Baking & Snack - December 2014 - 22

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

"When you put smart and safe in front
of urgent, problems get solved."
Jeff Dearduff
ness and operations. When you expect to succeed, you
do succeed." Today, Mr. Dearduff leads a group of supply
chain support teams, known as ARYZTA Supply Chain
Services, which not only support bakery acquisitions (see
"Partnering Behind the Scenes" on Page 28) but also come
together to develop operational improvements.
"What makes ARYZTA successful is that it is not afraid
to take risks," he said. "This company is all about putting
the absolute highest quality, the best foods out there, and
that's the driver."
All Mr. Dearduff 's professional experience has
steered him to this place at ARYZTA. A quick peek
under the hood of his LinkedIn page reveals a list of
more than a dozen areas of expertise including maintenance management, engineering and product development. "It takes a wide range of knowledge to get
through even a day in this industry," he explained. "At
this level, there's never a day where one skill stands
out over the other, but the base of it all is having the
organizational skills to know what you need to call on
in order to solve the next problem."
This wealth of skills is something that is not lost on
those he has worked with. During a transitional time in
his career, Mr. Dearduff did consulting work for various
bakers and suppliers. "These are people who had a tremendous impact on my career and where I am now," he
said. "They gave me opportunities to make a difference in
their businesses."
Mr. Dearduff left his mark on them, as well. "Jeff
Dearduff is one of the most dynamic bakery executives ever," noted Cordia Harrington, CEO, The Bun
Companies, Nashville, TN.
Russ Bundy, owner of Bundy Baking Solutions, Urbana,
OH, also worked with him during a pivotal moment in
Mr. Dearduff 's career. "Jeff 's dedication and passion for
the baking industry are evident in all that he does," Mr.
Bundy said. "And his unique combination of experience,
knowledge and ability allows him to take on a wide range
of projects and deliver measurable results."

Taking the curves
Mr. Dearduff grew up in the industry, and to say he's experienced a lot of change would be quite the understatement.
Just think, four decades ago, when he followed his father onto the plant floor, hairnets and smocks weren't even
required. "I was in my baseball uniform and cleats watching him work or coach other people to find solutions and
get the bread going down the line," he remembered.

22 Baking & Snack December 2014 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Today, automation and food safety are changing the
game; interaction has given way to monitoring controls.
"You used to be able to walk up next to a machine, and
now you have to stay back because of safety and other
regulations," Mr. Dearduff said.
And technology is speeding up the change even more.
"What I do today is far different than what I did 10 or 20
years ago," he said. "It's more business-driven, and the

Arts and crafts, Dearduff style
While bakery operations get the bills paid,
Jeff Dearduff's outside activities feed his
creativity. Anyone who knows him understands he has a knack for extracurricular
activities that have included voiceover work,
auto racing and more. "Kurt Miller [sales director, J&K Ingredients, Paterson, NJ] calls
it 'arts and crafts,' " Mr. Dearduff joked.
His voiceover work started with a ticket
his wife, Wendy, bought him for a seminar
at the local community college in Joliet,
IL. Since then, it has served the baking
industry through two years of Baking &
Snack "Tech Tips" podcasts that covered
engineering and operations aspects of the
industry. Listen to archives at
www.bakingbusiness.com/Multimedia/Podcasts.
Auto racing, a sport his father introduced
him to, was a part of his life for more than
two decades. Not unlike baking, auto racing is something that requires dedication,
passion and teamwork. "It's more than the
competition and the moment when the
green flag drops, Mr. Dearduff said. "It's
"
building the cars, working them. It's having
other people helping you and building
something together. Every car I ever raced,
my dad and I - with help from other
people - built from the ground up.
"
Today, when he's not playing with his
grandkids, Mr. Dearduff spends his downtime on the golf course or playing in the
band at church. "I love my Saturday morning golf game with some close friends,
"
he said. "Golf can be frustrating, but if you
manage the time well, it's relaxing. But my
wife doesn't understand how it can
take me seven hours to play. "
So, what would he be doing if he didn't
have all the "arts and crafts" to keep him
busy in his limited spare time? The only
thing that's left: "I'd be napping.
"

http://www.bakingbusiness.com/Multimedia/Podcasts http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking & Snack - December 2014

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