About Me

 

My name is Brad Nelson and I am Marriott's corporate chef and vice president of culinary. I grew up in Seattle, Washington where I developed the passion for food that continues to follow me throughout my career. We savored the first salmon of the season, shopped Pike Place Market, grew vegetables in the family garden, and learned to respect nature's simple, clean flavors, which I strive to instill into the philosophy of our numerous global kitchens. More significant has been the daily food discoveries that still enlighten me, proving the old adage no one knows it all. That is never more accurate than in the food world.

Working my way up from dishwashing to the sandwich line at a local eatery in my teenage years, I developed an interest in the culinary field even before high school. I spent the formative parts of my career working from Seattle to San Francisco to Hawaii to Florida, working in large and small hotels and independent restaurants. A Richard Keating Award-winning 1984 CIA graduate, I was among the first chefs to cook at The James Beard House's 1991 "Best Hotel Chefs" series.

In 1998, I joined Marriott International as director of culinary development, soon moving to my current position where I work with chefs domestically and abroad to establish standards, help develop menus, seek out product and participate in tasting and testing in the company's Marriott Test Kitchen, at the corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.

As vice president culinary and corporate chef of Marriott International, I have worked to build an international culinary team that continues to raise the bar in dining. I take my respect for nature's simple, clean flavors and instill it into the philosophy of the numerous kitchens I oversee. I travel extensively throughout the many countries where Marriott has properties.

My wife Elizabeth and I are the parents of three and reside in Northern Virginia.