Melissa Trimmer, CEPC, AAC
Dexter
Summary
Dynamic culinary executive with a proven track record in senior leadership roles, driving strategic initiatives and fostering organizational growth. Skilled in leading cross-functional teams to achieve key business objectives, enhancing operational efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction. Expertise in project management and strategic planning, with a visionary approach to developing company operations and strategies. Detail-oriented multi-tasker excelling in fast-paced environments, known for dynamic and decisive leadership with strong planning and problem-solving skills. Community-involved chef with experience in educational demonstrations, guest lecturing, curriculum building, and programmatic support for operational success.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Director, Culinary
Dawn Foods
01.2023 - Current
- Member of North American Marketing Leadership Team; lead all Culinary & Innovation Studio activities across Dawn Foods North America. Manage, coach, and develop culinary leaders and team members, manage internal & external events with full financial & resourcing accountability. Partner with the market research team to define culinary trends in the marketplace to showcase Dawn’s thought leadership internally and externally. Support innovation efforts by working closely with R&D and Category Marketing to provide culinary support on innovation ideas, guidance to create gold standard products and follow development thru to commercialization and training.
Corporate Executive Chef, Director of Culinary & Innovation Studio
Dawn Foods
01.2019 - 01.2023
- Member of North American Marketing Leadership Team. Lead all Innovation Studio activities; including managing, coaching and developing Innovation Studio support team as well as full responsibility for facilities maintenance, budget, and all internal and external events held at the Innovation Studio. Acted as spokesperson to the media regarding Dawn Foods products and recipes. Determined content marketing product ideas, photo shots, videos and print materials, social media and video content. Drove customer meeting content including product selection, recipe development, brainstorming, and product development. Developed extensive customer facing recipe library utilizing Dawn products as referenced on www.dawnfoods.com. Leveraged trend research to source and create new product ideas in partnership with research & development teams. Created scratch “gold standard” for new product development. Acted as “voice of the customer” in cross functional teams. Supported the Technical Sales team with training, new ideas, recipes, product insights and trends.
Corporate Chef, Senior Manager
Aryzta
04.2017 - 01.2019
- Worked on global culinary innovation executive team on product and menu concept initiatives. Acted as a subject matter expert relative to customer processing and product capabilities, participated in multiple concurrent food product launches from bench top testing to production commercialization. Provided support and maintained multi-unit customer call points to national and international clients. Provided consultative services for said clients including menu development, product development, standardized recipes, and new concept roll outs across national and international markets. Conducted compelling and engaging presentations with confidence in group and private settings. Developed strategic working relationships with customer contacts through rapport building, demonstrating subject matter expertise, and a customized knowledge of the client’s business’s needs.
Corporate Chef, National Sales
US Foods
09.2014 - 04.2017
- Provided support and maintained multi-unit customer call points on national accounts. Provided training, facilitation, and education for new product roll-outs. Supported development of the field merchandise, product specialists, chefs, national sales, healthcare, and account executive teams and others for product understanding, presentation skills, and effective sales approaches nationally. Facilitated the voice of the customer/group to merchandising teams and product development team; provided feedback from the product specialists/culinary side to the merchandising team and product development team on product ideas, needs, and performance. Worked closely with marketing and product sales training to create strategic insights, customer centric marketing pieces, and recipe applications. Provided support and guidance for development and execution of Food Fanatics Live events nationally. Regularly contributed content to Food Fanatics Magazine.
Department Chair - Baking & Pastry Arts
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts
02.2012 - 09.2014
- Operated as an effective management team leader of both faculty and students. Identified opportunities to increase revenue, decrease kitchen expenses, and maximize departmental productivity without compromising student satisfaction. Lead pastry department though first time American Culinary Federation Education Foundation programmatic accreditation. Developed curricula for Le Cordon Bleu North America’s 19 ground campuses. Oversaw curriculum development and revisions for the department and assessed educational outcomes in core classes for both savory and pastry degrees. Worked with faculty, students, and staff to establish and maintain a long term vision for the department that was consistent with the departmental and college missions. Managed course and faculty schedules and instructor assignments. Served as a liaison between the department and other units of the institution. Actively taught and mentored instructors in all classes in baking & pastry curriculum and advanced savory classes.
Executive Pastry Chef
C-House Restaurant/ Affinia Hotel
02.2011 - 02.2012
- Served as executive pastry chef under celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. Lead all aspects of fine dining pastry department in Mag Mile restaurant and hotel including P&L reports, banquets, catering, ala carte service, in room dining, amenities, hiring, training and staff development, menu development and implementation, and community involvement.
Team Leader
Whole Foods Market
03.2010 - 01.2011
- Provided overall management and supervision of the bakery team and sub-teams. Responsible for team development & management. Responsible for profitability, expense control, merchandising, ordering, regulatory compliance, and special projects. Complete accountability for all aspects of team operations and performed all duties and responsibilities of team positions.
