Gourmet News

Wine & Beverage Summit Returns to CIA at Copia in May

Published February 8, 2024

For the first time in four years, the Culinary Institute of America’s Wine & Beverage Summit—a three-day gathering of the beverage industry’s best and brightest—returns to the CIA at Copia May 5-7. Featuring everything from immersive tastings to in-depth dialogue on the state of wine education, innovative career paths, and increasing both business savvy and financial fluency, the conference will welcome recognized wine experts and rising stars alike. It is ideal for junior and mid-level industry professionals looking to grow their knowledge and advance their careers.

“We are thrilled to bring back this incredible event with a focus on professional development,” said Maryam Ahmed, consulting program director. “Attendees can expect a truly enriching experience. Unlike larger conferences where one-way presentations are the focus, this summit was deliberately crafted to be a smaller, more intimate gathering so attendees can interact directly with the presenters and each other during breakout sessions and receptions.”

Among the esteemed beverage experts and presenters are: Emily Wines, certified master sommelier, and vice president of wine experience at Coopers Hawk Winery and Restaurant; Erik Segelbaum, founder and chief vinnovation officer at SOMLYAY, LLC; TJ Douglas, CEO and founder of the Drink Progressively Group; and Andrea Robinson, master sommelier, author, and consultant to Delta Airlines and Norwegian Cruise Line.

The Wine & Beverage Summit also serves as one of the residency sites for CIA Wine and Beverage Management master’s degree students, who will attend as part of their program.

For more information or to view the full program schedule for the Wine & Beverage Summit, visit ciabevpro.com.

Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu.

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Sweetgreen Appoints Retail Veteran Williams as COO

Published February 5, 2024

Sweetgreen announced the appointment of Rossann Williams as the company’s chief operating officer, effective Feb. 5. Williams joins Sweetgreen’s executive leadership team and will oversee operations, real estate + development and supply chain for the company.

Williams is an accomplished global operations executive bringing more than 30 years of experience leading retail businesses. Williams is a respected and engaged leader focused on cultivating high-performance teams at every level of the business.

“Rossann is an industry veteran with a proven track record in driving sustainable growth of global, iconic brands and leading teams to generate profitability,” said Jonathan Neman, CEO and co-founder of Sweetgreen. “Rossann complements the existing skills and experience of our leadership team as we pursue our next chapter of growth. It’s clear that she shares our values, and I look forward to partnering with Rossann to further our mission of connecting more communities to real food.”

Prior to joining Sweetgreen, Williams spent over 18 years at Starbucks, where she rose to EVP and president of North America retail. In this role, she oversaw a market of approximately 16,000 stores, where she significantly improved same-store sales, successfully opened thousands of new stores and helped navigate the company through the pandemic. At Starbucks, Williams also served in senior operations roles across North America, eventually rising to SVP, global and Americas operations services. Previously, Williams held leadership roles for several well-known Fortune 500 brands, including Blockbuster and Toys “R” Us.

“I’ve long admired Sweetgreen’s leadership as a founder-led, mission-driven company driving the industry forward. I am deeply aligned with Sweetgreen’s values, people-centric approach and commitment to connect more people to delicious, real food. I’m thrilled to be joining the Sweetgreen team at a moment of significant growth and an incredible opportunity ahead,” said Williams.

Sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Sweetgreen sources the best quality ingredients from farmers and suppliers they trust to cook food from scratch that is both delicious and nourishing. They plant roots in each community by building a transparent supply chain, investing in local farmers and growers, and enhancing the total experience with innovative technology.

Since opening its first 560-square-foot location in 2007, Sweetgreen has scaled to over 220 locations across the United States, and their vision is to lead the next generation of restaurants and lifestyle brands built on quality, community and innovation.

To learn more about Sweetgreen, its menu, and its loyalty program, visit www.Sweetgreen.com. Follow @Sweetgreen on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

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Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods Announces Leadership Roles

Published February 5, 2024

Photo: Chicken of the Sea

Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods has announced the appointment of three new leaders and a promotion within its commercial organization. The company is excited to welcome these industry experts who bring customer-centric expertise to ensure COSFF remains at the forefront of the ever-evolving seafood industry.

Tiffany Hicks has been hired as senior vice president, foodservice and wholesale. Hicks will lead the teams servicing broadline, national/multi-unit chains, industrial and wholesale customers. Before joining COSFF, she led foodservice at Bumble Bee Foods and Danone North America, along with a diverse background in general management and retail roles while at PepsiCo and Pepsi Bottling Group. Hicks is a Society of Fellow’s member at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America since 2022. Tiffany will report to Brenden Beck, executive vice president sales & marketing.

Joining COSFF as senior director consumer, Amanda Duran will oversee club channel activity as well as have key account responsibilities in the retail channel. Before joining COSFF, Duran served as chief revenue officer at Grass Fed Foods and Teton Waters Ranch. In this new role, Duran will also report to Beck.

Seafood veteran Sonia Merges has joined COSFF as sales manager in the foodservice/wholesale channel. Merges started her seafood career with Empress International, prior to the 2009 merger with COSFF. Most recently Merges served as an account manager at Crystal Cove Seafood. Merges will be working across the foodservice/wholesale channel and reporting to Hicks.

“We pride ourselves on our customer relationships and team – both have been crucial in positioning COSFF as a leader in the industry,” said Beck. “We are excited to welcome these talented professionals to further strengthen our organization, expertise and service.”

Additionally, Michael Richards has been promoted to senior vice president, commercial/category and has taken on expanded responsibilities overseeing activities in crab meat and finfish categories, as well as leading the retail channel team.

COSFF is at the forefront of the industry, supporting parent company Thai Union’s pioneering sustainability strategy and market-leading innovation. In addition to these leadership changes, the organization has invested in various sustainability initiatives, and built the most developed quality assurance network in the industry. To learn more, visit b2b.chickenofthesea.com.

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