Independent Governance of an Iconic Multi-generational Chicago Company

EVENT SPONSOR

Panelists

Carl Buddig and Company is a 82-year-old 3rd and 4th generation meat company that produces Carl Buddig lunch meats, Old Wisconsin sausage, Kingsford ribs/BBQ, as well as many retailers’ private labels.  Carl Buddig serves all channels including Retail, Convenient Store/Drug, Big Box, Club, and Foodservice throughout the entire United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company operates out of ten facilities in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin and has approximately 2,500 associates. The Corporate Office is in Tinley Park, IL. 

Personal: Married with five children

Outside involvement:

• Loyola Family Business Center: BOD member for 4 terms and Chairman for 2 terms

• Vice Chairman of Private Directors Association.

• Indian Lake Yacht Club: BOD for 2 terms

• Indian Lake Club: President for 2 terms

• Hinsdale Hospital Planning Committee

• Speaker/panelist in several Loyola Family Business and Private Directors Association events

Diane is the retired Chief Executive Officer and President of Hickory Farms, LLC, a leading multi-channel retailer of food gifts and specialty foods. She held this role from March 2016 through January 2022, where she led a transformation of the company to reinvent the brand and become the best retailer in the food gifting space. Under Diane’s leadership, the company transformed from a holiday-only tradition to a more modern and digital premier retailer that offers expertly curated gifts for any holiday or occasion. She accomplished this through the introduction of hundreds of new products; completing a rebranding; aggressively growing the eCommerce business; increasing profitability; building out a talented leadership team; and successfully completing three acquisitions, including Wicked Good Cupcakes, a Shark Tank company.

From May of 2015 to March of 2016, Diane held the position of Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Finance for Garrett Brands, LLC, a privately held Chicago-based retailer of gourmet, handcrafted popcorn with over 40 locations globally. Immediately prior to joining Garrett, Diane spent four years as the Senior Vice President of Operations and Merchandising for Redbox Automated Retail, LLC. Diane joined Redbox as the Senior Vice President of Finance in May of 2010. From 2001 to May of 2010, she served as the Chief Financial Officer of Crate and Barrel. Diane began her career with Amoco Corporation in 1980, and over a period of twenty years held a variety of financial positions in the corporate finance, treasury, accounting, and technology areas.

Since 2004, Diane has served as a director for MSA Safety, Incorporated. In May of 2018, she joined the board of Basic American, Inc. In the spring of 2023, she joined the board of Carl Buddig and Company. From May 2023 through August 2025 she was an independent director on the board of Li-Cycle Holdings Corporation. Diane also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business, as a trustee for the University of Illinois YMCA, and is a member of the board of Uniting Voices Chicago, formerly the Chicago Children’s Choir.

Diane was named one of Crain’s 2019 Notable Women Executives over 50 and was recognized as one of Women Inc Magazine’s 2019 Most Influential Corporate Directors. In 2020, she was selected to become a member of The Chicago Network.

Diane graduated Bronze Table with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois – Urbana and holds an MBA in Finance, with honors, from DePaul University. She and her husband Jim have been married for more than three decades, they enjoy playing golf, whenever possible, fine dining, and relaxing with a good glass of wine.

Moderator

Don Delves is a Managing Director in the Executive Compensation Line of Business and leads the Executive Compensation Practice for North America. Based in Chicago, Don is a leading expert and highly sought-after consultant and speaker on corporate governance and executive pay and performance, with more than 20 years of experience consulting with major corporate boards and executive teams across the country. Don previously led Willis Towers Watson’s Closely Held Business Practice and is a recognized expert on principles-based corporate governance, incentive design, performance measurement and value creation.

Don is frequently interviewed and cited as an expert in major media including Harvard Business Review, Fortune, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business News, The Today Show, CNBC and NPR. 

Don is a CPA and holds a Doctorate in education in principles-based corporate governance from Fielding Graduate University, an M.B.A. degree in Finance from the University of Chicago and a B.A., summa cum laude, in economics from DePauw University. He writes and speaks regularly on executive pay and governance at a variety of organizations including the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Equilar, NACD, and NASPP. Don serves on the board of The Metropolitan Club of Chicago and The Advisory Council of The 100 Year Starship.

He served on the board of the Private Directors Association and as past President of the Chicago Compensation Association.