.S. poultry and egg products in global markets through marketing, trade policy, and technical programs.

Tyler received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics with concentrations in marketing from the University of Georgia. He served for over 25 years with the Council, overseeing USAPEEC’s global marketing programs and international offices. He also previously worked for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in Washington, D.C.

Tyler is the immediate past chair of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) and was recently elected as Treasurer for the International Poultry Council (IPC). In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors for the World Poultry Foundation.

Francisco J. Grande, CEO of Quirch Foods, is a seasoned operating executive with more than 40 years of leadership experience across food distribution, CPG, marketing, and global supply chain operations. He has a proven track record of scaling founder-led businesses into institutional-quality platforms and partnering effectively with private equity sponsors, boards, and strategic stakeholders to drive sustainable value creation.

As President & CEO of Quirch Foods, Frank led the transformation of a $300 million regional distributor into a $5 billion national and international protein distribution platform, operating 24 distribution centers across the United States and Latin America. His leadership emphasized operational scalability, disciplined capital allocation, and rigorous execution across commercial, supply chain, and enterprise functions.

Frank played a central role in the 2018 sale of Quirch Foods to Palladium Equity Partners and subsequently led the company through a multi-year private equity value-creation plan. This plan included six acquisitions between 2020 and 2025, enterprise-wide integration, systems modernization, and senior-talent development. Under his leadership, EBITDA increased more than fivefold over the past seven years to over $160 million in 2025, driven by strategic acquisitions, organic growth, margin expansion, disciplined cost management, and improved working capital performance. Leveraging technology has been a key contributor to the company’s development over the past five years.

Most recently, Frank helped lead a $1.1 billion refinancing, strengthening the company’s capital structure and positioning the business for continued growth, M&A execution, and long-term strategic flexibility. He is widely recognized for building high-performing management teams, implementing KPI-driven operating cadences, and aligning organizations around clear strategic and financial priorities.

Frank serves on the Board of Directors of Quirch Foods and advises Palladium Equity Partners on portfolio strategy. He is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and is actively engaged in community and educational initiatives.

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Kyle is currently the Director of Sales for EJ Poultry.  His career began in 2001 in operations for Gold Kist Poultry, throughout his career he has spent his time in leadership, and individual contributor sales positions at several of the top 10 vertically integrated poultry companies.  He resides in South Carolina with his wife Kristen and 3 kids, and can be found fishing all over the Country, including a fishing trip here in Nevada this past weekend.

Was raised on a small family farm in Southern Missouri. 

Attended College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri 

Wife of nearly 30 years, 2 children and 1 grand daughter 

Have been in the Poultry Industry since 1997, in all aspects of the feed manufacturing, grains and ingredient logistics, procurement and risk management 

With Wayne Sanderson since 2022 as the Sr Director of Feed Ingredients and Risk Management 

Daniel A. Sumner is the Frank H. Buck Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis. Sumner teaches “Economics of Agricultural Sustainability” to a diverse group of undergraduates and “Agricultural Economics” to graduate students. Sumner’s academic research, teaching, and outreach concentrate on challenges facing farms, agribusinesses, and agricultural industries, including global markets, costs, and government programs and policies. Earlier, he was Professor of Economics at N.C. State, a senior economist at President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers, and the Assistant Secretary for Economics at USDA. Sumner earned his Ph.D. in economics, with specialty fields in agricultural and labor economics, from the University of Chicago. He holds a BS in agricultural management from Cal Poly and is a native of Suisun Valley, California, where he was active in 4-H and FFA.

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Tom Healey has served as an Executive in the protein and food ingredient sectors. He has held pivotal roles including Global Supply Chain Management; International Business Development; Global R&D – Quality Assurance; International Sales and Commodity Insights in a variety of Fortune 100 Companies (ConAgra, Heinz, Sonic, Jack Links, Dairy Queen). Tom earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science, then Master of Science Degrees’ in Genetics and Food Science providing him with a unique background that complements his work experience spanning 33 years in the food industry. During his career, Tom served on MICA (Meat Import Council of America) and the Cattleman’s Beef Board.  

Tom has been an organizer for 17 years for Mississippi State University’s Marination 101 short course helping industry professionals learn more about current information and technical applications regarding marinated meats. 

Tom recently retired and continues assisting the industry through consulting, and project management. In his spare time, Tom enjoys golfing, bar-b-queuing, developing meat items, hunting, and fishing. 

Russ Whitman is Director Market Reporting for Urner Barry by Expana and oversees all of the company’s protein market reporting initiatives in the Americas. Russ joined Urner Barry in 1986 and was initially involved with COMTELL sales and support. He also served as Manager of the Instant Market News Department and coordinated the company’s marketing efforts. By providing oversight to the PRA team, Russ helps ensure that all market researchers, reporters and managing editors are fully in-line with Expana’s methodology while observing IOSCO compliant reporting guidelines. As one of our most tenured team members, Russ holds prestigious, industry-wide recognition and often presents at events and conferences.  

Whitman graduated from Washington & Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with special attainments in Commerce. 

Amanda Rastovic is a Senior Forecasting Analyst with Expana. Prior to Expana, she spent 10 years as a Risk Management Consultant at StoneX. She has worked closely with a wide variety of companies to open markets, educate, and support their growth. She has been involved in the National Grain and Feed Association, most recently as a Finance & Administration Committee member for several years. She holds an undergraduate degree from Purdue University in Agricultural Business Management and an MBA in Finance. 

Elsi Rodewald joined Urner Barry by Expana in June 2024 as a market researcher covering the chicken and turkey markets. In this role, Elsi is actively engaged in providing in-depth coverage of the poultry markets while helping to analyze and communicate the complexities that surround current market situations. Elsi graduated from Mississippi State University’s Department of Poultry Science with a bachelor’s and master’s degree and enjoys having conversations about both the market and live-side aspects of the industry

Dylan Hughes joined Expana, formerly Urner Barry, in December 2017 as a market reporter covering the chicken and turkey markets. In this role, Hughes provides in-depth coverage of the poultry industry while helping to analyze and effectively communicate the complexities that surround current market situations to the benefit subscribers. Hughes graduated from Stockton University with a B.A. in Business Studies and is a board member of the National Protein and Food Distributors Association. 

With over 24 years of experience as a market reporter, Bill covers the domestic boneless beef, lamb, veal, and by-products markets. Now serving as the Managing Editor of Red Meat, he oversees the red meat division. Bill graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.

Jamie Chadwick is Managing Editor, directing the company’s news division in the Americas. She leads an elite team of writers, analysts, and global correspondents responsible for delivering the latest in breaking agricultural and food industry news to our network of subscribers. Serving previously as a livestock analyst for Urner Barry, she developed the framework for reporting impactful and objective intelligence for those operating throughout the entire agri-food space. Jamie has authored numerous educational resources on behalf of the protein industry and her experience has made her a sought-after speaker at industry events in the U.S., Canada and in Europe. She is a champion of the Women in Food and Agriculture initiative, serving as the Summit Chairman and campaign spokesperson.