Put Our Master Chef-Consultants on Your Team

When you partner with CIA Consulting, you will have a team of expert food and restaurant consultants working for you—including American Culinary Federation-Certified Master Chefs (C.M.C.s). Each member of the CIA Consulting core team brings unparalleled insight and skills honed over years working in some of the world’s most prestigious restaurants, hotels, schools, and competition halls.

Supported by Renowned CIA Faculty
In addition to the CIA Consulting core team of food consultants, your project will benefit from the talents and thought leadership of the world-famous CIA faculty. With more than 140 acknowledged experts in culinary arts, table service, baking and pastry arts, wines, foodservice management, nutrition, and restaurant operations available, we can form a custom team of foodservice and restaurant consultants for your project. And you’ll discover that when you’re looking for professional culinary education for your staff, there is no one else with the depth and breadth knowledge like CIA Consulting and The Culinary Institute of America.

Strengthened by Strategic Partnerships
Because developing the best solution for your business is our top priority, our chef-consultants work with other specialists both within the CIA and throughout the foodservice and hospitality industry. For example, we call on our colleagues in the CIA Department of Menu Research & Development for additional insights into food science, consumer behavior, and foodservice operations. And we collaborate with respected industry leaders such as The National Food Lab, whose product development, manufacturing, and commercialization expertise is invaluable.

Project Resources

As seasoned food and restaurant industry consultants, we know about a lot of great sources of data and other information you can use for your projects. One such resource is Prepared Foods, “the industry’s leading product development magazine providing information on global new product introductions, culinary trends, ingredient technology, and practical applications.”

Core Team of Consultants

	Adam Busby, C.M.C., C.E.C., C.H.E. In addition to lending his unparalleled expertise to CIA Consulting clients, Adam Busby serves as director of 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 director of CIA Consulting 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—dean of culinary 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 business development, 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.
	David P. Kellaway, C.M.C., C.C.E. The managing director of the CIA, San Antonio, Certified Master Chef David Kellaway lends his expertise from more than 30 years in foodservice and hospitality to CIA Consulting clients. Before returning to the CIA—where he previously served as chairman of the Education Department at the Hyde Park campus—Chef Kellaway was corporate director of culinary operations for Station Casinos, Inc. in Las Vegas, NV. Other career highlights include positions at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and THEhotel and The Mirage Resort & Casino, all in Las Vegas; Salish Lodge at Snoqualmie Falls in Washington; and The Plaza Hotel in New York City. A veteran of international culinary competitions, the Houston, TX native boasts a long list of awards in both hot and cold food competition, from a Gold Medal of Le Société Culinaire Philanthropique to the Medal of the French Government.
	Rudy Speckamp, C.M.C. Rudy Speckamp is the senior culinary consultant for CIA Consulting. 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.