Western Illinois University (WIU) Board of Trustees Chair Carin Stutz has been honored by Lunchbox as one of the Top 30 Women in Food in 2024.
Mrs. Stutz secured the fifth spot on the list of 30 outstanding women due to her 50-year experience within the restaurant industry. She has held pivotal roles as a board member, president and CEO across renowned brands such as Hawaiian Bros, Kura Sushi and Cosi.
Lunchbox offers the restaurant industry online ordering systems and solutions for catering and guest engagement on a single platform. The Top 30 Women in Food list highlights the women who are redefining what it means to be an operator, executive, chef, author and restaurateur in the industry, according to Lunchbox.
Ms. Stutz, a 1978 WIU home economics graduate, is the former chief operating officer and executive vice president for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. Prior to Red Robin, she served as president of McAlister’s Corporation at FOCUS Brands Inc. In 2012, she was named the CEO and president of Cosi, Inc. and served as a member of Cosi’s Board of Directors from 2012-2013.
Experience is global
She served for three years as the president and COO of global business development for Brinker International, where she led franchise development and operations for Chili’s and Maggiano’s restaurants worldwide; and spent eight years as an executive vice president of operations for Applebee’s International. In addition, she served five years as central and pacific division vice president for Wendy’s International; and served as regional operations vice president for Sodexo, U.S.A.; and vice president of corporate operations for NutriSystem, Inc.
She also co-founded the GLEAM Network, a platform dedicated to providing mentorship to underprivileged individuals in the food service sector.Â
Ms. Stutz originally was appointed to the WIU board in 2019, and reappointed last May by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
