Feeding 34,000 Restaurants with Susan Adzick

In Episode 11 of Crave – The IFDA Podcast, we sit down with Susan Adzick, President of McLane Restaurant—one of the largest systems distribution companies in the U.S.

Susan shares her journey from chemical manufacturing into foodservice distribution, reflecting on more than 25 years of leadership in an industry she loves for its people, challenges, and opportunities. She explains how McLane Foodservice has evolved through acquisitions, consolidations, and growth—while serving franchisees and restaurant partners across the country.

A central theme of the conversation is leading change, what it takes to guide organizations, customers, and teams through transitions while staying grounded in clarity, principles, and trust. Susan and Julien discuss how to build buy-in across an organization, the importance of recognizing frontline workers as “industrial athletes,” and why psychological safety and valuing perspectives at every level are critical to successful change management.

Topics Covered in This Episode

• 000:00 – Intro & Opening Reflection
• 00:55 – Welcome to Crave: The IFDA Podcast + Sponsor Shoutout (Cut+Dry)
• 02:15 – Meet Susan Adzick, President of McLane Foodservice & IFDA Vice Chair
• 02:35 – Career Journey: From PepsiCo to Foodservice Distribution
• 03:24 – Why Susan Loves the Industry: People, Challenges & Customers
• 04:10 – The Role of Franchisees, Customers & Strategic Partnerships
• 04:46 – Anchoring on Change & Leadership in Distribution
• 05:25 – The Value of the IFDA Community & Peer Learning
• 06:38 – Why Policymakers Must Understand Foodservice Distribution
• 07:30 – Call to Action: Strengthening the Industry Together
• 08:27 – Drivers as “Industrial Athletes”
• 09:05 – Rodeos, Recognition & Building Team Culture
• 10:44 – The Power of Recognition & Handwritten Notes
• 12:15 – Defining Change as a Leader: Trust, Values & Principles
• 13:56 – Head & Heart: The Human Side of Change Management
• 15:17 – Repetition & Clarity in Change Communication
• 17:12 – Risk of Not Changing: Why Action Matters
• 17:34 – Enterprise-Wide Transformation at McLane
• 19:55 – “Common When Possible, Customize When It Counts”
• 20:48 – Necessity Driving Change & Team Buy-In
• 23:14 – Future-Proofing Strategy: Winning Today vs. 5 Years Ahead
• 25:07 – Clarity, Principles & Trust in Emergency Transitions
• 27:07 – Why Change Feels Good When Everyone Contributes
• 27:53 – Watch Outs: When Change Fails Without the Right Voices
• 28:58 – Psychological Safety & Creating a Culture of Voice
• 30:26 – Pre-Mortems & Empowering Teams for Success
• 31:05 – The Change Curve: 20/60/20 Rule
• 32:54 – Mentors, Personal Boards & Lifelong Learning
• 34:06 – “You Can Never Not Lead” – Dr. Deming’s Lasting Influence
• 35:24 – Leadership Without a Title: Everyone Can Lead Change
• 36:07 – Stepping Back: Coaching vs. Controlling Teams
• 37:49 – Final Thoughts: Why Change is Exciting, Not Scary

More About Our Guest

Susan Adzick
President, McLane Restaurant

Susan Adzick is president of McLane Restaurant, one of the largest systems distribution companies in the United States. McLane’s Restaurant division operates 47 distribution centers across the U.S., delivering more than 13 billion pounds of goods to more than 34,000 QSR, fast casual, and casual restaurants, including many of the industry’s top chains.