President and Chief Executive Officer, Corus Entertainment Inc.
John M. Cassaday has served as a director of SYSCO since November 2004. He is President and Chief Executive Officer of Corus Entertainment Inc., a media and entertainment company based in Canada, a position he has held since September 1999. He also serves as a director of Corus and Manulife Financial Corporation.
Retired President, United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast
Judith B. Craven has served as a director of SYSCO since July 1996. Dr. Craven served as President of the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast from 1992 until her retirement in September 1998. Dr. Craven is also a director of Belo Corporation, Luby's, Inc., Sun America Funds and VALIC.
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Sysco
William J. DeLaney was promoted to the role of Sysco's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective July 1, 2007. He has been named to serve as Sysco's next Chief Executive Officer beginning March 31, 2009. Mr. DeLaney began his Sysco career in 1987 as assistant treasurer at the company's corporate headquarters. He was promoted to treasurer in 1991, and in 1993 he was named a vice president of the company, continuing in those responsibilities until 1994. Mr. DeLaney joined Sysco Food Services of Syracuse in 1996 as chief financial officer, progressed to senior vice president in 1998 and executive vice president in 2002. In 2004, Mr. DeLaney was appointed president and chief executive officer of Sysco Food Services of Charlotte. He held that position until December 2006, when he was named Senior Vice President of Financial Reporting, a position he held until his promotion to his current title.
Manuel A. Fernandez has served as a director of SYSCO since November 2006 and Non-Executive Chairman since June 28 2009. He has been the Managing Director of SI Ventures, a venture capital firm, since 1998 and Chairman Emeritus of Gartner, Inc., a leading information technology research and consulting company, since 2001. Prior to his present positions, Mr. Fernandez was Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Gartner. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive Officer at Dataquest, Inc., Gavilan Computer Corporation, and Zilog Incorporated. Mr. Fernandez also serves on the board of directors of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE), Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE), The Black & Decker Corporation (NYSE) and several private companies and foundations.
Retired Non-executive Chairman of the Board, Riviana Foods
Joseph A. Hafner, Jr. has served as a director of SYSCO since November 2003. In November 2006, Mr. Hafner retired as Chairman of Riviana Foods, a position he had held since March 2005. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Riviana Foods from 1984 until March 2004.
Hans-Joachim Koerber, Ph.D., has served as a director of SYSCO since January 2008. Dr. Koerber is the former chairman and chief executive officer of METRO Group (Germany's largest retailer), a position he held from 1999 until his retirement in October 2007. He currently serves on the boards of Air Berlin PLC, Bertelsmann AG and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB.
Nancy S. Newcomb has served as a director of SYSCO since February 2006. Ms. Newcomb served as Senior Corporate Officer, Risk Management, of Citigroup from May 1998 until her retirement in 2004. She served as a customer group executive of Citicorp (the predecessor corporation) from December 1995 to April 1998, and as a division executive, Latin America from September 1993 to December 1995. From January 1988 to August 1993 she was the principal financial officer, responsible for liquidity, funding and capital management. Ms. Newcomb is also a director of Moody's Corporation and The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
Retired Senior Vice President, Federated Department Stores Inc.
Phyllis S. Sewell has served as a director of SYSCO since December 1991. Currently retired, she formerly served as Senior Vice President of Federated Department Stores, Inc.
Vice Chairman, President, and Chief Operating Officer
Kenneth F. Spitler was promoted to the role of President and Chief Operating Officer, effective July 1, 2007. In January 2009, he assumed the additional role of Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Spitler joined Sysco in 1986 and has held a variety of executive positions with the company including serving as president and chief executive officer of the company's Detroit and Houston operating companies. In 2000, he was named senior vice president, operations for the Northeast Region, with responsibility for 14 Sysco operating companies in eight states. Mr. Spitler relocated to Sysco's corporate headquarters in 2002 when he was promoted to executive vice president, redistribution and foodservice operations with responsibility for nationwide broadline operations and the development of redistribution facilities. He was promoted to the position of Executive Vice President and President of North American foodservice operations in January 2005, and served in that role until his promotion to his current position.
Retired Chairman and CEO, SunTrust Bank Mid-Atlantic & Retired Vice Chairman, SunTrust Banks
Richard G. Tilghman has served as a director of SYSCO since November 2002. Mr. Tilghman served as Vice Chairman and Director of SunTrust Banks from 1999 until his retirement in 2000. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Crestar Financial Corporation, a bank holding company, from 1986 until 1999.
Jackie M. Ward has served as a director of SYSCO since September 2001. Currently retired, Ms. Ward founded in 1968, and later served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of, Computer Generation Incorporated, which was acquired in December 2000 by Intec Telecom Systems PLC, a software company based in the United Kingdom. Ms. Ward is a director of Bank of America, Flowers Foods, Inc., Sanmina-SCI Corporation and WellPoint, Inc.
Audit Committee
The Board of Directors of Sysco Corporation shall establish an Audit Committee. The Audit Committee shall have a minimum of three members and be composed entirely of directors who are independent of the management of Sysco, are free of any relationship that, in the affirmative opinion of the Board, would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as a Committee member, who are financially literate, and who otherwise meet the NYSE's definition of "independent" and the definition of "independence" contained in Section 10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. At least one member of the Committee shall be a "financial expert" as such term is defined in rules to be promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Committee members cannot serve on the audit committees of more than two other companies. Audit Committee Charter
Compensation Committee
The Compensation and Stock Option Committee is a structure through which directors can effectively review and manage the officer and director compensation structure of the Corporation, administer stock incentive plans and review various Director and executive benefit plans. Compensation Committee Charter
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
Corporate governance is a structure within which directors and management can pursue effectively the objectives of the Corporation for the benefit of all its stakeholders (employees, customers, shareholders and suppliers). Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee Charter
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee provides assistance to the Board of Directors of Sysco Corporation in satisfying its fiduciary responsibilities relating to financial performance and financial planning of the Corporation in pursuing the financial objectives of the Corporation for the benefits of all its employees, customers, shareholders and suppliers. Finance Committee Charter