Culinary Talent

SHFM extends our deepest gratitude to the Culinary Advisors and Leads for their invaluable expertise in shaping the conference menus, thoughtfully prepared and served by the hotel team. Special recognition goes to the Culinary Rising Stars for their creativity in designing the menu for the Opening Reception: Retro Flavors! Industry Networking Event (INE) — the INE execution and design is a collaboration among these chefs and others from our host companies. Don't miss INE, a standout experience on Tuesday, September 16!

CULINARY ADVISORS

23 Shfm 054 Nc Speaker Chris Ivens

Chris Ivens-Brown

Chief Culinary Officer

Compass Group

Chris Ivens-Brown

Chief Culinary Officer, 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.

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John Ryan 300 X 300

John Ryan

Chief Culinary Officer

LifeWorks Restaurant Group

John Ryan

Chief Culinary Officer, LifeWorks Restaurant Group

Chef John is an accomplished professional who brings almost 35 years of culinary experience to his role as Chief Culinary Officer for LifeWorks Restaurant Group. He is responsible for business growth, mentoring and training chefs, opening new accounts, cultivating local restaurant partnerships, designing a national catering program, and nationwide quality control of all LifeWorks accounts.

Chef John has worked at prestigious hotels and Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. and abroad. His work has won him many accolades and prestigious awards. In addition to culinary excellence, Chef John is accomplished in strategic leadership, operations management, food costing, sales growth, concept development, project management, and sales forecasting.

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CULINARY LEADS

Nick Cavaretta 300 X 300

Nick Cavaretta

Executive Chef

Restaurant Associates

Nick Cavaretta

Executive Chef, Restaurant Associates @ World Bank Group

Nick Cavaretta has been with Compass Group for 17 years, the last 6 of which have been as the executive chef at the World Bank in DC. His focus is on bringing eclectic, authentic world flavors to diners in a sustainable manner. Nick was named the Chef of The Year by Restaurant Associates in 2023, he received the Culinary Award of Excellence in 2022, and was the Culinary Innovator of the Year in 2014. Prior to his time with Compass Group, Nick served as the captain of the Cayman Islands National Culinary Team, and has also worked in top kitchens in the US Virgin Islands and Hawaii.

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Rick Green 300 X 300

Rick Green

Head of Culinary

Guckenheimer

Rick Green

Head of Culinary, Guckenheimer

 

As the Head of Culinary at Guckenheimer, Rick Green’s 30 year career in the food and beverage industry includes earning a coveted externship at a Michelin Three Star-rated restaurant, owning a B2C catering business and Guckenheimer’s Director of Culinary Development where he has led the f.i.t. Kitchen (Food Innovation Test Kitchen). He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from the globally recognized Johnson and Wales University. Beyond this expertise, Rick is well respected with clients and his team as an innovator, plant-forward ambassador and sustainability advocate. 

Rick Green was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and brings over 30 years of experience in the food service industry. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Rick honed his culinary craft during an externship at the renowned French Laundry and has built a diverse portfolio that spans fine dining, casual restaurants, street vending, boutique catering, large-scale corporate events, and contract food service.

 
Over the past eight years, Rick has held various leadership roles at Guckenheimer and currently serves as the Director of Culinary Development. Outside of the kitchen, Rick enjoys restoring classic cars and is an avid Led Zeppelin fan.
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Garrick Hisamoto

Garrick Hisamoto

Senior Culinary Development Manager

Sodexo

Garrick Hisamoto

Senior Culinary Development Manager, Sodexo

Chef Garrick Hisamoto is returning to Sodexo as Senior Culinary Development Manager, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. He started with Sodexo in 2010 as Executive Chef for Campus Services. In 2017, Garrick transitioned to the role of General Manger with Sodexo and helped build an award-winning culinary program at Scripps College. Additionally, during the pandemic, he helped Scripps College develop a return to campus dining program that launched summer of 2021.

