Erick Rodriguez is an accomplished F&B executive who brings a passion for agricultural economics, food procurement, and supply chain innovation. In 2024, Erick joined the Independent Purchasing Cooperative (IPC) to lead Commodity Risk Management and Data Analytics for Subway® restaurants. His work impacts over $3.5 billion in COGS, helping North American restaurants optimize food costs and pricing through data-driven solutions.Erick’s career journey started at Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), where he discovered his enthusiasm for food processing, commodity trading, and value-added ingredient sales. That foundation set the stage for his move to Ventura Foods in 2018, where he broadened commodity risk management services for clients like CPGs, food retailers, and restaurants, with price risks in vegetable oils, sauces, butter alternatives, and shortening applications.Always drawn to the dynamic world of foodservice, Erick later joined Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions (RSCS)—Yum! Brands’ purchasing cooperative—to lead the commodity risk strategy for iconic brands such as KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. In 2022, eager to tackle new challenges, Erick ventured into fintech, joining Stable USA Inc. to help businesses navigate price volatility in non-traded commodities like fruits, organic grains, proteins, and renewable energy products.Beyond his career, Erick is driven by a love for the food industry and its ability to bring people together. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food Industry Management with a focus on Agribusiness from Michigan State University and an MBA from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Erick takes pride in combining his technical expertise with a collaborative, people-first approach to problem-solving.