Culinary Talent
Culinary Advisors
Chris Ivens-Brown
Chief Culinary Officer, Corporate Executive Chef
Compass Group
Chris Ivens-Brown
Chief Culinary Officer, Corporate Executive Chef, Compass Group
Chef Chris Ivens-Brown was born and raised in the south of England. At just sixteen years old, he was accepted into the prestigious Academy of Culinary Arts program at London’s Academie de Culinaire de France. In 1995, Chef Chris moved to the United States and started his career working for Compass Group. In recognition of his exemplary performance, achievements and leadership, he was promoted to Chief Culinary Officer in 2018.
Chef Chris’s passion for advocating for culinary sustainability has been discernable over the past decade. He has made it his mission to educate the food industry, as well as the home cook, about simple and effective methods for cooking and eating fresh, seasonable and sustainable foods. Chef Chris has also had the honor of cooking for a myriad of celebrities and public figures - Phil Collins, Martha Stewart and Queen Elizabeth to name a few.
John Ryan
Chief Culinary Officer
Lifeworks Restaurant Group
John Ryan
Chief Culinary Officer, Lifeworks Restaurant Group
John Ryan began his career in Ireland where he attended culinary school, and after seven years, returned to New York City to work at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan. In his next career move, he purchased a restaurant/catering business in New Jersey and after tackling his own business, decided to pursue business dining. John is the recipient of many prestigious awards and honors including Executive Chef of the Year, a James Beard Foundation Guest Chef and Aramark Northeast Region Culinary Excellence Award. He had the honor of cooking as an Aramark representative at the United Nations, where he was personally congratulated by former President George Bush II.
John looks at the everyday like it is a new day to learn, teach and serve. He takes great pride in creating culinary delights for his guests, and more importantly, training his team to do the same. John believes you can make someone’s day in many ways and food usually plays a big part of that. Making people happy, creating memories and seeing people smile at something unexpected in their restaurants is what it is all about for him.
Culinary Leads
B. Gervais Achstetter
Senior Area Executive Chef
Sodexo
B. Gervais Achstetter
Senior Area Executive Chef, Sodexo
Growing up in Washington, D.C., B. Gervais Achstetter was fortunate to be exposed to a diverse mixing bowl of people and great ethnic cuisine. She graduated from James Madison University in 2001, with plans to pursue a career in the legal field. However, after some soul searching, Gervais decided to apply to a local culinary school. She then set her eyes towards New York City, where in 2008, she began working for Daniel Boulud at the Michelin-Star accredited Café Boulud. She then returned home to D.C. and accepted a position as Tournade at Adour Restaurant, for Chef Alain Ducasse.
Hoping to enjoy a richer work-life balance, Gervais made the decision to join Sodexo in Corporate Services at the Marriott International in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2017, she accepted a position as Enterprise Culinary Director for Fannie Mae overseeing the culinary programs in seven properties. Gervais was able build a program from the ground up focusing on hospitality excellence, innovation and best in class events and conference services.
Brielle Bustamante
Regional Executive Chef
ISS Guckenheimer
Brielle Bustamante
Regional Executive Chef, ISS Guckenheimer
Brielle Bustamante always strives to keep guests happy while honing her craft and feeding her passion. She knew she wanted to be a chef since she was seven years old and has been fulfilling that dream since graduating from the Art Institute of Dallas in 2007. She earned her ProChef Level II and Level III certifications from The Culinary Institute of America.
She has competed in many chef cook offs and competitions including winning the South Regional Culinary competition, excelling in the North American Culinary Competition and an episode of the Food Network’s Cooks vs. Cons. Brielle is also a huge pop culture buff and always happy to chat with you about anything comic-related or nerd culture-related.
Einav Gefen
Chef | Innovator
Restaurant Associates
Einav Gefen
Chef | Innovator, Restaurant Associates
Garnering the reputation as a national leader in foodservice and retail foods, Chef Einav Gefen joined Restaurant Associates in 2021 as Chef | Innovator supporting the company’s continued path of quality, innovation, growth, and purpose. Gefen spent over thirteen years at Unilever, where she led a team of chefs charged with innovation development, product rejuvenation, consumer activations, and deployment of global projects. A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, Gefen has been a part of prominent restaurants like Daniel, Mul-Yam, Danal, and Orna & Ella. In addition, Gefen is an accredited contributor to Art & Cook, was an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan, has held a TED Talk, and competed on the acclaimed Food Network’s “Chopped.”
