We are exploring another of our Employee Resource Groups today—our PRIDE ERG—as we celebrate national coming out day, Oct 11. Our 11 ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups made up of individuals who come together based on common interests, backgrounds, or demographic factors. Each ERG is open to all Aramark employees regardless of their background, and provides opportunities for networking, outreach, professional development, and more.
Access the episode transcript here.
Chris Stearns, Founding Member and Senior Advisor of PRIDE, He/Him
Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for Aramark
Chris Stearns is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for Aramark where he serves as lead counsel for Aramark’s Facilities Management, Destinations, and Sports + Entertainment businesses in North America. In that capacity, Chris and his team advise the executive, finance, and operational leadership on a variety of complex legal matters and commercial pursuits. Chris also manages the M&A, litigation, compliance, and governmental investigation activities for those businesses. Chris brings experience from prior roles supporting several other Aramark business units. Chris was recognized as a Support Superhero at Aramark’s US Leadership and Innovation Summit in 2024.
Beyond his legal role for Aramark, Chris also serves as senior advisor to Aramark’s PRIDE employee resource groups, which supports Aramark’s LGBTQ+ employees and allies, and which he co-founded in 2009 and served as co-chair for several years. Chris was also the inaugural recipient of the Pride of Aramark award.
Chris joined Aramark in 2009 from the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he was an associate in the business and finance practice group and advised public and private companies and private equity firms on mergers and acquisitions as well as general corporate and securities laws matters.
Chris is 2005 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (where he is also adjunct faculty), earned his undergraduate degree at Bowdoin College, and was a Fulbright scholar at the University of York, England. Chris resides in Center City, Philadelphia with his husband, Jared, and their daughter, Ezra.
Patti Pactanac, Co-Chair for PRIDE, She/Her
Vice President of Compliance for Aramark
Celebrating 10 years with Aramark this month (October), Patti serves as Vice President of Compliance for Collegiate Hospitality, Destinations, Healthcare+ and Refreshments, where she partners with business leaders to implement compliance programs that mitigate risk, while supporting growth and retention. Previously, Patti spent 9 years with Aramark Refreshments, in positions of increasing responsibility supporting operational enablement and execution.
Patti has more than 15 years of experience driving results by building/leading high-performance teams, implementing operational excellence through lean and 6-sigma methodologies, and executing organizational structure changes, support services consolidations and relocation.
She is the PRIDE ERG Co-Chair and an active member of Empower and Amplify ERGs. Among Patti’s most notable accomplishments, she received the 2015 Refreshments Sales Star award and the 2018 President’s Excellence Award.
Patti resides in San Diego, CA with her husband Jon and three children Parker, Jackson, and Charlotte.
Brisbane Vaillancourt, Executive Sponsor for PRIDE, She/Her
Regional Vice President for Aramark Collegiate Hospitality
Brisbane Vaillancourt is the Regional Vice President for Aramark Collegiate Hospitality in the Northeast Region. A highly accomplished, entrepreneurial senior executive with a history of leading multiple teams to meet and exceed expectations. She has proven herself to be a forward-thinking innovator who implements structures and processes to secure long-term prosperity. In this role Brisbane serves as the liaison between Aramark and clients, driving cooperation and collaboration across the region. She is responsible for client relationships in dining accounts throughout New England, New Jersey, and New York.
Brisbane has almost two decades of industry experience, which includes six+ years within the broader Aramark enterprise. Brisbane began her hospitality career with Margaritas Management Group (MMG), a privately owned restaurant chain for twelve years. During her tenure with MMG, she rose from her role as an hourly server to Vice President of Operations.
In 2016, Brisbane transitioned to begin her Aramark career as a District Manager in the Workplace Experience Group and was quickly promoted to Vice President of Operations with LifeWorks in 2019, overseeing one of our largest global client accounts. In early 2021, Brisbane was appointed the role of Regional Vice President for Aramark Collegiate Hospitality in the Northeast Region.
Brisbane holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Central Connecticut State University. Brisbane continues to display her commitment to DE&I, through her involvement with Aramark employee resource groups, which includes being the executive sponsor for the Empower New England Hub and an executive sponsor for Aramark Pride. She was the recipient of the Aramark Star of Excellence Award in 2018, the EMPOWER Workforce Ally award in 2022 and Our People Make the Difference award in 2023.
Brisbane, her wife Kelly and three daughters, Nicolette, Hallie, and Savannah reside in Connecticut.
Coming Out Stories
Aramark Pride 2020 LGBTQ Coming Out Stories (flippingbook.com)
- Aramark Pride Coming Out Stories, vol. 4 (flippingbook.com)
- Aramark Pride "Who We Are," vol. 5 (flippingbook.com)
Additional Resources
Aramark Receives Equality 100 Award from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation - Aramark
Annual Awards Recognize OUTstanding LGBTQ+ Leaders and Partners - Aramark
Pride Month Shines a Light on LGBTQ+ Employees and Experiences - Aramark
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