Culture, Crisis & Leadership: Building Stronger Teams in Food Distribution with Paul Saval

In this episode of Crave – The IFDA Podcast, host Julianna Blau sits down with Paul Saval, President & CEO of Saval Foodservice, a fourth-generation leader who has spent more than 40 years shaping culture, driving innovation, and navigating the evolving landscape of foodservice distribution.

Paul shares a candid look at the principles that guide his leadership — from building a conscious, values-based culture… to staying customer-obsessed… to transforming crisis into opportunity.

You’ll hear powerful stories about perseverance during COVID, generational transitions, partnerships rooted in trust, and why leaders must balance patience, persistence, empathy, and accountability.

This is a masterclass in modern leadership, resilience, and leading people-first organizations in a fast-changing world.

Topics Covered in This Episode

• 00:00 What Does Culture Mean to You as a Leader?
• 00:25 Why Drivers Are the Most Important People
• 01:14 Welcome to Crave + Intro
• 02:26 Paul’s Foodservice Journey & Leadership Path
• 03:06 Building Culture: Integrity, Trust & Real Values
• 03:48 The Story of a Family Business + Conscious Leadership
• 05:10 Fred Kofman & Conscious Business: 20 Years of Training
• 06:33 Culture Through Generations & Growth
• 07:06 Lessons from M&A & Protecting Culture
• 08:06 Competing with the Big Distributors
• 09:13 Why Drivers Shape Customer Perception
• 10:08 Local Impact, Community Roots & Culture Fit
• 11:18 Small Moments That Build Culture & Connection
• 12:58 Intentional vs. Conscious Culture
• 14:38 Partnership Stories: COVID & Community Impact
• 16:18 Feeding Restaurant Workers & Nonprofits
• 17:22 Expanding Into Nonprofit Distribution
• 18:07 How Purpose Helped Saval Survive & Grow
• 19:20 Agility, Service & Community Relationships
• 20:11 How Involvement Creates Opportunity
• 21:19 Luck, Preparation & “Being in the Arena”
• 22:24 Rowboat vs. Sailboat: Leadership Adaptability
• 23:33 Generational Leadership & Staying Dynamic
• 25:13 Freedom Within a Framework: Balancing Plan & Flexibility
• 27:15 Technology Adoption & Cut+Dry
• 28:10 Learning the Tools Yourself as a Leader
• 29:03 Hiring Talent from Large Distributors
• 30:07 Staying Human While Embracing Technology
• 31:12 Competing With Agility + Faster Decisions
• 32:55 Mentorship, Listening & Lessons from Others
• 33:38 Staying Close to the Customer
• 34:00 Pride in the Next Generation of the Industry
• 35:42 Why the Future Looks Bright
• 36:54 Leadership Core: Patience & Persistence
• 38:55 Strategic Patience & Staying the Course
• 39:17 Final Thoughts + Thanks to Cut+Dry

More About Our Guest

Paul Saval
President & CEO, Saval Foodservice

Paul Saval is the President and CEO of Saval Foods Corporation, a family-owned food company with roots dating back to 1932. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded to include three subsidiaries: Saval Foodservice, a broadline distributor serving restaurants, caterers, and country clubs throughout the Mid-Atlantic; Deli Brands of America, a nationwide processor of deli meats and specialty products; and 1932 Specialty Produce and Meat, a direct distributor of fresh produce and custom-cut meats.

Recognized for both business excellence and community leadership, Paul has earned numerous industry awards, including induction into the Maryland Retailers Association Food Industry Hall of Fame and Baltimore SmartCEO’s “Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year.”

Paul is deeply committed to civic engagement and serves as Chairman of UniPro Foodservice. He also sits on the boards of the Elijah Cummings Youth Program in Israel, Foodservice Risk Management, the Baltimore Region Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the BIC Educational Foundation, and the Baltimore Jewish Council, among others.

His past service includes leadership roles with the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, LifeBridge Health, Northwest Hospital, the Baltimore County Planning Board and Ethics Commission, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the International Foodservice Distributors Association, and multiple nonprofit and community organizations.

Paul holds degrees from the University of Maryland (B.S., Government & Politics), the University of Baltimore School of Law (J.D.), and Loyola University Maryland (MBA). Before joining his family’s company in 1983, he practiced law for three years.

He and his wife, Ellen, reside in Fulton, Maryland, and are the proud parents of three sons and grandparents to one grandson and three granddaughters.