Chair of the Board of Trustees
William L. (Bill) Hyde, Jr., FMP
William L. Hyde, Jr. is a distinguished 37-year veteran of the national restaurant scene where he has managed both private and publicly-held companies. He is a recognized industry expert in areas ranging from operations and team building to marketing and strategic planning. Hyde is often quoted in a variety of publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Business, and he has appeared on various television programs such as CNBC News with Brian Williams and NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
As president and chief executive officer of Ruth's Chris Steak House, Hyde revitalized a 33-year old stagnant brand into the largest prime aged steak house company in the world. He quadrupled the value of the company and effected a recapitalization in 1999 and retired in 2003. In 2006, he formed Briarwood West Investments, LLC, a private equity investment company focused on specialty restaurant investments having regional or national growth potential. Current acquisitions include Abacus, Jasper's and Zea WoodFire Grill restaurants.
Hyde has served on various industry, charitable and public service boards. In 2002, he was appointed by Secretary of Commerce, Don Evans, to the United States Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board. He currently serves on the National Restaurant Association board, is chairman of the Distinguished Restaurants of North America board and is chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees.
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