Dawn Foods CEO to discuss global business challenges

KALAMAZOO--The top executive of a leading global food products company will be featured in the next Distinguished Speaker Series presentation sponsored by Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business.

Carrie Jones-Barber, chief executive officer of Dawn Food Products, will present "Rising to the Challenge: Redefining Business While Staying True to Our Roots" at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, on campus in Schneider Hall. Those planning to attend should register by Friday, March 16. The talk will be followed by a question-and-answer period.

Dawn Food Products began as a bustling bakery in Jackson, Mich., nearly a century ago and has evolved into an international bakery supplier with more than 40 locations, 40,000 customers and 3,500 team members worldwide. Still headquartered in Jackson, it offers the food industry some 4,000 products and services, from a complete line of mixes, icings, glazes, fillings and frozen dough to fully decorated cakes, cookies and muffins.

Jones-Barber started with Dawn in 1985 and is the third generation of the Jones family to lead the company. During her tenure, Dawn has more firmly established its reputation as a global leader in the sweet side of bakery, expanding its reach to customers in more than 60 countries. Jones-Barber has served the company in several roles, including as president of Dawn Foods International, business development manager for Dawn Foods UK Ltd., chief information officer at the home office in Michigan, and U.S. sales representative.

She is active in industry and philanthropic groups and participated in the Women's Leadership Forum through the Harvard School of Business. Jones-Barber earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from WMU and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.

To register for Carrie Jones-Barber's talk or obtain more information, contact Cyntia Reeves at @email or (269) 387-5069.