Hormel Foods Corporation announced the hiring of Tony J. Finnestad as corporate development chef for its foodservice division.
“We are thrilled to have Tony on our team,” says Jeffrey R. Baker, group vice president, foodservice for Hormel Foods. “He has a fantastic knowledge of food and the real world experience of working in a foodservice kitchen. Tony will be a great asset to our organization and will help us to continue to bring delicious, value-added solutions to foodservice operators across the country and the world.”
Before his employment with Hormel Foods, Finnestad worked as the corporate chef for Michigan-based Cherry Republic, Inc., where, Finnestad was responsible for new product development for two restaurants and four retail shops. As corporate chef, Finnestad managed a team of 10 individuals and worked closely with the company’s marketing and sales departments to launch new products.
Finnestad’s past experience also includes acting as the lead chef at various restaurants and companies in Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, and New Mexico.
Finnestad received his Bachelor of Science in hospitality and tourism management from Purdue University and his Associate of Arts from The Culinary Institute of America. He was also the 2014 recipient of the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge from the National Restaurant Association.
