Aramark Chefs Earn Distinguished CIA ProChef Certification

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), the largest U.S.-based food service company, is pleased to announce 26 chefs from its Collegiate Hospitality group have graduated from the prestigious CIA ProChef certification, a training and professional development program from CIA Consulting, a division of The Culinary Institute of America. The graduating chefs drive Aramark’s culinary programs and create the menus served at colleges and universities across the United States.

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Aramark is pleased to announce 26 chefs from its Collegiate Hospitality group have graduated from the prestigious CIA ProChef certification, a training and professional development program from CIA Consulting, a division of The Culinary Institute of America. (Photo: Business Wire)

"Training and professional development are key to attracting and retaining top talent," said Chef David Kamen, director of client experience for CIA Consulting. "Earning ProChef certification from the CIA provides these chefs a benchmark of their accomplishments. We applaud their dedication to their craft and Aramark’s support and commitment to staff development."

The program features three levels of intensive training with ProChef III being the highest, most prestigious designation. The training includes a comprehensive professional development and culinary proficiency program that measures a chef’s core culinary, managerial, and financial acumen, including each graduate’s skill in flavor development, proper cooking methods, dish profile, and authenticity, plating, use of ingredients, and sanitation.

“The culinary expertise shared by our higher education team is a great point of pride,” said Jack Donovan, President and CEO of Aramark’s Collegiate Hospitality business. “We applaud our incredible chefs for their dedication to continual learning and to culinary evolution that delights our communities. This commitment is foundational to the hospitality experience on campus.”

The ProChef certification program was created to provide hands-on skill validation, recognize professional achievement, and give knowledge and credentials to advance the careers of participating chefs. Nearly 300 Aramark chefs have received ProChef certification since Aramark first enrolled in the program in 2008.

The following Aramark chefs recently received their ProChef II or ProChef III Certification:

ProChef Level III:

• Andrew Kirtz – St Bonaventure
• Ben Maiorano – NE Region
• Christian Chiron – UNC Chapel Hill
• David Mason – University of Virginia
• Gerald Bogdan – University of Scranton
• James Duran – Eastern Kentucky University
• Johnathan White – UNC Wilmington
• Joshua Brigman – Austin College
• Michael McCutcheon – Regis College
• Quentin Tacker – University of Dallas

ProChef Level II: