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Brian Mansfield began his career in hotels as a teenager before advancing to a professional kitchen role after high school through Johnson & Wales University. With experience opening five Capital Grille locations and 15 years in an ESOP company, he gained leadership skills and an ownership mindset. Joining Chartwells Higher Education, part of Compass Group, he excelled in training, procurement and kitchen management. Rapid promotions led to his current role as Vice President of Procurement and Safety, leveraging his extensive culinary and business expertise.
Cultivating Future Talent and Leadership Growth
We are fortunate to have a culture that values its people and understands that in order to sustain our terrific growth trajectory we need to attract and retain talent at every level. We also know that we have the next generation of leaders working with us right now. The company has invested a lot of resources into cultivating this talent, with a team dedicated to supporting future talent. This robust Team focuses on attracting talent, making sure they are in the right positions and then unleashing all sorts of development on them! Training, onboarding and supporting them during those critical first days is the focus. We know if we don’t build a solid foundation that the chances of losing them are higher. At the chef level, we support ongoing development and opportunities for our unit leaders to grow and move up in their careers, possibly in larger roles on campus or transferring to another campus for bigger challenges.
Adapting to Evolving Challenges and Enhancing the Experience
We are constantly evaluating our student experience and adjusting or enhancing initiatives as necessary. We conduct extensive surveys to gather feedback, using robust methods. We partner with industry leaders who help us understand generational shifts in preferences so that we stay ahead of the curve and provide what is important to the current cohort on campus as we adapt to what the next one is looking for.
At the end of the day, a leader has to remove obstacles and not place more in front of you!
Like many operators during the pandemic, we weren’t immune to the effects of supply chain woes and labor disruptions. As the global leader in contract foodservice, we at Compass have the strength of our GPO (Group Purchasing Organization) Foodbuy to provide expertise and resources that set us apart from other organizations in many ways. We have been able to emerge from these challenges stronger than ever but find ourselves navigating a new landscape. We take a very thoughtful approach to our menuing and programming keeping labor and costs in mind. Partnering with various manufacturers, we incorporate new equipment and technology where possible and simplify recipes where needed to adapt to the workforce we have. We solicit feedback constantly from our operators to understand what the pain points are and try to provide solutions. At the end of the day, a leader has to remove obstacles and not place more in front of you!
Driving Innovation and Sharing Career Insights
Where we excel in the space is in part due to the breadth and strength of our GPO at Foodbuy. We develop plans each year with them to identify our needs and they help us find great partners and contract them. We have developed standards for all our lines of business including Catering, Retail, Residential Dining, Athletics dining and Concessions. Chefs and Directors are given all the tools needed to understand and execute to the standard. As we survey and listen to our students and guests, we take those insights to our manufacturing partners and they help identify products and recipes that we blend into our programs. It is a constant feedback loop that drives innovation and industry-leading programming. We also have a terrific R&D Team that has a Wellness and Sustainability contingent, overseeing all our culinary inspiration and keeping us focused on constant improvement.
I enjoy visiting schools to discuss careers and success. Intentionality is key—your education, effort and surroundings shape your path. If pursuing a culinary career, master the fundamentals of cooking and kitchen operations. Learn from mistakes, observe successes and apply them to your leadership philosophy. Be proactive—support your team, ease workloads and foster a positive kitchen environment. A stressful kitchen should never be made worse by poor leadership. Interviews are a two-way process; evaluate employers as they evaluate you. Find mentors, absorb their wisdom and know when to move on to new ones. Build relationships, expand your network and embrace continuous learning. Feed your mind with leadership books, TED Talks and insightful experiences. Stay curious, open-minded and adaptable. Be thoughtful, empathetic and generous—remove obstacles and uplift your team. Success comes from consistent effort, strong values and a willingness Brian Mansfield to grow.
