Director, Culinary Development, ADM

Session: The Playbook for Creating Delicious, Plant-Based Foods That Consumers Love

Get to Know John

A relentless culinary explorer, John Stephanian, director of culinary development at ADM, nurtured an affinity for the culinary world from an early age, while growing up in a family of restauranteurs. John completed culinary school at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, where he developed a passion for global cuisine. This interest led him to train in southern Spain, Greece and other global culinary epicenters. After returning to the United States, John worked in several fine dining establishments throughout Chicago and Detroit before shifting his focus to a career in culinary research and development. Working on the bench for a dry food manufacturer and then as an R&D chef for a culinary marketing agency, John joined ADM in 2015. Today, John continues to feed his passion for global cuisine—finding hidden culinary gems typically engrained in unique cultures as he travels the globe to learn more about flavors, textures, cooking techniques and ingredients while utilizing the ADM portfolio. While he spends much of his time working in savory cuisine, he also has a deep understanding of beverages, from experience helping high-performing global food and beverage brands optimize their total dining experiences. John is a member of the Research Chefs Association and part of ADM’s Culinary Advisory Panel, a global panel of culinary professionals responsible for identifying, anticipating and helping to serve evolving consumer tastes and preferences.