MEET STEVE

Steve embarked on a dynamic yet unconventional journey into hospitality leadership and financial strategy. After earning summa cum laude honors in Accountancy from George Washington University, he started his career at the prestigious Big 5 accounting firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Demonstrating exceptional aptitude for corporate accounting, Steve swiftly ascended the ranks and eventually assumed the responsibility of managing mergers and acquisitions for the firm's flagship New York office.

Despite his success in the accounting world, Steve was drawn towards a different passion: the culinary arts. Taking a bold step, he enrolled in The French Culinary Institute, earning a degree in culinary arts. Post-graduation, Steve entered the hospitality scene under the tutelage of renowned chef David Burke at ONE CPS in The Plaza Hotel. Starting at garde manger, he steadily progressed through various kitchen stations, eventually becoming purchaser and sous chef, overseeing a team of 25.

In 2003, when Chef Burke opened the critically acclaimed restaurant, David Burke & Donatella, he tapped Steve as sous-chef and food buyer. Eventually, Steve revealed his true financial colors to Burke, first being named controller and then Chief Financial Officer of Burke’s rapidly growing restaurant group, David Burke Group, a role he held for nearly ten years.

In 2012, Steve was recruited to serve as the Director of Finance for Patina Restaurant Group, one of the largest players in the national hospitality scene with partners such as Disney, MetLife, Macy’s, and Madison Square Garden. His contributions led to his promotion to Chief Financial Officer, where he played a pivotal role in navigating Patina’s majority acquisition by Delaware North.

From 2018 to 2021, Steve held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Apicii, orchestrating its significant expansion from a handful of restaurants to more than 40. Notably during his Apicii tenure, he developed and executed a proprietary, scalable operational toolbox applicable to any food service company.

In 2021, Steve founded SES Hospitality, advising global hospitality clients by developing and implementing optimized financial and operational strategies. His work enables teams to overhaul their systems by shifting them from a reactive approach to a strategic process: identifying, measuring and achieving operational goals.