A group of younger FCSI members have come together with the help of FCSI The Americas executive director Wade Koehler and his team to create the EPiC (Emerging Professionals in Consulting) network to help emerging consultants support each other and aid in the growth and longevity of the organization and consulting profession.
“We’ve gotten together a group of about 35 FCSI consultants under the age of 45,” says FCSI Associate Alison O’Hearn, a project manager with Cini-Little International, serving as chair of EPiC, which was set up as an FCSI committee late last year. “It’s been great to have a seat on the FCSI board and now this is just another way for our younger members to have a voice in this great organization. It’s also been great to be able meet each other and build a community of younger up-and-coming consultants.”
O’Hearn says the group has met over Zoom a few times and in person during a breakout session at Camp FCSI, the 2024 FCSI symposium held in April in Austin, Texas. Before the in-person symposium, she says, there were about 20 members interested in [EPiC], but as a result of the breakout session, there’s since been a lot more interest.
“We’re hoping to facilitate more networking opportunities at industry events, recruit speakers for our monthly meetings and maybe try to get a group to visit a manufacturer,” she says. “We’re also looking to build a mentorship program.” The committee has also spawned smaller task forces dedicated to leadership, social media and strategic partnership (“five families”) initiatives.
Having a voice
“Our mission is to empower and inspire a new generation while offering a community for emerging foodservice consultants,” says O’Hearn. At the same time, however, the committee’s goal is to help seasoned consultants recruit new talent to “keep their legacy going for if they want to retire but also keep their companies thriving.”
FCSI Associate Kelli Pack, manager of hospitality, SmartDesign Group (Vancouver, B.C.), was among the presenters during a breakout session at Camp FCSI when three emerging consultants talked about their experiences and how they’re growing as professionals. “We’re still very new and just getting our feet wet,” she says, adding how important the committee will be for facilitating education for a profession that “only as of last year there has been a university-based certification program for” and in an industry facing many operational changes and new technologies.
“To me it’s all about having a voice and keeping our industry strong by nurturing the up-and-coming generation,” says Pack.” We’re excited to build a community within a community where we can learn but also carry on the legacy of seasoned consultants and help keep this industry strong, especially with things changing so quickly and technologies growing so fast.”
Spencer Ressa, also an FCSI Associate and a designer with JME Hospitality, has enjoyed the initial meetings with the founding core of the committee. “It’s great to see the younger generation have a voice and get to know each other and be a little more collaborative,” he says. “Some of the connections I have already made through EPiC has helped me improve aspects of my work and work/life balance.”
Thoughts and ideas
Ressa says the group has been working with the FCSI Educational Foundation to recruit speakers and determine ways to disseminate knowledge from more seasoned members.
He and some other EPiC members have even met with other industry organization leaders who have created “rising star”-type programs for tips and ideas.
“Eventually we want to bring in speakers to talk about anything and everything and continue to develop the mentorship program to allow some of that knowledge from seasoned members to trickle back to newer members,” he says. “We’re also hoping to have some regular webinars and training opportunities. At the same time, we want to make sure our membership is getting what they want out of [EPiC] because not everyone will want the same thing. So we’ve been listening to everyone’s thoughts and ideas.”
Ressa adds that there’s another goal of EPiC – and it goes beyond just FCSI. “We want to get the word out to the greater industry about what we do as consultants and that this is a great job,” he says. “We want anyone working in the foodservice industry to know that this is a great path and great option for a career, especially if you have a lot of operational experience.”
O’Hearn says she’s already made new friends as a result of EPiC. “Going to NAFEM, I always saw a lot of people who were much older than me and it could be intimidating,” she says. “The EpiC network is meant to offer support – for and from each other and from longtime FCSI members. I’m hoping to have friends from this group that I’ll be working with for the next 30 years.
To learn more and to get involved in EPiC, contact the FCSI office or O’Hearn at aohearn@cinilittle.com
Amelia Levin
