OUR MANAGEMENT

MITCH KUSIAK
Senior Executive Vice President
Mitch Kusiak graduated from Wayne State University while working at ARAMARK. During his tenure with the mega-company, he rose to the position of Regional Vice President, overseeing thousands of employees in a five-state area. Despite a demanding travel schedule, he still found time for professional volunteer activities and, for several years, chaired the Food Industry Council of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce.

In 1994, after breaking nearly every national performance record at ARAMARK, Mitch teamed up with Continental. As equity partner and Senior Executive Vice President, his decisiveness, determination and focus on technology have helped propel the company to a leadership position in the industry.

Today, thanks to the management expertise of Mitch and founder Jim Bardy, Continental’s grow­ing customer base includes Volkswagen, American Axle & Manufacturing and dozens of other ma­jor corporations as well as schools, universities, health care organizations, and notable non-profits such as the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Estate

FIORE TIERNO
Vice President of Dining & Banquet Operations
Immediately after graduating from high school, Brooklyn-born Fiore Tierno obtained an AAS degree in Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Management. After working for various Manhattan-based gourmet markets, he accepted a position as Manager of the Northland Marketplace in Michigan and later became the Marketplace New Openings Manager for Chicago and Minneapolis. During his 13 years at Hudson’s and Marshall Fields, he helped launch the Starbucks operations in Michigan.

His next career move was to the University of Michigan, where he was Director of Food Services, in charge of branded concepts and co-branded concept development, systems, business analysis, and staff development. He also served on the U-M’s Master Planning Committee, which devel­oped long-term strategic plans for housing and food service.

During his years at the University of Michigan, Fiore earned a master’s degree in Hotel, Restau­rant and Tourism Management from Madison University and is currently completing his Ph.D.  He is an active member of the National Association of College Union Food Services and the Na­tional Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

STEVE LAPORTE
Vice President of Vending Operations
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northwood University in Midland, Steve LaPorte accepted a position as sales representative with ARAMARK. He was promoted to General Manager in less than 5 years and was responsible for operating and growing one of the largest office coffee business sites in the metro Detroit area. During his 12 years with the company, he was recognized as one of the top sales performers in the Midwest.

Steve joined the Continental team in 2001 and quickly rose through the ranks. He is now re­sponsible for directing all of the company’s operations. His current project is an “organic” expansion strategy that promises to increase market share and extend Continental’s growth trajectory for years to come.

JIM BELISLE
Vice President, Corporate Finance
An Academic All-American graduate of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Jim Belisle moved east to join Little Caesar’s Enterprises immediately after graduation. For 15 years, he helped promote Pizza-Pizza® in various capacities, ultimately as Vice President in charge of the Little Caesar Pizza Kit fundraising program. His broad executive experience also included stints as Branch Director, Controller, Senior Director of Financial Services, and Director of Branch Operations for Blue Line Distributing, Little Caesar’s food distribution division.

As Continental’s Director of Vending Operations, Jim supervises a cadre of drivers and service technicians who repair vending units and keep them operating at peak efficiency. His wide-ranging responsibilities include customer service, purchasing, information services, training, recruiting, and worker retention.
Jim was instrumental in implementing Quality Through Selection (QTS), a program that has reduced turnover significantly by providing a reliable, scientifically based process for hiring and training employees for specific positions.

ALVIS WILSON
President and CEO, Diamond Hospitality, LLC
Alvis Wilson has devoted much of his long and distinguished food service career to the health care industry. Among his many accomplishments with HDS, a Michigan based food service management firm, he was instrumental in creating a na­tionally recognized, state-of-the-art food service operation for the Detroit Medical Cen­ter at Detroit Receiving Hospital in the 1980’s. He also served as the new facility’s first Di­rector of Food Services.

Alvis eventually assumed the role of Director of Purchasing for 200 properties located throughout the country. His executive portfolio also includes food service management and consulting positions with Providence Hospital, Crittenton Hospital, McLaren Hospital, and the Bethesda Health System.

Alvis joined Continental Dining Services as Director of Sales in 2002. Two years later, he assembled a group of investors to form Diamond Hospitality, LLC.  As President and CEO of that company, Alvis and his team are committed to growing the contract food service business.

JOHN GARCIA
Director of Sales and Marketing
John Garcia has always been driven to excel. As a student at Michigan State Univer­sity, he worked 60 hours per week as a sales intern for a national company, ultimately becoming the top sales person in his region. Prior to graduation, he also founded—and sold—his own business.

That same initiative and energy have served John well throughout his career. Follow­ing graduation, he became a sales consultant for ARAMARK in the Metro Detroit area. For two consecutive years, he won the company’s Top Performer award for his region. By his third year, he was Top Performer in the nation. He also received awards of excellence for coordinat­ing customer service programs and improving communication between divisions.

In January of 2006, attracted to the company’s strong service culture, John became part of the sales and marketing team for Continental Canteen. He brings with him one simple but power­ful principle:  “Make yourself indispensable to the people you serve.”

STEPHEN O’KEEFE
Vice President of Business Development
Like so many Continental employees, Steve O’Keefe has worked in the food manage­ment industry for decades, in a variety of positions. He traces the beginning of his career to high school and a part-time job as dishwasher for a specialized nursing care facility based in Saline.

After successfully completing a degree program in Hospitality Management at East­ern Michigan University, Steve was promoted to the management team at HDS Services, a Detroit-area food service company. As Regional Director of Operations for HDS, he coordi­nated programs for acute care facilities, retirement homes, extended care facilities, schools, and colleges.

At Continental, Steve has a dual management role, dividing his time between Operations and Business Development. In addition to overseeing the company’s campus dining operations, he serves as Director of Operations for Diamond Hospitality, an affiliate of Continental. As Vice President of Business Development, Steve takes the lead in generating new clients for the company’s café operations.

