CEO, Weight Watchers International
Former Executive Director, Let's Move Initiative, Office of the First Lady of the United States
Entering its seventh year, the Aspen Ideas Festival will gather some of the most interesting thinkers and leaders from around the US and abroad to discuss their work, the issues that inspire them, and their ideas. Presented by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic, the Festival is unique in its dedication to dialogue and exchange, and in its commitment to bringing ideas to the public at large. FORA.tv is pleased to present Festival programs taking place at the Aspen Institute's Paepcke Auditorium.
Dondeena Bradley is vice president of global design and development for nutrition ventures at PepsiCo. She is responsible for designing new solutions that target special nutritional needs of consumers with diverse health issues like obesity and diabetes. Previously, Bradley led PepsiCo's nutrition organization, which is responsible for delivering global strategies for nutrition standards, nutrient fortification, and education programs. These three areas help to increase the capabilities of the global R&D team and support PepsiCo's human sustainability goals. Prior to joining PepsiCo in 2007, Bradley led the strategic marketing team accountable for the development of nutrition technology platforms and company-wide strategic planning for McNeil Nutritionals, a division of Johnson and Johnson. Previously, she held numerous roles in the areas of nutrition and health with M&M Mars, Stepan Chemical, and Campbell Soup. Bradley also founded her own business focused on health called Conceptual Ventures.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national correspondent at The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle.
Leslie A. Dach
Leslie Dach is executive vice president of corporate affairs for Walmart. He is a member of the company’s executive council, and is responsible for public policy, reputation management, corporate communications, philanthropy, government relations, and the company's social responsibility and sustainability initiatives. He also manages the company’s global security, aviation, and travel departments. Dach has been responsible for the development of initiatives such as Walmart's partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama to make food healthier by dramatically reducing sugar and salt content, and to make healthy food more affordable by reducing prices on fresh fruits and vegetables; its $2 billion commitment to fight hunger; its pledge to remove 20 million metric tons of carbon from its global supply chain; and Walmart's overall corporate giving which reached $800 million last year. Leslie serves on the board of directors of the World Resources Institute and the United Negro College Fund.
David P. Kirchhoff has been president and CEO of Weight Watchers International since 2006. He oversees a network of 19,000 service providers in almost every community around the country, as well as international operations in communities around the world. Kirchhoff has held several positions within the company, including chief operating officer for Europe and Asia and senior vice president of strategy and business development. Before joining Weight Watchers, Kirchhoff was chief financial officer of the Enthusiast Media Group of Primedia, Inc., a print and digital content provider; director of corporate strategy and development for Pepsico, Inc.; and a manager and consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Washington, DC.
Robin Schepper is a senior advisor to the Bipartisan Policy Center's nutrition and physical activity initiative. She is the former executive director of the first lady's initiative Let's Move! In that role, Schepper built up the program and worked with twelve federal agencies, tribal governments, local elected officials, national organizations, sports leagues, media celebrities, and the private sector to find ways to engage every sector of society to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity. She uses her background in international events, four Democratic presidential campaigns, communications and community organizing to bring stakeholders together to develop strategies for helping kids be more physically active and to get the nutrition they need. Over the past 20 years, Schepper's career has spanned many arenas. She has served as Washington state director for Clinton-Gore, consulted for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, and served as a committee staff director for Senator Tom Daschle.
Weight Watchers CEO David Kirchhoff explains why his company does not have a weight loss program for children. "The crux of childhood obesity is the parents," he says. "It's really difficult to address childhood obesity if you're not making a valiant effort to address adult obesity, because they tend to go together."