Global hospitality company Delaware North last week announced two new appointments within its travel division. Liz Grzechowiak joined Delaware North in March as senior director of brands and concept development and will focus on brand portfolio management and concept development, including foodservice and retail management at 22 airports.
Sunshine White joined the company in April as director of strategic partnerships for the company’s travel division. She’s responsible for developing and maintaining foodservice and retail partnerships within the framework of the Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) program.
Grzechowiak comes to Delaware North from Caribou Coffee, where she served as director of business development. Prior to that, she held the role of vice president of brands and concepts for Hudson and served a seven-year stint as assistant director of concessions and business development for the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which operates the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
“Liz brings a perfect combination of expertise across operations, brand relationship management and concept development – all within the travel industry,” said Kathy Gill, vice president of marketing, creative services and brands and concept development for Delaware North. “We are thrilled to have her on our team.”
Among many awards, Grzechowiak was a 2015 Aviation Pros 40-under-40 recipient, 2017 Airport Revenue News Property Manager of the Year and earned the 2019 Airports Council International Richard A. Griesbach Award of Excellence. She’s also been part of team awards such as the 2018 International Food and Beverage Awards: Best Food Hall; 2018 Minnesota Real Estate Journal Awards: Best Restaurant Development; 2018 Airport Revenue News Best Management Team; 2019 Moodie FAB Airport Food & Beverage Program Americas; and 2019 Airports Council International Best Retail Program.
Prior to joining Delaware North, Sunshine White began her career at HMSHost as a contracts and project administrator before advancing to senior manager of procurement and director of procurement, design and construction – a role she held for three years. Among other initiatives, she spearheaded an internal mentorship program through the Women’s Leadership Network to help strengthen the foundation for women entering the travel hospitality sector.
“Sunshine is stepping into a very important role for Delaware North, as the ACDBE program is paramount to who we are in the travel business,” said Tom Waldron, chief operating officer of Delaware North Travel. “We’re looking forward to the program reaching new heights with Sunshine’s leadership.”
White graduated from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor’s degree in applied management and master’s degree in public administration. She was a 2019 Airport Business Magazine 40-under-40 nominee and has served on the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) and Women in Foodservice Forum.
