Spring Break
CEO encourages career, life balance
Braden Lammers
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Campus
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Davis' approach was unorthodox, as he opened his lecture with a question and answer session where he asked students specifically what they wanted to know about.
The audience responded by asking Davis about centralizing procurement function, diversification, enterprising risk management and exactly how a college student can become a CEO.
"Do you think you can be a CEO?" Davis asked one of the students in the audience.
The student responded by saying, "No, I'm just 20," which received a resounding laugh from a full Hall Auditorium.
Davis, 49, had done what he does best-connect with his audience, similar to how he connected with his customers at Bob Evans.
Before becoming the CEO of Bob Evans, Davis received a bachelor's degree from the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin and went on to get his MBA from the University of Chicago.
The application for the University of Chicago's business school asked Davis the question, "Where do you want to be in 10 years and in 20 years?"
Davis' answer was he wanted to be the vice president of a Fortune 500 company in 10 years and the president of a Fortune 500 in 20 years. He thought his answers would help him get into business school-but they also inspired him to strive for his goals.
"Did I just do this to get into business school or do I really believe (I can achieve those goals)?" Davis asked.
Davis began his career with Kraft, where he was the director of marketing for its All-American Gourmet brand. He moved onto Yum! Brands where he was the president of Long John Silvers and A&W All-American Food Restaurants, and he also helped launch Pizza Hut's Wing Street concept. Along the way, Black Enterprise Magazine named Davis one of the 75 most powerful black men in American business. In 2006 Davis was hired as the CEO of Bob Evans, Inc.
"The key to turning a business around is innovation," Davis said.
Davis' innovations include a line of Bob Evans grocery products and a revamped Bob Evans menu. He has worked to introduced foods such as stuffed pancakes, Bob-BQ, stir fry, deep-dish dinners and farm-fresh salads.
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