News Archive

UFPC Names New Vice President of Human Resources and Communications

Louisville, Ky. — Aug. 22, 2005 — 

Daniel E. Woodside, President and Chief Executive Officer of Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-op, LLC (UFPC), announces that Michele B. Esselman has joined the company as Vice President of Human Resources and Communications, effective Aug. 22, 2005.

Michele joins UFPC from Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., where she served nearly 20 years in senior management positions in human resources, finance, communications and information technology. Most recently, she oversaw employee communications and corporate culture development during Brown & Williamson’s merger with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Michele earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bellarmine University and is a Certified Management Accountant.

Through a staff of four direct reports, Michele will manage human resources and training and development functions for UFPC’s 240-member workforce. The company is headquartered in Louisville, Ky., and operates hub offices in Irvine, Calif., Wichita, Kan., and Dallas, Texas. Michele also will oversee a communications team responsible for internal and external corporate communications projects.

UFPC is the exclusive supply chain management organization for Yum! Brands, Inc. UFPC manages the supply chain for all corporate- and most franchise-owned A&W, KFC, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant outlets in the United States. UFPC negotiates volume purchases of equipment, food, packaging and other supplies from manufacturers and suppliers for purchase by operators.

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