Proactive strategies by the American Bakers Association and industry leaders took the spotlight Sunday at the 2025 ABA Convention. The association’s President and CEO, Eric Dell, outlined how ABA is progressing on a wide range of issues, while other speakers addressed opportunities related to consumer trends, partnerships and community engagement.
ABA Helps Drive Industry’s Success
ABA is focusing on advocacy, workforce and marketplace insights to help power the baking industry, said Eric Dell, ABA’s President and CEO, in his opening Convention presentation.
- Advocacy: The association is committed to championing the baking industry and advocating for baking manufacturing’s policy priorities , Dell said. As a case in point, ABA is sharing with lawmakers the analysis on the impacts of tariffs for the baking industry. ABA members can download the baking impact analysis here.
- Workforce Solutions: ABA is advancing the industry’s workforce efforts through the NextGenBaker leadership development program, ABA’s Front Line Leadership Training, and the Baking Works career opportunities program. These activities support the association’s Destination Workplace strategic pillar.
- Category Growth: ABA's Bakery Playbook series features member exclusive reports focused on research and insights. It was launched to help the industry stay ahead of consumer trends and drive category growth. Two new Bakery Playbooks – Pizza and Flatbread, sponsored by Lesaffre, and Donuts, sponsored by Dawn Foods – were published on Sunday of the Convention and can be downloaded by ABA members here.
- Storytelling: The newly created Champions for a Better Tomorrow program helps ABA tell the industry’s story and recognize bakers and allied companies' positive impacts on their communities, workplaces and planet.
Bill Quigg, ABA Chair and President and CEO of Richmond Baking, said this year’s Convention has drawn more than 560 attendees with 56 baking companies represented and over 130 first-time attendees. “Our industry is growing, and our ABA community of bakers and suppliers is stronger than ever,” he added.
Spotlighting Proactive Industry Initiatives
Baking industry leaders emphasized the importance of acting strategically to stay ahead of changing dynamics.
A panel of industry leaders, moderated by ABA’s Dell, focused on topics including emerging trends, talent and community support.
- New and exciting flavors represent a key area for emerging trends, said Trina Bediako, CEO, New Horizons Baking Company. Important flavor trends range from fusion to healthy choices, she added.
- Partnerships and strong relationships are key to industry success and a big opportunity for suppliers and bakers, said Quigg of Richmond Baking.
- Offering internships is an important part of building the next generation of talent, and it’s especially useful to give interns a broad picture of a company and the baking industry, said Carrie Jones-Barber, CEO, Dawn Foods.
- There is an opportunity for companies to support communities not only as an initiative from headquarters but by empowering individual bakeries to identify local charities and programs they want to support, said Ryals McMullian, Chairman and CEO, Flowers Foods.
- Speakers shared books and other resources that have helped support business success. For Jones-Barber, it is the book “The Power of Positive Thinking,” by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. For Bediako, it is “We’re All in this Together” by Mike Robbins.
NextGenBaker and New Attendee Brunch Gives the ABA Convention an Exciting Start
ABA's NextGenBaker brunch welcomed a record 133 first-time attendees, fostering valuable connections from the start of the Convention. Focused on professional growth, public policy, relationship building, and industry education, it offered a platform for rising talent to connect with and learn from top leaders. Aligned with ABA's strategic goal of creating an exceptional workplace, the keynote featured a speaker from the Disney Institute, who shared insights on how Disney’s approach to employee engagement shapes organizational culture. Attendees said they took away actionable insights on building employee engagement and new ways to approach creating a strong internal culture.
NextGenBaker Co-Chair Liliana Economakis of Aspire Bakeries shared, “A core priority of NextGenBaker is fostering meaningful connections among industry leaders, and today is the perfect example. We have the ABA Board of Directors, rising industry leaders, and first-time convention attendees in the room. Thank you all for being part of this vibrant community."
Accelerating Businesses Through “Connectional Intelligence”
The baking industry can advance its business success by applying the unique concept of “Connectional Intelligence,” according to the Convention opening keynote speaker.
Erica Dhawan, a leadership expert who is the co-author of a book on this concept, outlined how leaders can build stronger connections across teams, suppliers and customers.
Dhawan defined Connectional Intelligence as the capability to unlock new and unrealized value by fully maximizing the power of networks and relationships. She relayed case studies on how this is playing out across industries, and said the baking industry should consider how it can help drive category growth and customer centricity.
As part of a Q&A led by ABA’s Dell, Dhawan said Connectional Intelligence can succeed regardless of the type of workplace involved — whether in an office or a manufacturing setting. In fact, she added, in a manufacturing environment it can drive communications in ways that help avoid potential errors.
What’s on Tap for the Rest of the Convention
Topics to be showcased later this week include food and nutrition policy, leadership success, community service and European bakery trends.
