Governor Brown has had an extraordinary career. He began at age 29 when he bought Colonel Sander’s “Kentucky Fried Chicken”  with a partner in 1964 and built it into the world’s largest food service company, before selling in 1971. He has received a number of national awards, including recognition from Harvard Business School as one of the “Outstanding Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century.” In an eight year study completed by the school, they noted that he, along with Ray Kroc of McDonald’s, built the fast food restaurant industry into what it is today. After having established a worldwide reputation as a business man and entrepreneur, Governor Brown turned his interest to politics and was elected Governor of Kentucky in 1979, after a whirlwind 60 day campaign. He used his business expertise to fill his administration with successful entrepreneurs, in keeping with his campaign pledge of “Running Government like a Business.” He received national recognition for reducing the size of government by 22pc while making Kentucky a leading state by attracting new industry. Governor Brown has been active in a number of charitable pursuits and is co-founder of the USD 80 million Muhammad Ali Center located in Louisville, Kentucky and the nationally recognized Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky. “For the past 22 years Alltech have awarded the Medal of Excellence to a person who has made a significant contribution to the field of science, business or food,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, President and Founder of Alltech. “This year is no exception. Governor John Y. Brown’s remarkable business acumen has changed the food industry, especially its franchising, and continues to inspire and educate entrepreneurs the world over. We salute him.” The Alltech medal of excellence is awarded each year during the opening session of Alltech’s International Symposium. Previous winners of the Alltech Medal of Excellence include Dr. Inge Russell, whose research has resulted in significant improvements in the production of feed, food, beverages, and fuel; Dr. David Byrne, for his pioneering work in the area of food safety during his tenure as EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, and Prof. Jim Pettigrew for his research in the area of food production and his work to address the challenges of feeding an increasing global population.