PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Ferdinand E. Metz, C.M.C.,
President Emeritus
As President of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) from 1980 to 2001, Ferdinand E. Metz led efforts to develop innovative educational programs for aspiring chefs and to strengthen the culinary industry as a whole. In his role as President Emeritus, Mr. Metz assists efforts to increase the college's endowment and funding for student scholarships.
A native of Munich, Germany with more than 40 years experience in foodservice, Chef Metz is a Certified Master Chef (C.M.C.) who holds a Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the University of Pittsburgh.
Under Chef Metz's leadership, the CIA became the world leader in culinary education and a standard-bearer for the industry. Accomplishments during his tenure included the creation of a culinary-focused baccalaureate degree program; the Shunsuke Takaki School of Baking and Pastry and the Apple Pie Bakery Café Sponsored by Rich Products Corporation, where students in the baking and pastry degree programs gain practical retail experience; the General Foods Nutrition Center, which houses St. Andrew's Café; American regional cooking, practiced on campus in The American Bounty Restaurant; the Colavita Center for Italian Food and Wine, offering courses and study programs in Italian food, wine, and culture; the Conrad N. Hilton Library, housing the largest culinary collection in the United States; a Student Recreation Center; and expansion of programs for food and wine professionals through the opening of the Willard Marriott Continuing Education Center and The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, the college's west coast branch for continuing education.
In addition to his contributions to the CIA and its students, Chef Metz has elevated the culinary profession. He was instrumental in establishing apprenticeship, certification and the Master Chef concept in America and he guided the American Culinary Olympic Team for 20 years and three consecutive World Championships in the Hot Food category.
Among the many awards earned by Chef Metz during his career are The Lifetime Achievement Award from the James Beard Foundation; the American Culinary Federation's 1968 Chef of the Year Award; and the 1967 Medal of the French Republic, considered the highest recognition for culinary achievements in the United States. In 1995, Nation's Restaurant News named Chef Metz among the fifty most powerful people in the industry, and in 1998, Self magazine said Ferdinand Metz is one of the 25 people "who most influences what we eat, how we eat, and how we think about food."
As President Emeritus, Chef Metz continues to provide the leadership and innovation that will help the foodservice industry continue to grow and prosper, offering a world of opportunity to practitioners of the culinary arts.
