The CIA Consulting Services Team

Putting the Experts on Your Team

Because your success is so important, we put the culinary masters to work for you—literally. Five American Culinary Federation-Certified Master Chefs form the CIA Consulting Services' core team, each one bringing his unique perspective and skills honed over years working in some of the world's most prestigious restaurants, hotels, schools, and competition halls.

Your project will also benefit from the broad and deep pool of talent of the CIA faculty at our main campus in Hyde Park, NY and the CIA at Greystone in St. Helena, CA. With more than 130 recognized experts in culinary arts, table service, baking and pastry arts, wines, foodservice management, nutrition, and restaurant operations available, we can form a custom team to develop cutting-edge solutions for your business.

Adam Busby, C.M.C., C.E.C., C.H.E.
In addition to lending his unparalleled expertise to ISG clients, Adam Busby serves as director of continuing education at the CIA at Greystone and is a former member and chairman of the culinary arts faculty. Chef Busby was previously director of culinary programs at the Dubrulle International Culinary and Hotel Institute of Canada in Vancouver and owned and operated two fine dining restaurants—Star Anise and Cascabel—in the city. His culinary career has also included positions in Michelin-starred restaurants in France and at the five-diamond Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. Chef Busby is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Cuisine Canada , the British Columbia Chefs Association, and the Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks.

	Ron DeSantis '81, C.M.C., A.A.C., C.H.E. Ron DeSantis is project director for the ISG and a 1981 CIA alumnus. Chef DeSantis was previously director of education services, team leader for curriculum development, and a professor in culinary arts for the college. He held culinary positions in restaurant and hotel kitchens worldwide, from Okinawa, Japan to Chicago to Munich, Germany. Chef DeSantis's many professional honors include induction into the American Academy of Chefs (the honor society of the American Culinary Federation), and earning the ACF's President's Medallion for his contributions to the master chef exam. A successful culinary competitor, his many wins include a gold medal at the ACF National Championship. Along with his CIA degree, Chef DeSantis holds an M.B.A. from Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, NY.

	Mark Erickson '77, C.M.C. Mark Erickson is the CIA's vice president for continuing education and also oversees all operations at the CIA at Greystone. Chef Erickson was previously director of culinary education at the Hyde Park campus and served on its faculty. His career in foodservice includes positions at some of the industry's most prestigious operations, from the Palace Hotel in Gstaad, Switzerland to the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, WV to the Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta, GA. In addition, Chef Erickson is the founder and co-owner of Woodsmoke Provisions, a producer of smoked and value-added seafood products for wholesale, retail, and airline catering distribution. He was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Culinary Olympic Teams in 1980, 1984, and 1988, and part of the U.S. team that won the 1986 Culinary World Cup. A CIA alumnus, Chef Erickson also holds a B.S. in Restaurant & Hotel Management from the University of New Haven and an M.B.A. from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

	Dr. Victor Gielisse, C.M.C., C.H.E. The associate vice president of the ISG, Victor Gielisse previously served for seven years as the CIA's dean of culinary, baking, and pastry studies, overseeing faculty, curriculum, and education for these areas in the college's degree programs. Dr. Gielisse's culinary expertise was honed in the kitchens of the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Southern Africa, and the United States. He was chef/owner of the Ivy Award-winning Actuelle restaurant in Dallas, TX and president of the consulting firm CFT/Culinary Fast-Trac and Associates Inc. Chef Gielisse was also manager of the CIA's gold-medal-winning Culinary Team 2000 and a member of the 1984 U.S. Culinary Olympic Team and the 1986 U.S. National Team that won the first Culinary World Cup. His many industry honors include being named one of "The 50 New Taste Makers" by Nation's Restaurant News and "Best Seafood Chef in America" by Restaurant Business. The author of Cuisine Actuelle and In Good Taste, Chef Gielisse holds a B.S., M.B.A., and D.B.A. from California Coast University in Santa Ana, CA.

	Rudy Speckamp, C.M.C. Rudy Speckamp is the senior culinary consultant for the ISG. Chef Speckamp was previously executive chef and proprietor of Rudy's 2900 restaurant in Finksburg, MD, which for 16 consecutive years earned the DiRoNA Award from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America. As a CIA adjunct faculty member, Chef Speckamp has taught Advanced Cooking in the bachelor's degree program as well as a variety of continuing education courses for industry professionals. He has more than four decades of kitchen experience in fine dining in the United States and Europe. Chef Speckamp's many accolades and awards include receiving the Governor's Citation from the State of Maryland four times, "Best Chef" honors from Baltimore magazine seven consecutive years, the 1994 Restaurateur of the Year Award from the Maryland Restaurant Association, and the 1990 Outstanding Culinary Achievement Award from the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.