Doris and Jay Christopher

“Honorable beginnings are the starting point for success” might have been a motto for the Christophers during the early 1980’s. It was then that a basement sized business moved out into the world to become an eight hundred employee, 66000 member sales network consistently recognized by Working Woman as one of the country’s top woman- owned businesses. From $50,000 in sales in 1980, to well over $700 million twenty years later, the Pampered Chef is a model for those interested in direct sales corporations. But the tandem is a model in more ways than one. Being called to serve, as a vocation to society and family, is at the heart of Doris and Jay’s lives.

Before becoming Pampered Chef executives, Doris and Jay lived relatively average lives. Jay had a successful sales and marketing career in corporations such as Hammond Organ, Keebler Foods, and Lien Chemical before beginning his own business consulting company. Doris worked as a home economics high school teacher and with the University of Illinois’ cooperative extension service. Then came the idea of in-home cookware parties, and the Pampered Chef, under the Presidency of Doris and Vice-Presidency for Marketing of Jay continues to grow. The company and its leadership have been acknowledged numerously as a leader in market ethics as well as being in the top 500 privately owned companies. As a business leader, Doris remains active with the wider community. Mrs. Christopher was the founder of “Round up from the heart”, a cooperative program venture with the Second Harvest Foodbank Network—the largest national food network serving Americans in need, receiving from the Pampered Chef, its largest corporate sponsor. The Pampered Chef promotes Women’s Opportunity Week, and through the sales of special notecards, provides micro-credit loans to women interested in beginning their own businesses. And in May, 2000, The Pampered Chef launched its “Help Whip Cancer” campaign, a partnership with the American Cancer Society to increase awareness and funds for early breast cancer detection. Doris Christopher is the author of the book, Come to the Table: A Celebration of Family Life (Warner Books, 1999). “Outside of business, the one thing I’m most interested in is the education of future generations and the betterment of society for their benefit”, said Jay to Valpo Business (Spring, 2000). The Christophers have faithfully contributed to such universities as Valparaiso University in Indiana and Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois. They have also contributed to the growth and excellence of high schools in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, especially in the Chicago area. Jay Christopher provides his own leadership and service as a member of numerous boards and councils, including the advisory board of his alma mater. Doris and Jay Christopher both attended Walther Lutheran High School in Melrose Park Illinois. He a Valporaiso University alumnus of 1967, and she an alumna of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, class of 1967. They married in 1969 and have two grown daughters, Julie and Kelley.