Christopher Tanner

Christopher Tanner has a diverse work experience in the culinary industry. Christopher started their career in 1992, working in various roles such as Executive Chef, Culinary Education Leader, Sous Chef, and Line Cook in restaurants, hotels, private clubs, and colleges.

In 2013, they joined Campbell Soup Company as a Corporate Executive Chef, where they led a team responsible for driving the company's retail portfolios and worked on new product launches.

Christopher then moved on to be the Director of the Columbus Culinary Institute at Bradford School in 2018, where they trained and developed new culinarians while building relationships with industry organizations.

In 2019, Christopher joined Griffith Foods as a Corporate Executive Chef, leading culinary development strategies and maintaining strong relationships with industry partners and customers.

Prior to their current role, they were the Director of Culinary Development at Rubix Foods, overseeing culinary development efforts.

Currently, Christopher works as the Executive Director of Operations at the American Culinary Federation, where they lead a national office team that supports over 150 chapters in various areas, including certification, educational accreditation, culinary competition, and member services. Christopher also executes annual conventions and regional events for the organization.

Christopher Tanner received their education in chronological order, starting with an Associate of Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts from SUNY Schenectady County Community College, which they obtained between 1997 and 1999. Christopher then pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration in Culinary Management from the State University of New York at Delhi from 2004 to 2006. Finally, they completed a Master's degree in Gastronomy and Food Studies from Boston University between 2007 and 2011.

In addition to their formal education, Christopher Tanner also holds numerous certifications. In 2008, they became an ACF Certified Executive Chef® and an American Culinary Federation Certified Competition Judge. In 2010, they obtained the Certification Evaluator Mentor certification from the American Culinary Federation. In 2019, they obtained the ACF Certified Culinary Educator® (CCE®) certification. Furthermore, they obtained the ServeSafe Managers Certification from the National Restaurant Association in 2020 and is a participant of the Worldchefs Hot Kitchen & Culinary Arts Competition Seminar offered by the Worldchefs - World Association of Chefs' Societies since 2023.