Restaurant Associates president Ed Brown’s rise to the C-suite might be viewed as unconventional. A Michelin-starred chef, Brown’s culinary career began 30 years ago after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. His first stop was in NYC as the sous chef alongside Christian Delouvrier at Maurice, followed by a stint at Lucas Carton (3 Michelin stars). His restaurant The Sea Grill was named one of the best restaurants in the world by Esquire, and his next, Eighty One, earned him a Michelin star. At Restaurant Associates -- the NYC-based, billion-dollar company behind the food operations at Google and The Met as well as the U.S. Open's players dining room and Sweet Home Café, the award-winning restaurant at the National Museum of African-American History in D.C. -- culinary prowess is weighted equally alongside executive skills.
