One pillar of our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy is ensuring that our workforce reflects the communities we serve. Advancing equity in the workplace begins with acknowledging and addressing the fact that advantages and barriers exist, and finding ways to create an environment where all people can thrive.
Today, the majority of our enterprise workforce identifies as diverse. As we shared in our 2021 Be Well. Do Well.® Impact Report, 55% of people who directly report to CEO John Zillmer are women and 32% of our salaried employees in the U.S. are people of color. That kind of progress resonates with Brandi Heatherly, Regional Vice President, Higher Education, who has made equal representation a priority in her 28 years with the company.
Continuing that professional journey, Heatherly recently became Chair of EMPOWER, our largest and longest-standing employee resource group (ERG). Year-round, members of EMPOWER work to drive leadership and development opportunities for women at Aramark. As Heatherly puts it, “We want to empower women to help them achieve their goals and to become whatever they want in their careers.”
Launched in 2011, Aramark EMPOWER drives leadership and development opportunities by connecting and engaging women, as well as their allies, across the company.
The group’s work culminates with the annual EMPOWER Symposium, held March 8-10, 2022, with the theme “Limitless: The Power of WE.” And our Chef Spotlight series will run concurrently for Women’s History Month, featuring stories of female chefs from across the enterprise.
Craving Connection
ERGs are a powerful forum for giving voice to the diverse communities that make up our workforce and creating a more inclusive workplace. All are welcome to join, and ERG membership is growing at Aramark — by more than 25 percent in the second half of 2021 alone.
What’s more, our ERGs communicate and collaborate with each other. As the 2022 EMPOWER Symposium theme suggests, there is no limit to what we can accomplish when colleagues come together in search of mutual understanding. For example, ERGs might co-host events together or invite members from other groups to contribute to panel discussions.
“Cross-pollination is fundamental to how our ERGs operate,” says Heatherly. “The content is always fantastic. Whether I’m a panelist or in the audience, I always learn something new.”
The 2022 EMPOWER Symposium featured three days of virtual keynotes, discussion panels, and networking events open to all Aramark employees.
Indeed, two EMPOWER Symposium events were developed with intersectionality in mind. A collaboration with Aramark PRIDE yielded a keynote by Amber Hikes, Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who emphasized the importance of helping others grow while growing yourself. And in a session on day two, attendees heard from two indigenous women about how they overcame obstacles and adversity — a partnership with Aramark Rising Sun, a Canadian-based ERG.
The 2022 EMPOWER Symposium was held virtually, building on the momentum of last year. “After the last two years, people crave connectivity,” Heatherly explains. “By hosting a virtual symposium, we can deliver that experience to more people and fit within their busy schedules.”
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Meet a Few of Our Chefs
Throughout the year, Chef Spotlight invites our resident culinarians to discuss how their cultural identity influences their work and comes to life via their favorite recipes. In this way, the series ties into our goal of maintaining a workplace that values and leverages people’s differences. It’s also just plain fun to celebrate good people and good food.
“At Aramark we’re all about our people, and I love the many ways that food and people come together in our business,” Heatherly attests. “These stories are so personal and multifaceted — you read about these talented chefs and instantly feel like you know them.”
Here are a few of the female chefs whose recipes and stories will be featured across our locations throughout Women’s History Month.
Chef Mariela: Making Her Own Way
Growing up in Tampa, Chef Mariela Genco was drawn to the culinary arts. For an eighth-grade presentation, she wrote a report about becoming a chef, baked a cake, and made her own apron and toque. From there, her career fate was sealed. “If I can make someone smile because they ate a delicious and satisfying meal, I feel I have accomplished my goal,” she says.
Now an Executive Chef at MacDill Air Force Base, Chef Mariela credits her love of food and strong work ethic to her family’s Cuban and Sicilian roots. She acknowledges that culinary is not the easiest field to break into, meaning it’s all the more important for women to make their own way.
Her two-part dessert recipe, Strawberry-Strawberry Ice Cream and Cheffy's Brownies , is inspired by her mother and a colleague, both of whom played a role in her professional growth.
Chef Lisa: Seizing Career Opportunities
Chef Lisa Falcone, RDN, CEC is living proof of the wide variety of career opportunities in the culinary industry. She started off as a Registered Dietitian in the healthcare space and found herself drawn to the kitchen. Her hospital leadership encouraged her to pursue culinary training, and eventually she became a Certified Executive Chef.
This unique background gives Chef Lisa a well-rounded understanding of both the science and technique of preparing delicious, healthful, and occasionally indulgent food. In her current role as Director of Operational Excellence, Healthcare Hospitality, she seeks to make the hospital dining experience enjoyable for patients, visitors, and employees alike. She also participates in Aramark Dietitians ERG alongside her fellow RDs.
Chef Lisa’s vegetarian Black and Orange Tailgate Chili once won third place in a recipe contest for San Francisco Giants Fans (hence the name, a testament to the team’s colors). She likes to make a big batch of it right after Thanksgiving, as it hits the spot after holiday feasting.
“There is a variety of opportunity in the food world,” Chef Lisa says. “Everyone’s diverse background and experiences only add to their success.”
Chef Lesli: Never Stop Growing
Chef Lesli Escobar is a lifelong foodie, as cooking has been her passion since childhood. She loves sampling food from different cultures, noting the way each cuisine incorporates distinct flavors. Her Coconut Flan was inspired by a recent trip to Puerto Rico — a dish so good, she just had to get the recipe and try it at home.
As a Gluten Free Line Cook at Boston University, Chef Lesli continually strives to learn more and improve in the kitchen. Every day, she finds joy in seeing the looks on people’s faces when they try her food.
“Never give up on what you love to do,” says this member of Aramark EMPOWER and Aramark PRIDE. “There will always be critics, but that should motivate you to be better.”
Bridging Differences
Through the Chef Spotlight program, EMPOWER, and our other ERGs, we are fostering a workplace where our people can connect their personal and professional lives back to the organization’s greater purpose. The robust calendar of ERG programming — from symposiums to networking events to mentoring opportunities — elevates diverse groups while creating bridges between them.
“Our ERGs bring us together and create a much greater sense of appreciation and awareness for each other,” Heatherly states. “It’s all about building connectivity, even when you can’t be together in person.”