Margaret Occhipinti
Senior National Culinary Director
Lifeworks Restaurant Group
Margaret Occhipinti
Senior National Culinary Director, Lifeworks Restaurant Group
Chef Margaret’s love of food began very young. Growing up in a partially Italian family life was centered around food—including big family dinners every Sunday, where the whole family got together, shared a meal and talked about their days and lives. From a young age, Margaret and her dad spent weekends baking homemade bread, cakes, pies, and pastries. They were always looking for new and interesting recipes and ideas. She continued that passion by working in restaurants since she was 11 years old. While many of her friends were babysitting, Margaret was prepping vegetables, washing dishes or bussing tables, doing anything to work in any kitchen she could.
The drive for culinary learning has taken Margaret from Joliet Junior College in Illinois— where she learned from experts in German, French, and Swiss cuisine—to the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone to further educate herself on Mediterranean cuisines, vegetarianism, and health and nutrition. She has parlayed her real-life experiences into Restaurant Chef, Garde Manger Chef and Banquet Chef in the hotel worlds of Stouffer, Wyndham and Hyatt. Margaret has also catered many high-level events for visiting international dignitaries and well known names including Vice President Al Gore, Martha Stewart and Tom Brokaw.
INE Culinary Stars
Emily Bandiera
Director of Dining Services
Compass Group
Emily Bandiera
Director of Dining Services, Compass Group
Growing up in a large Italian family that loved traditional Italian dishes, Emily found herself from a young age passionate about cooking food and feeding others. She started her culinary journey by helping her Italian grandmother in the kitchen, initially inspiring her to become a chef when she was older. Emily has been in the professional foodservice industry since she was 15 years old. Emily graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC with her Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management with a concentration in Hospitality. After graduating culinary school, she did a hospitality management internship at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Charleston, SC. She worked at many local Charleston restaurants for 6 years before moving to the Phoenix area in August 2021. Emily then started off as a chef de cuisine with Compass Group/Eurest. Shortly after, she was nominated and selected to complete the GULL program. After graduating from the program, she was promoted to floating chef manager where she traveled around and worked in multiple cafes in the Phoenix market. She is now currently the Director of Dining Services for FOX Sports in Tempe. When she’s not in the kitchen cooking, you’ll find her hiking and exploring around Phoenix or at home with her cat, Kato.
Xiomara Battle
Executive Chef
ISS Guckenheimer
Xiomara Battle
Executive Chef, ISS Guckenheimer
Xiomara Battle, a Puerto Rican-born culinary artist, discovered her love for cooking at an early age. Learning from her grandmother, she developed a deep appreciation for her heritage and the flavors of Puerto Rican cuisine. With a passion for art and creativity, she pursued her dream of becoming a chef.
After owning a successful coffee kiosk and catering company in Puerto Rico, Xiomara moved to Colorado in 2014 with her three children. In 2019 and 2021, she won the Ritchie Cup at the ISS USA Culinary Competition, showcasing her culinary skills and innovative approach. Xiomara later triumphed at the ISS International Culinary Competition in 2022, solidifying her reputation as a talented chef. Beyond her accomplishments, Xiomara enjoys European-style pastries and dreams of hosting her own cooking show.
Brenda Granados
Executive Campus Chef
Lifeworks Restaurant Group
Brenda Granados
Executive Campus Chef, Lifeworks Restaurant Group
Originally from Brownsville, Texas, Chef Brenda developed a love for cooking at a young age. Growing up on the border of Texas & Mexico, family traditions & recipes nurtured her curiosity and inspired her interest to learn more. Later attending the International Culinary Institute in Dallas, she was able to expand her skills in various cooking styles & cuisines. She went on to perfect her craft through her work experience in acclaimed restaurants such as Dakota’s Steakhouse & Restaurants of America.
Now as the Executive Campus Chef, Chef Brenda brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Capital One portfolio.
Mary Ellen Moreno
Executive Chef
Sodexo
Mary Ellen Moreno
Executive Chef, Sodexo
Chef Mary Moreno’s discovery of the joy of cooking started in a one bedroom apartment at 3am with a bunch of tipsy twenty-somethings. Her place was walking distance from the strip in downtown Dallas and after a night out, it became the place for people to sober up before they headed home.
In 2009, Mary enrolled in the culinary arts program at El Centro College. She soon got a job in the Prepared Foods department at Whole Foods and spent the next seven years developing new recipes for people with special diets and food allergies while keeping up with food trends. Mary then landed the job as the executive chef for Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen. Unfortunately, the demands of a full-scale restaurant and having two littles just didn’t mix but she soon found Sodexo and worked as chef at Frito Lay in Plano.
Mary then joined the healthcare segment of Sodexo at Eating Recovery Center and cooked for patients struggling with eating disorders. It was a rewarding shift, helping people navigate their fears and anxieties surrounding food and get back to a healthy relationship with their meals and snacks. She then returned back into the FritoLay family as Executive Chef, helping to welcome their associates back to the office with fun and exciting eats in their café!