Leah Atkins
Leah Atkins is a seasoned sales leader and foodservice professional serving as District Sales Manager at Performance Foodservice in the Greater Chicago Area. With more than 17 years in food distribution—including a decade with Sysco and over seven years with Performance Food Group—she brings deep industry expertise in customer relations, hiring, training, and sales coaching. Over the past four years as a district manager, Leah has demonstrated exceptional growth leadership, transforming a $4 million route into a thriving $26 million district through strategic planning, team development, and disciplined execution.
Leah’s career began in restaurant leadership roles before transitioning into broadline distribution, where she discovered her passion for helping operators grow profitable businesses. She has extensive experience opening new restaurants, leading front-of-house training, and creating and updating training manuals to ensure operational excellence. Known for her servant leadership style, she prioritizes mentorship, field coaching, and hands-on development to empower Territory Managers and strengthen team performance across her district.
A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Leah originally pursued aeronautical engineering before ultimately finding her long-term calling in the food industry. She is an active member of the Women’s Food Forum, where she dedicates significant time to mentoring and advancing women and diverse professionals within foodservice distribution. Passionate about creating visible career pathways, Leah is committed to fostering inclusive growth, building strong teams, and helping others succeed while doing work they genuinely love.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Women's Food Forum
• Performance Food Group Resource Association
• Faith United Methodist Church Outreach
• Pet Rescue
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mother's work ethic. If I can work as hard as she did and accomplish half as much, and have people smile when they remember my name, or say my name, or think of me, I've done a good job. And that's who my mother is. I think there's a quote that people don't remember what you did, they remember how you made them feel.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to never underestimate yourself and don't wait until you think you're ready. Take the leap. I think women underestimate ourselves. We wait until someone taps us on the shoulder and tells us we're ready, or that we check every box for whatever position we think we want. And then we look around and we see that someone else took the leap of faith. They didn't fake it till they made it, they just had faith that they could make it. And that's what I've been doing the last 7 years.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the industry is don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. And don't take criticism to heart. Take it as a path forward.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges and opportunities in my field right now are kind of intertwined. We're in an economic situation where food is highly inflated, and our end users are just not catching a break. So the opportunity is being nimble and being able to pivot and show them value. Even though they're spending more money, being able to know the product and know the use and being able to work with people to find the profit. It's about just becoming an expert in your field and using that for your customers and for your peers.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are integrity and follow-through.