Baking & Snack - February 2015 - 28

2015 BAKING HALL OF FAME

The Flowers Way
George Deese served as a trusted advisor whose legacy includes
building a stronger and better baking industry for the future.
by Dan Malovany
Integrity is earned not only through words but also on
one's actions over a lifetime. Likewise, leadership is defined not only by accomplishments but also by motivating
others to succeed.
During his 50-year career, George E. Deese has led
Flowers Foods to several milestones. During his tenure as
CEO of the Thomasville,
GA-based business, Flowers Foods grew from a regional baked foods company with $1.5 billion in
annual sales serving 38%
of the US population to
more than $3.7 billion in
annual revenue with access to more than 75% of
the country. Through his
leadership, the company
created well over $3 billion for shareholders in
increased market capitalization and dividends.
But those numbers only
tell part of the story that
defines Mr. Deese's impact on Flowers and the baking industry, according to
Allen Shiver, Flowers Foods' current president and CEO.
"Through his life, George's ethical grounding and good
judgment have been evident as he guides the Flowers
team, industry peers and community leaders with his
quiet, yet uncompromising, manner to always do what
is right," he noted in his nomination of Mr. Deese to the
2015 Baking Hall of Fame.
Mr. Deese's career with Flowers began in 1964 when he
joined the company's sales department. Over the years, he
was promoted to district manager, sales manager, executive vice-president and eventually president of Flowers'
Atlanta bakery - advancing to become regional vicepresident and president with responsibility for six bakeries in the Southeast.
From 1983 to 2002, he served as president and COO

28 Baking & Snack February 2015 / www.bakingandsnack.com

of Flowers Bakeries, the company's largest operating
group. In 2002, Mr. Deese became president and COO of
Flowers Foods, then president and CEO of the company
and a board member in 2004. He added the title of chairman in 2006 and served in that capacity until 2013 when
he became executive chairman. Since January 2015, he
has served as non-executive chairman of the board and
remains a member of the board of directors.
Under his watch, Flowers continued its decades-long
tradition of consistent sales growth through numerous
strategic acquisitions, geographic expansions and organic
growth in core markets. In addition to providing strategic
direction and encouraging innovation in manufacturing,
distribution and product development, Mr. Deese promoted a culture that stresses the importance of team, the
value of every employee and the impact of every person
on the overall success of the company.
As an industry leader, Mr. Deese served as chairman of
the American Bakers Association (ABA) and as a member of ABA's board and executive committee for nine
years. He was actively involved with the Quality Bakers
of America, the Southern Bakers Association and the
Grocery Marketing Association. He played a key role in
creating the Grain Foods Foundation in 2004.
His commitment and service to the baking industry
is reflected by respect from his peers. "In his daily life,
George Deese demonstrates wise judgment and serves
as a trusted advisor to all who know him - not just on
the job and with his family but also in the wider circles of
church, community, state and industry," Mr. Shiver noted.
Many of the letters supporting his nomination shared
private observations about how Mr. Deese provided support that went beyond his activities in the baking industry.
Robb MacKie, ABA's president and CEO, once asked
Mr. Deese what motivated him to become involved in
associations supporting the baking industry. Mr. Deese
simply replied, "We have a duty to leave an industry that
has given us so much better than we found it." That's Mr.
Deese's and "The Flowers Way" leading to his induction
into the Baking Hall of Fame's class of 2015. For more from
Mr. Deese, see "In Pursuit of Excellence" on Page 39.

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Baking & Snack - February 2015

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