I am a CEO, board director and policy leader with 25+ years of experience leading organizations through growth and transformation across business, hospitality, education and technology.
My career has spanned the U.S., Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, with leadership responsibility across enterprise strategy, P&L, revenue growth, operations, market expansion, government affairs and talent.
Today, I serve as President & CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association and Texas Restaurant Foundation, leading the business, policy and advocacy strategy for an industry of more than 58,000 restaurants, 1.4 million employees and $137 billion in annual sales. I operate at the intersection of business and government—building coalitions, influencing public policy and advancing industry competitiveness.
Since becoming CEO, I have led the organization through crisis and significant transformation, strengthened its financial and operating model, diversified revenue, modernized member engagement, built new workforce and business solutions, and elevated its influence on economic, labor, immigration, tax, payments and small-business policy.
My earlier career was global. As Managing Director for Study Group North America, I led growth and commercial strategy across the U.S. and Canada within a global education company operating in more than 60 countries. At Laureate International Universities, I served as President of Kendall College and held senior global roles across enrollment, operations and business development, expanding programs across the U.S., Latin America and the Middle East and supporting leading hospitality institutions in Switzerland. Earlier executive roles at Pearson built my foundation in commercial strategy, sales and business development.
I also serve as an independent board director across PE-backed data, technology and international education companies, including Datassential, backed by New Mountain Capital; Axial Shift; and Academic Programs International, backed by Avathon Capital. I advise management teams and investors on growth, technology and AI, workforce, customer strategy, public policy and long-term value creation.
My leadership philosophy is grounded in stewardship: build strong organizations, make disciplined decisions, develop exceptional people and leave every enterprise stronger than you found it.
Every great leader is built on two things: the grit to keep going and the systems to keep growing. This two-part welcome keynote gives you both.
Dr. Emily Williams Knight, President & CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, opens with GRIT—the resilience you pull from deep inside when it matters most. As the leader of an organization representing 58,000+ Texas restaurants and 1.4 million employees, Emily has guided an entire industry through crisis, transformation, and what comes next.
Jessa Parette, Head of Design at Yum! Brands, shows what grit looks like when you build it into systems, strategy, and structure that scale. As the design lead behind Byte by Yum!—the AI-driven platform powering digital experiences at Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill worldwide—Jessa knows what it takes to lead with clarity inside complexity.
Together, they lay the foundation for everything ahead. This is your blueprint for leading powerfully through anything.
