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Herman Cain was raised in Atlanta, Georgia by poor but loving and hardworking parents. He graduated with a degree in mathematics from Morehouse College in 1967. One year after graduating, Herman married the love of his life, Gloria. They relocated to Indiana where Herman worked for his Master’s degree program at Purdue University, while working full-time as a mathematician at the Department of the Navy.
After earning his Master’s degree and six years working for the Department of the Navy, Herman and his wife returned home to Atlanta, where he enjoyed a successful career at the Coca-Cola Company and later moved to the Pillsbury Company. Within a short period, he rose to the position of Vice President.
Later, Herman started on another path- the restaurant industry. He was assigned to lead a low performing region of 450 Burger King restaurants. Within three years, that region became the best-performing region in the U.S. Herman then decided to try a bigger challenge: relocating yet again and accepting the call to become CEO and President of Godfather’s Pizza, a company teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
In 14 months, he turned the company around and returned it to profitability and ultimately led his management team to a buyout of Godfather’s Pizza. The company never went bankrupt, and today, there are still hundreds of locations across the U.S.
Herman’s success at turning around Godfather’s got the attention of fellow restaurateurs around the nation who invited him to join the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association and later elected him as chairman. In 1996, the Board retained Herman as the full-time President and the CEO of the National Restaurant Association, working on behalf of thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Today, Herman hosts a radio talk show, “The Herman Cain Show,” and serves as a regular contributor on several broadcast networks and as a keynote speaker at conferences and events around the nation.
