Nancy Kruse

President, The Kruse Company

The best-known menu analyst in the foodservice industry, Nancy Kruse is a recognized authority and widely quoted spokesperson on food and menu trends.

In 1997 Ms. Kruse founded the Kruse Company, based in Atlanta and dedicated to assessing trends and directions in food, menu and restaurant concepts. She authors the Kruse Report, a column devoted to what’s happening on the menu that appears monthly in Nation’s Restaurant News; in addition, she creates content and delivers the State of the Plate keynote address for NRN’s annual MUFSO conference.

In demand as a speaker, she has addressed national and state restaurant associations, as well as major restaurant and supermarket organizations, food manufacturers and distributors and promotion boards across the US and around the world.

Prior to founding her own company, Ms. Kruse served as Executive Vice President for Technomic, Inc., where she conducted a wide range of consulting assignments for Fortune 500 food and restaurant companies. She has served on several boards, and she is an active member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum and Les Dames d’Escoffier International.

Ms. Kruse earned a Master of Arts degree from the Film School of Northwestern University and was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow in Russian Literature at the University of Wisconsin. She has also completed coursework at The Culinary Institute of America, where she is a frequent lecturer. In 2012 she was named one of LinkedIn’s top 100 INfluencers in the US, and her blog on food trends appears exclusively on the LinkedIn website.

John Miller

CEO and President, Denny’s Restaurants

Mr. Miller, as President and Chief Executive Officer for Denny’s Corporation, is responsible for leading the strategic direction of the Company.

Mr. Miller joined the company in February, 2011, and is an accomplished restaurant industry veteran, bringing over 40 years of restaurant operations and management experience to the national diner chain. Prior to joining Denny’s, Mr. Miller served as Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bueno Restaurants, Inc. (2005-2011). He also spent 17 years with Brinker International where he held numerous management positions, including President of Romano’s Macaroni Grill, President of Brinker’s Mexican Concepts, responsible for overseeing On the Border and Cozymel’s, and Vice President, Franchise, for the Chili’s brand.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Miller held various operations and restaurant management positions at Unigate Restaurant/Casa Bonita in Dallas, Texas. Effective February 1, 2011, the Board appointed Mr. Miller to serve as a director of Denny’s Corporation.

In keeping with Denny’s Purpose, “We love feeding people”, John has led the charge at Denny’s to partner with Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry, and active in Denny’s Hungry for Education” program to increase access to scholarships for the underprivileged. John also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Wilberforce University, an historically Black College renowned for its work in this regard. John is actively involved with United Way of the Piedmont, Habitat for Humanity, The Promise House, a Dallas based non-profit providing shelter for runaway teens, and The Gatehouse, a newly established home in Grapevine, Texas for abused and battered women.

Miller’s achievements in 2015 include the TDn2k Best People Practices Award, the IFMA Silver and Gold Plate Awards and the MUFSO Golden Chain Award.

James Camacho

Professional Foodservice Design Consultant, Camacho Associates, Inc. Chair, FCSI The Americas

As president of Camacho Associates, Inc., James acts as chief designer, overseeing all projects from conception to startup. With more than three decades of industry experience under his belt, he works closely with clients during planning, development and submittals — ensuring projects are completed within scope and budget.

In addition to designing and consulting, James is a guest lecturer and published author, with contributions to numerous prominent industry publications. He has also been nationally recognized, receiving the 2006 FCSI Award for Excellence in Design and, in 2010, being given the FES Magazine Top Achievers – Consultant of the Year award.

Tarun Malik

Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, Johnson & Wales University

As Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, Tarun advises the campus president of Johnson & Wales University (one of the top culinary schools in the country) on academic matters and oversees the academic, fiscal and physical environments for all programming. He currently serves as a board member of the North Carolina Hospitality Education Foundation and has served on the board of the Multicultural Food and Hotel Association (MFHA).

Apart from his academic credentials, Tarun has nearly a decade of international hospitality management experience, including being certified by Marriott hotels to operate Courtyard hotels. He has managed food and beverage operations in full-service luxury hotels and resorts in India, as well as mid-service hotels in the United States.

Carl Sobocinski

Restaurateur, Owner, Table 301 NRA Board Member

As owner of the acclaimed Table 301 group, Carl has brought several award-winning operations to Downtown Greenville, including Soby’s New South Cuisine, The Lazy Goat, Passerelle Bistro and a successful event catering division, among others. His creative and entrepreneurial leadership has attracted top culinary talent to the area, offering guests truly exceptional dining experiences for more than 15 years.

Beyond his work at Table 301, Carl is active in both the local community and the world of food. He currently is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association, where he is also Chairman of the Restaurant Political Action Committee (PAC). Additionally, Carl serves on the Executive Committee of the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association.

Mike Walpole

Senior Manager, Supplier Sourcing, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

A native of South Carolina and an alumnus of Clemson University, Mike has been with Chick-fil-A since 2009. His supplier sourcing team manages roughly $1.7 billion in annual spending — supporting all purchasing functions within Chick-fil-A’s supply chain. Before joining the top-selling, quick-dining chicken restaurant chain in the United States, Mike was Director of Engineering for BKI (a Standex Company) for 17 years, as well as a proud UH-1H instructor pilot in the United States Army.

Mike brings a wealth of industry knowledge, leadership, and experience to VantagePoint’s Foodservice Advisory Board, providing valuable perspectives from his position at one of the country’s leading quick-service restaurant chains.