Garrick began his culinary journey working as a Pizza Cook at the Disneyland Hotel. From there he worked in some of Los Angeles’s hottest and trendiest restaurants, eventually landing an opportunity at the Hollywood and Highland complex for Wolfgang Puck. Garrick then moved on as Executive Chef for Sodexo at the University of La Verne.  He has had the opportunity to work in Corporate and Campus services for the past 14 years and will now help support the culinary teams for Lauren Palazzola’s region on the west coast. Garrick completed his studies with Le Cordon Bleu in 1999.  

“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together” – Anthony Bourdain

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23 Shfm 054 Nc Speaker Chef Margaret

Margaret Occhipinti

Senior National Culinary Director

Lifeworks Restaurant Group

Margaret Occhipinti

Senior National Culinary Director, Lifeworks Restaurant Group

Margaret Occhipinti's love of food began very young. From a young age, she and her dad spent weekends baking homemade bread, cakes, pies and pastries. Margaret continued that passion by working in restaurants since she was 11 years old. 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 CEOs, visiting international dignitaries and well known names including Vice President Al Gore, Martha Stewart and Tom Brokaw.

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Gabriel

Gabriel Ochoa

Regional Chef

Compass Group

Gabriel Ochoa

Compass Group

Chef Gabe Ochoa graduated with honors in 2002 from the Art Institute of California's Culinary Arts program. In the years since he has had experience in hotels and fine dining establishments throughout the west coast. His family comes from Northern Baja California, Mexico and he is a first generation American. Gabe draws much of his food inspiration from the cuisine and culture of Baja California as well as Southern California. In his free time, he likes to travel, dabble in mixology and find culinary inspiration on his adventures. Gabe currently manages a diverse portfolio of businesses and prides himself on providing amazing food, wonderful hospitality and creating memorable experiences.

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Culinary Rising Stars

Kory Dillon Aramark

Kory Dillon

Executive Chef Catering

LifeWorks Restaurant Group

Kory Dillon

Executive Chef Catering Capital One West Creek Campus, LifeWorks Restaurant Group

Over his 12-year career with Capital One West Creek, Chef Kory Dillon has performed various roles of ever-increasing responsibility, leading to his current role as Executive Chef for West Creek Catering. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing a more than $6 million corporate campus catering operation and is responsible for the development and performance of more than 20 associates. Kory excels at being an engaged and organized leader through empathy and dedication to guest engagement. Kory and his team exemplify a strong commitment to excellence, consistently delivering on their promises through adherence to process and dedication to seasonal menu integrity.

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Chef Henry

Henry Hamilton

Executive Chef

Guckenheimer

Henry Hamilton

Executive Chef, Guckenheimer 

Chef Henry Hamilton, a native of Oakland, California, has cultivated his culinary expertise over the past 15 years by working at some of the best restaurants and catering companies in the Bay Area. Since joining Guckenheimer in 2018, he has crafted an array of exceptional offerings that highlight his innovative approach to cooking. Specializing in transforming humble dishes into extraordinary culinary experiences, Chef Henry employs modern techniques and sources only the finest produce. He is dedicated to making culinary dreams a reality, ensuring that every dish is a memorable one.

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Andy Leonard

Andy Leonard

General Manager, District Executive Chef

Sodexo

Andy Leonard

General Manager, General Manager, District Executive Chef

Chef Andy Leonard is a long-time native of the Pacific Northwest, with over 20 years of hospitality management experience. He has a deep knowledge and understanding of food & nutrition and is experienced in all aspects of the food and beverage business with an emphasis on PNW cuisine & culture. Andy’s food philosophy has developed into a very simple approach over the years. Use honest ingredients and treat them with integrity and respect.  An honest meal makes its own friends!

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Chef Jesse

Jesse Martin

Director of Dining Services

Compass Group

Jesse Martin

Director of Dining Services, Compass Group 

Chef Jesse Martin grew up in the small-town of Winslow, Arizona and graduated from Scottsdale Culinary Institute in 1999. His passion for cooking flourished during his internship with James Beard Award-winning Chef Jeffery Beason, helping to propel his career forward. Jesse has spent most of his career in fine dining operations including Spanish, French, Italian, and American cuisines. His favorite part of his job is building teams that strive for success and the highest standards. 

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