Roger Berkowitz

Roger Berkowitz is the President and CEO of Legal Sea Foods, Inc., a Boston-based restaurant group that boasts over 30 restaurants along the Atlantic Ocean coast. Roger started working in his family's fish market at the age of 10 and learned every aspect of the business. He began as a fry cook in Inman Square (Cambridge, Massachusetts), moved to front-of-the-house manager, marketing maverick and then to industry innovator.

"Bon Appétit" magazine touts a meal at Legal Sea Foods as among America’s “Top Ten Tried-and-True” dining experiences. [http://www.brandeis.edu/ibs/news_cal_item2.php?event_id=869] Legal is also included in Patricia Schultz’s popular guidebook, "1,000 Places to See Before You Die." [http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0761104844?filterBy=addThreeStar] [http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Massachusetts/Boston-794476/Restaurants-Boston-Legal_Sea_Foods-BR-3.html]

A graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, [http://sunews.syr.edu/story_details.cfm?id=2048] Harvard Business School's OPM program, University of London School of Business Senior Executive Program and the Strategic Marketing Management Program at Stanford University, Berkowitz exercises his background in journalism and experience as a radio talk show host [http://sunews.syr.edu/story_details.cfm?id=2048] to great effect as chief spokesperson for Legal Seafood.

His face and voice are familiar from television and radio, and he frequently offers his expert opinion on network news segments (CNN, ABC News, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News) about the fishing industry. He is a guest speaker at colleges and institutions, and he chairs and organizes conferences and events related to the fishing and restaurant industry, both in the US and on a global scale. The scope of his business management expertise earned him inclusion in a pair of 2004 books, "Dare to Lead! Uncommon Sense and Unconventional Wisdom from 50 Top CEOs" by Mike Merrill (Career Press), and "Leadership Secrets of the World’s Most Successful CEOs" by Eric Yaverbaum (Dearborn Trade Publishing). [Brandeis University, International Business School, "Corporate Responsibility Forum" http://www.brandeis.edu/ibs/news_cal_item2.php?event_id=869] Often the subject of writing by others, Roger took an author’s turn himself when he co-wrote "The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook," published in 2002 by Broadway Books.

Berkowitz serves on the boards of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Children's Hospital Boston, UNICEF, the Boston Children's Museum, Environmental League of Massachusetts, Century Bank, Blue Frontier Campaign and the Northeast Seafood Coalition. He also serves on the leadership council at the Harvard School of Public Health and its Nutrition Roundtable and he is a member of the Board of Overseers, Brandeis International Business School. Appointed by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, he sits on the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Panel. Since 2004 he has served on the Regional Selection Panel for the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. [ [http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Berkowitz_Roger_2915935.aspx Roger Berkowitz: ZoomInfo Business People Information ] ]

In addition to numerous industry awards and community distinctions, Roger holds an honorary master's degree from the Culinary Institute of America as well as honorary doctorates from Johnson and Wales University, Newbury College and Salem State College.

Bibliography

* The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook (Hardcover), with Jane Doerfer. (Broadway, 2003, revision of 1988 cookbook) ISBN 0767906918

See also

* Cuisine of New England

Notes

External links

* [http://www.legalseafoods.com/ Company Website]
* [http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/09/11/legal_tests_the_waters_less_surf_more_turf/ Legal's Business Expansion] article in The Boston Globe