Pastry Chef
Lula Cafe & Nightwood Restaurant
05.2007 - 03.2010
- Provided overall management for all aspects of two sister farm to fork pastry departments including individualized weekly menus for both locations, standardized recipes, banquets, catering, hiring and staff development. Created and maintained relationships with local farmers and restaurant investors.
Executive Pastry Chef
Butter
03.2005 - 12.2006
- Served as executive pastry chef alongside celebrity executive chef, Ryan Poli and regularly cooked for celebrities and celebrity chefs. Created high end, molecular gastronomy forward concepts.
Executive Pastry Chef
Carnivale
02.2004 - 03.2005
- Built pastry kitchen and department from conceptualization to construction realization. Created corporate recipes through research and development. Implemented programs, systems, and complete accountability for pastry department staff.
Executive Pastry Chef
The Peninsular Club
01.2003 - 01.2004
- Responsible for all aspects of pastry department in exclusive private club catering to member events, dining, and special services. Extensive catering, high end buffet, wedding cake, and showpiece work.
Pastry Chef
The Gilmore Group
06.2001 - 01.2003
- Served as pastry chef for the Gilmore Group’s large five restaurant concept and opened other Gilmore Group concepts. Wrote and implemented large scale corporate recipes for many different locations and concepts.
Education
Associate of Applied Science - Baking & Pastry Arts
Johnson & Wales University
Providence, RI01.2001
Bachelor of Science - Hospitality Management
Johnson & Wales University
Providence, RI01.2023
Skills
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Brand strategy development
- Team and core values management
- Culinary thought leadership
- Extensive experience in product launches
- Policy & pipeline development
- Well-developed presentation skills and curriculum or presentations written to specific learning objectives
- Chef Instructor
- Operational strategy consultant
- In-depth understanding of diverse foodservice markets
- Clear comprehension of distribution and manufacturing practices
- Exceptional understanding of fundamental and advanced baking and pastry techniques and multiple cuisines
- European culinary expertise
- Knowledgeable about food industry trends
- Media covered chef & award-winning chef
- Collaborative leadership
- Culture transformation
- Food photography and food presentation skills
- Food styling techniques
Accomplishments
2024 Chair Pastry Task Force, American Culinary Federation
2024 American Academy of Chefs Inductee
2023 Skills USA National Baking Technical Committee
2022 Pastry Chef of the Year Award, Michigan Chef’s de Cuisine
2022 Vice President Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Board of Directors
2020 Curriculum Committee Member, Henry Ford College
2021 Relaunch Dawn Foods Innovation Studio with full culinary and R&D capabilities
2019 Pastry Chair Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Board of Directors
2018 Vendor of the Year (Sodexo)
2018 American Culinary Federation Certification Evaluator- first female evaluator in the state of Illinois
2015-2017 American Culinary Federation's Women's Task Force Chair
2015 American Culinary Federation “Cutting Edge” Award
2010 Michelin Guide's “Bib Gourmand”
2005 Esquire Magazine "Top 10 Restaurants in the US"
2005 James Beard nomination, "Best New Restaurant"
2001 Alpha Beta Kappa national honor society
2001 Classical training in Switzerland
Certification
- Certified ServSafe Instructor & Registered ServSafe Examination Proctor, 2014 - National Restaurant Association - Chicago, Illinois
- Certification Evaluator, 2018 - American Culinary Federation - St. Augustine, Florida
- World Chef’s Pastry Chef, 2017 - World Association of Chefs Societies - Rungis Cedex, France
- Certified Executive Pastry Chef, 2013 - American Culinary Federation - St. Augustine, Florida
Timeline
Senior Director, Culinary
Dawn Foods
01.2023 - Current
Corporate Executive Chef, Director of Culinary & Innovation Studio
Dawn Foods
01.2019 - 01.2023
Corporate Chef, Senior Manager
Aryzta
04.2017 - 01.2019
Corporate Chef, National Sales
US Foods
09.2014 - 04.2017
Department Chair - Baking & Pastry Arts
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts
02.2012 - 09.2014
Executive Pastry Chef
C-House Restaurant/ Affinia Hotel
02.2011 - 02.2012
Team Leader
Whole Foods Market
03.2010 - 01.2011
Pastry Chef
Lula Cafe & Nightwood Restaurant
05.2007 - 03.2010
Executive Pastry Chef
Butter
03.2005 - 12.2006
Executive Pastry Chef
Carnivale
02.2004 - 03.2005
Executive Pastry Chef
The Peninsular Club
01.2003 - 01.2004
Pastry Chef
The Gilmore Group
06.2001 - 01.2003
Bachelor of Science - Hospitality Management
Johnson & Wales University
Associate of Applied Science - Baking & Pastry Arts
Johnson & Wales University
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