USA. Airport restaurateur and retailer Paradies Lagardère has announced Marie Grimm as its new Vice President of Dining Operations. She has switched from OTG Management, where she served as Head of Culinary for the past three years.
Grimm has more than 20 years’ experience in the food & beverage industry and her earlier career included senior culinary roles with NBC Universal Studios, Dine Global Brands and Darden Restaurants.
Her new employer noted she has a “proven track record of developing and executing strategic solutions that enhance the customer experience, optimise operational efficiency and drive revenue growth”.
In her new position, Grimm will have leadership responsibility for more than 225 restaurants and bars across more than 40 North American airports.
Her role will drive service initiatives, culinary experiences, food safety procedures and procurement best practices to help deliver a best-in-class dining experience, Paradies Lagardère noted.
Grimm said: “I’m thrilled to be part of such a highly respected organisation, and I look forward to helping Paradies Lagardère grow more proprietary brands. I’m passionate about bringing culinary creativity and excellence to the challenging and dynamic airport environment.
“Culinary pride and passion are my favourite aspects of the job. I love identifying high-performing chefs, helping them develop the skills to become business leaders and working side by side with them.
“Efficiency from the back of the house is very important to me,” she added. “I want to be a partner to our folks in the field, so I’m focused on strategically organising our teams to make sure we are supporting each other and our mutual goals while finding ways to execute fresh food in high volume.” 
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