Legendary Chicago-based entrepreneur Sue Ling Gin is Founder (1983) and CEO of Flying Food Group LLC, a leading wholesale food production company. FFG provides quality passenger meals to over 70 top airlines--primarily international--and to retail partners in grocery, food service and specialty markets, including 4200 US Starbucks.

 

The company operates a network of 18 US production kitchens at key gateway cities that stretches from Honolulu to New York, plus a 19th production kitchen in Shanghai, China. Revenues for 2010 were $333 million, up 11% from 2009.

 

 

Hers is a true American success story. Sue's Chinese immigrant parents operated a restaurant in Aurora. She moved to Chicago alone at age 19, and over time invested in real estate, restaurants and a wholesale bakery.  She remains at the helm of New Management, Ltd. her real estate sales, leasing, management and development firm with strategic, long term Chicago-area holdings, including multiple properties in Chicago's burgeoning West Loop, plus the 52-acre Midway Business Center near Midway International Airport.

 

Sue founded FFG in 1983, after being served a half-frozen sweet roll by a new domestic airline based at Chicago Midway. She convinced the airline's CEO she could provide better passenger meals, and helped build the  brand with groundbreaking fresh ingredients and creative packaging. Her success attracted larger airlines. Within two years, she expanded to O'Hare International Airport, making Servair her catering partner.  Today, the FFG and Servair partneship oversees kitchens at five key gateway cities: Miami  New York, Seattle and San Francisco, plus Chicago.

 

Sue also heads the The William G McGowan Charitable Fund, created to honor the life and legacy of her late husband, Bill McGowan, Founder and Chairman of MCI Communications. The Fund awards grants to effective programs in the areas of Education, Community Programs and Medical Research.