There’s a new food sheriff in town. And by town, we mean all of America.
The Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) recently announced the appointment of Michiel Bakker as the college’s sixth president, effective September 1, 2024. Bakker will further the CIA’s eight-decade legacy of leadership and excellence. The Board’s decision follows an extensive, 10-month global search. Bakker succeeds Dr. Tim Ryan, the Institute’s longest-serving president, who held the role since 2001 and who moves into the new role of chancellor.
“In its 78-year history, the CIA has had just five presidents—pretty astounding when you consider that the average college president’s tenure is less than six years1,” said Board Chair John Metz, Jr. “We were committed to finding the person who would ensure that the CIA continues to be the world’s premier culinary college. Michiel Bakker’s experience speaks for itself, and we are confident he is the president to build on the CIA’s strong foundation and usher the college into its next era.”
For the past 12 years, based in Mountain View, CA, Bakker worked in various global leadership roles at Google. From 2012 to 2021, he was responsible for Google’s celebrated Food at Work program, supporting all foodservice-related activities and initiatives, as well as developing internal and external partnerships to explore and tackle the challenges and opportunities in global food systems.
He also led Google’s Global Workplace Programs organization with overall responsibilities for the ongoing delivery of events, health & performance, transportation, and food at work services to more than 250,000 individuals worldwide. Most recently, Bakker steered the Global Workplace Strategy, Innovation, and Sustainability team, leading the work on Google’s long-term workplace strategy, workplace experience, and sustainability efforts for Google’s global office real estate portfolio.
Before joining Google in 2012, Bakker spent 17 years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in various hotel and global food and beverage operations roles. These included creating and building out partnerships, leading hotel food and beverage developments and openings, food experience design, and running hotel and food & beverage operations.
Bakker holds an Executive MSc degree in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business, a Master of Hospitality Administration degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, an MBA from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, and a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from the Hotel Management School Maastricht in the Netherlands.