To schedule a free café/vending services consultation with Steve, click here or e-mail him directly at s.okeefe@ContinentalServ.com.

AMY REICH
Director of Corporate Dining, Retail & Marketing
Whether it involves testing new menu items with the Corporate Chef, coming up with fresh marketing concepts, or upgrading signage and promotional materials, Amy Reich has always loved the creative challenges of a retail food service environment.

After graduating from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, Amy accepted a position as Assistant General Manager with Ruby Tuesday and quickly earned a regional award for cus­tomer service. She then joined HDS Services as General Manager and, for nearly a decade, supervised regional operations for corporate, educational and retirement accounts. In addition to developing retail programs, she achieved a client retention rate of 100%.

Amy joined the Continental executive team in January of 2005. As part of her “dual career” at Continental, she serves as District Manager for corporate accounts in her region. As Retail Marketing Manager, she oversees marketing, promotions, concept development, and décor packages for all of the company’s Signature Concepts and café installations.

BRENT BASCH
Director of Corporate and Industry Dining
At the age of 19, while pursuing an Associates Degree in Business from Muskegon College, Brent Basch joined Bill Knapp’s management team.  At the age of 25, he became the young­est Area Manager ever promoted by the company and was placed in charge of six metro Detroit area restaurants.

Later, as Customer Service Manager for LSG SkyChefs at Detroit Metro Airport, Brent not only managed operations and costs but also trained and supervised all employees, including executive staff members. Following a promotion to the post of NWA Account Manager, he served as direct liaison between the SkyChef’s Lufthansa Service Group and its $42 million account with Northwest Airlines. In that capacity, he provided hands-on, day-to-day operational support for the third largest in-flight kitchen in the world, responsible for 30,000 meals per day.

Brent joined Continental Services in 2002 as District Manager. Currently, as Director of Industry Dining, he oversees numerous automotive facilities as well as campus and corporate food service operations.

MIKE BOYLAN
Director of Vending Operations
After graduating from Pennsylvania State University, Mike Boylan joined a franchise division of ARA, where he consistently led the company in monthly sales and was soon promoted to Operations Manager. Later, at Service America Corporation—formerly known as the Macke Company—Mike supervised 125 employees. Following his promotion to District General Manager, he managed a multi-site vending and cafeteria operation that generated $21 million in annual sales.

Soon after accepting a position at Covenco, Inc., Mike was promoted to Central Regional Man­ager, in charge of a diverse business environment. He was manager of the company’s largest division when Covenco won Vendor of the Year Award.

His next move was to Canteen Corporation, a division of the Compass Group. After completing a successful stint as District General Manager in Chicago, he was assigned to the company’s Dearborn office where he directed profit-and-loss operations for the district and won the Com­pass Group’s 2004 Be-a-Star Award.

As Continental’s Director of Vending Operations, Mike supervises all account managers, route drivers and service technicians. Among his many responsibilities are staff development, cus­tomer service, strategic planning, and new product development.

STEVE RYBICKI
Vice President, Infinity and Ovation Yacht Charters
Steven Rybicki was 15 when he first began working on the Infinity, Continental’s 117-foot luxury yacht that plies the waters of Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River daily during the yachting season. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Adminis­tration from Wayne State University, he continued his career with the Infinity, this time in an executive management position.

Convinced that the Infinity is a perfect venue for Continental’s high-end food service program, Steve works side by side with his crew to plan first-class events ranging from corporate meet­ings and seminars to weddings, anniversary parties, and customer and employee appreciation programs. Exquisite cuisine, fine wines, exceptional service, and on-board entertainment are all part of the standard slate of services.

Last year, under his direction, the Infinity posted a record year for private and corporate char­ters. Steve credits that success to the skill of his team and their ability to create a “wow” experi­ence for every customer.

CHUCK SANSONE
Corporate Executive Chef
A 30-year veteran of the food industry, Chuck Sansone has extensive experience in all phases of the business: culinary training, point of sale operating systems, recipe and menu development, catering, new concepts design, inventory and purchasing con­trols, and P&L budgets.

Chuck comes to us from Marshall Field’s Department Stores, where he enjoyed a suc­cessful 15-year career as the company’s Regional Executive Chef. During his time at Marshall Field’s, he was responsible for all operations and services relating to food, culinary training, coordination and execution of all corporate catering in the Detroit region, management of pur­chasing and receiving standards for food vendors, supply and equipment specifications, food quality and safety procedures, and even point-of-sale and CBORD systems for inventory and cost control.

Over the years, Chuck has had an opportunity to work with some of the world’s best-known chefs, among them Ming Tsai, Tyler Florence, Rick Bayless, Tom Douglass, Todd English, Mar­cus Samuelson, Takashi Yagihashi, and Gale Gands.

PEARSE TORMEY
Executive Chef
Born and raised near London, England, Pearse Tormey can’t recall a time when he wasn’t interested in cooking. After earning a national diploma in hotel and catering operations, he worked as a Chef Garde Manger for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Naples, Florida, and later for the Beverly Hills Hotel.

In 1990, he accepted the post of Executive Chef at Dearborn’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, creating five-star cuisine for two restaurants, room service and banquet operations, and various food and wine festivals. Several years later, as Executive Chef at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, he coordinated a $1.9 million food service operation and helped plan and host the highly successful 1996 U.S. Open Men’s Golf Championship at the club.

Pearse’s career has also included executive chef positions with Aramark and Marshall Fields, where he supervised eight restaurants and implemented training programs for chefs and man­agers. He joined Continental in 2005 with the goal of helping the company continue—and en­hance—its tradition of excellent service and outstanding food.