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George McNeill  

George McNeill, CMC, is Vice President Culinary and Corporate Chef for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Chef McNeill holds the distinguished honor of being one of 55 Certified Master Chefs in the nation and in 2008 was recognized by the World As

As Vice President Culinary and Corporate Chef for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC, Chef McNeill, CMC oversees all culinary operations for the brand. This includes execution of culinary strategies, leadership and talent development, operational communication, and design review and implementation of all kitchen and back of the house features in our new properties. With the support from the Culinary and Pastry Advisory Boards, he creates innovative products and processes, and acts a gate keeper and stimulator of service, concepts, and product standards for the organization.

In his past positions, Chef McNeill has been responsible for some of the largest culinary teams in North America including; Atlantic City, New York and Toronto. He holds the distinguished honor of being one of only 55 Certified Master Chefs in the Nation and in 2008 was recognized by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) as a Global Master Chef.

His commitment to excellence starts in the heart of the kitchen where he insists on only the freshest products supported by continuous training, high standards of execution, and the accountability that these are met every step of the way produce the results that will stand the test of time. An advocate for supporting local producers, he requires that all menus are created around fresh, seasonal sustainable ingredients supported by some of the finest culinary products that are made available from around the world.

Chef McNeill left Scotland in 1966 to complete an apprenticeship at the London City of Guilds. He worked his way up the culinary ladder at a variety of positions in Europe, Canada and the U.S. In 1989, he assumed his role as Executive Chef at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, a trendsetting property and home to Canada’s largest hotel kitchen. The hotel became synonymous with culinary

excellence, award-winning environmental stewardship and regional cuisine during his decade at the gastronomic helm. In 1999 he took the reigns of the Marriot Marquis in New York City, a Landmark hotel, where he was responsible for $110 million in annual Food and Beverage Revenues. While there, he restructured the kitchens, improved operation processes, and focused on establishing it as the place to host only the very best culinary events such as the James Beard Foundation Awards, Bon Apptite Awards, the Christopher Reeves Foundation Gala, the Heisman Trophy Awards and many, many more.

Chef McNeill has lead culinary teams to victory in numerous National and International competitions and and has a long list of awards. He was Captain of the Canadian National Culinary Olympic Team, bringing home three gold and a bronze medal from the 1996 event and was recently been selected as one of three “Advisors” to the US National Team competing in the 2012 Culinary Olympics. Along with mentoring upcoming talent, the competitions added an exciting and challenging dimension to his career and a venue to exhibit his tremendous artistic ability through edible works of art.

One of Chef McNeill’s proudest accomplishments is the apprenticeship program he developed while at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. “My most important role is to motivate and teach,” he explains. “A solid training program is invaluable to stimulating development, enriching and maintaining your current talent, and attracting the best applicants to the industry.” Chef McNeill has partnered with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), George Brown College, French Culinary Institute and Johnson & Wales University in developing up and coming talent by mentoring their students and graduates. Chef McNeill is also a certified ACF National Culinary Competition Judge as well as an examiner for the ACF Certification Board. In 2008, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the Baltimore International College in Culinary Arts.

Chef McNeill has the distinction of being Chef of the Year by the Escoffier Society and the Canadian Culinary Federation. In 2007, he was awarded Order of the Golden Toque and he is a Fellow of the Ontario Hostelry Institute. He presided as the Executive Chef for the official Canadian State Dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. and has hosted the Chefs de Chefs the personal chefs of the Heads of State from around the world. As one of America’s top hotel chefs he has been featured on several occasions at the James Beard House. A recipient of ACE Award, Marriott’s highest National Culinary Award for Culinary Excellence, Chef McNeill is also a member of Les Toques Blanches, London Association of Chefs de Cuisine, American Culinary Federation, Escoffier Society, Canadian Federation of Chefs de Cuisine, and Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs.

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