Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, the largest accredited provider of online and campus-based culinary training and education in the U.S., announced the appointment of Denise Sullivan as vice president of Enterprise Solutions. In this newly created role, Sullivan will lead Escoffier in its commitment to address the nation’s workforce challenges in the hospitality and culinary industry. She will oversee the development and growth of strategic industry partnerships and work directly with hospitality and related groups to tackle short and long-term employment issues facing both employers and industry talent.
A sought-after enterprise workforce professional with more than twenty years of experience building business relationships, Sullivan brings her expertise to Escoffier’s leadership team. She’s charged with identifying real-world solutions to address short-term labor challenges including worker shortages and employee retention. Sullivan will enlist Escoffier partners to help develop clear-cut pathways to drive long-term employee engagement and acquisition; with a focus on workplace culture, fit, wellness and ongoing training and development. Sullivan will also play a pivotal role in the development of Escoffier’s online marketplace, designed to match employers with career seekers looking for rewarding careers in the industry. The platform is scheduled to go live later this year.
“With the appointment of Denise, we took a crucial step in deepening our role as a leader in the culinary and hospitality space to identify unique solutions to hiring, engaging, and retaining talented staff,” said Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts CEO, Tracy Lorenz.
“The aftershock of the pandemic was a wake-up call for employees in search of long-term job satisfaction beyond salary and benefits, and employers’ need to match jobs with the right skillset. Denise is exploring partnerships to address how we can best make these connections,” added Lorenz.
Prior to joining Escoffier, Sullivan served in leadership roles, as director of strategic partnerships for Woz U Enterprise, the director of business development for The Haden Group LLC, a startup services firm, and as the director of business development for Wiley Workplace Learning. Sullivan also managed her own professional services company and held management positions with New Horizons Learning Center and Oracle Corporation.
Denise received her Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication from Pepperdine University.
