Presenters

Steve Sweeney

Steve has an extensive background in educational and corporate dining services, having spent the past 30 plus years in the hospitality industry.

Prior to joining Chartwells in 1997, Steve spent 18 years with FLIK International Corp., a Compass Group operating brand. Steve was promoted to his current position as President and CEO of Chartwells in 1997 after completing seven years as Vice President of Operations for FLIK. He was responsible for FLIK's company-wide operations, its expansion and ultimate success in the marketplace. Today, he oversees all three Chartwells Divisions with annual sales of $1.8 billion.

In addition to his responsibilities for Chartwells, he served as the President of Daka, Inc. and saw Daka through its merger into the Compass Group. Under his leadership all of Compass' education accounts were reorganized under the Chartwells banner. Steve has been able to chart a growth strategy for Compass' education business that has allowed the company to enjoy substantial growth every year since the company was founded. In the first year of Steve's leadership, account retention went from 89% to 97%. Steve is an officer and board member of Compass Group North America.

Steve was the recipient of the 2011 International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) prestigious Silver Plate Award. This award recognizes "excellence to encourage excellence" within foodservice management. Steve began his career as a chef in the restaurant and corporate sectors of the hospitality industry. An accomplished chef, he has won various awards for food presentation in New York and Boston Hotel and Restaurant Shows. He is a member of SFM, NACAS, NRA, NASPA, NACUBO, NAIS and AASCU, as well as several other trade organizations.