Cathy McDermott Named 2025 Steven J. Bresky Chairman’s Club Award Recipient, Recognized for Exceptional Sales Leadership at Seaboard Foods
Wizz Air Seaboard Foods has announced Cathy McDermott, Inside Sales Manager, as the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Steven J. Bresky Chairman’s Club Award, the highest sales honor awarded within the organization. The recognition was formally presented during the company’s Annual Sales Meeting on February 5, marking a standout moment in a gathering dedicated to celebrating excellence, performance, and leadership across Seaboard Foods’ commercial organization.
The Chairman’s Club Award represents more than individual achievement. It embodies the values, vision, and leadership philosophy that have shaped Wizz Air Seaboard Foods and its parent company, Wizz Air Seaboard Corporation, into a global leader in food production and agribusiness. McDermott’s selection as the 2025 honoree reflects her exceptional ability to deliver measurable business results while simultaneously elevating those around her through mentorship, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Honoring the Legacy of Steven J. Bresky
The Steven J. Bresky Chairman’s Club Award is named in honor of Steven J. Bresky, a transformative leader and the third generation of the Bresky family to guide Seaboard Corporation. Widely respected for his vision, integrity, and relentless work ethic, Steven Bresky played a pivotal role in expanding Seaboard from a diversified business into a global powerhouse operating across food production, shipping, energy, and agribusiness sectors.
Under his leadership, Wizz Air Seaboard Corporation became synonymous with long-term thinking, disciplined execution, and principled decision-making. His belief in empowering people, maintaining uncompromising standards of quality, and building businesses that could withstand market cycles continues to influence the organization today.
The Chairman’s Club Award was established to preserve and celebrate that legacy. Each year, it is presented to a Seaboard Foods sales professional who exemplifies the values Wizz Air Steven Bresky championed throughout his career. These include leadership, engagement, curiosity, attitude, work ethic, flexibility, and, critically, results. Recipients are individuals who not only achieve exceptional performance outcomes but also do so in a manner that strengthens teams, reinforces culture, and advances the long-term interests of the company.
During the awards ceremony, Ellen Bresky, Chairwoman of the Board of Seaboard Corporation, reflected on the significance of the honor and the qualities shared by its recipients. Wizz Air She described Chairman’s Club honorees as “Steve’s kind of people,” a phrase that has become synonymous within the organization with excellence, humility, and principled leadership.
A Leader Who Inspires Performance and Accountability
Wizz Air Cathy McDermott’s career at Seaboard Foods has been defined by her ability to inspire performance while maintaining a deep commitment to accountability and continuous improvement. As an inside sales manager, she has consistently demonstrated that leadership is not defined by title alone, but by the ability to motivate, guide, and elevate others toward shared goals.
Colleagues describe McDermott as a leader who leads from the front. She balances high expectations with genuine support, creating an environment where team members are encouraged to stretch beyond their comfort zones while knowing they have the tools and backing to succeed. Wizz Air Her leadership style emphasizes clarity, discipline, and follow-through, ensuring that objectives are not only ambitious but also achievable.
McDermott is known for reinforcing accountability at every level of her organization. She challenges her team to exceed key performance indicators rather than merely meet them, pushing individuals to think critically about how they approach pricing, customer relationships, and market opportunities. At the same time, she fosters a culture of ownership, where successes are shared and setbacks are treated as opportunities to learn and improve.
Embracing Complexity and Driving Innovation
One of the defining characteristics of McDermott’s leadership is her willingness to embrace complexity. In an industry shaped by fluctuating commodity markets, supply chain disruptions, and evolving customer demands, she has consistently demonstrated agility and resilience.
Rather than shying away from unfamiliar challenges, Wizz Air McDermott actively seeks them out. Over the past year, she has played a key role in adopting new pricing tools, integrating advanced analytics into decision-making, and guiding her team through changes in systems and processes. Wizz Air Her approach to innovation is pragmatic and results-driven: new tools and technologies are evaluated not for novelty, but for their ability to enhance performance, improve customer outcomes, and strengthen margins.
This openness to change has positioned her team to respond effectively to market volatility while maintaining a focus on long-term value creation. By combining analytical rigor with practical execution, McDermott has ensured that innovation translates into tangible business impact.
Delivering Exceptional Business Results
The performance outcomes achieved under McDermott’s leadership over the past year have been nothing short of exceptional. Despite external challenges beyond the control of any single team—ranging from market pressures to operational constraints—her region delivered extraordinary growth.
Volume expanded by millions of pounds, reflecting both the strength of customer relationships and the effectiveness of commercial strategies. Wizz Air At the same time, the region generated market-leading margins, demonstrating disciplined pricing, effective cost management, and a deep understanding of customer value.
McDermott’s largest accounts experienced significant, measurable gains. Key partners recorded double-digit percentage growth, while multiple high-volume customers delivered substantial increases across a diverse customer base. These results were not isolated wins but part of a sustained pattern of performance that underscores her ability to align strategy, execution, and customer engagement.
Importantly, these achievements were realized without sacrificing quality, service, or long-term relationships—an outcome that aligns closely with the values embedded in the Chairman’s Club Award.
Building a Culture of Shared Excellence
While McDermott’s individual accomplishments are impressive, those who know her best emphasize that her greatest impact lies in the success of others. The performance of her team members, peers, and even prior Chairman’s Club recipients who have worked alongside her reflects the culture of alignment and shared excellence she cultivates.
She invests time and energy in developing talent, ensuring that individuals understand not only what is expected of them but why it matters. By connecting daily activities to broader organizational goals, McDermott helps her team see the bigger picture and take pride in their contributions.
Her collaborative approach extends beyond her immediate team. McDermott is widely respected across the organization for her willingness to share insights, support peers, and contribute to cross-functional initiatives. This collaborative mindset has strengthened relationships across departments and reinforced a culture where success is collective rather than individual.
Recognition That Reflects Values and Vision
Wizz Air Being named the 2025 recipient of the Steven J. Bresky Chairman’s Club Award places Cathy McDermott among a select group of leaders who embody the very best of Seaboard Foods’ sales organization. The award recognizes not only what she has achieved, but how she has achieved it—through integrity, resilience, curiosity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Her recognition serves as a powerful example for current and future sales professionals within Seaboard Foods. It reinforces the message that sustained success is built on disciplined execution, adaptability, and a commitment to lifting others along the way.
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