Lesley truett

At Apicii, Lesley Truett oversees the positioning and marketing of all venues operated by the firm, while contributing to concept development at Apicii Atelier, the advisory arm of the company.

Lesley has more than 20 years experience developing, opening and marketing restaurants and bars across the United States and abroad. Her work spans from fast-casual to fine-dining concepts for notable chefs and internationally acclaimed brands, in locations that include hotels, lifestyle centers, residential, private membership clubs, and more.

Lesley got her start in the culinary world after a stint as an information technology and management consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. While working for the company in Japan, Lesley explored Asian cuisine by working in a local restaurant kitchen, then dove headfirst into her food education, enrolling at the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) in New York City.

After culinary school, Lesley joined SushiSamba as an operations analyst, touching all parts of the business and transitioning into data-driven marketing as the Director of Marketing & PR. She later joined Richard Sandoval Restaurants as Director of Marketing & PR during a period of rapid growth, opening and marketing a variety of concepts as the company grew from 5 to 35 units across the United States and in international locations such as Mexico and Dubai. Lesley continued her formal education during this period, earning a graduate certificate in hospitality marketing from New York University. Just prior to APICII, Lesley was VP of Marketing at Rosa Mexicano Restaurants, where she led a brand refresh and helped to open a newly redesigned Rosa Mexicano, as well as Masa y Agave, a speakeasy tequileria.

An avid traveler who has lived in Japan and France, Lesley brings a global sensibility to her work. “Growing up, my family was always on the move. My father’s work took us abroad, and my mother was a travel agent. A strong desire to continue exploring led me to hospitality - the industry offers endless opportunities to experience new cultures and cuisines, regardless of where you call home.”

Lesley currently lives in California. A budding gardener, she’s enrolled in the UC Master Gardener Program with a focus on organic horticulture, and recently pressed her first olive oil from trees growing on her land. Lesley makes pottery in her small home studio, which she hopes to expand in the future.

HIGHLIGHTED EXPERIENCE

SushiSamba - Director of Marketing, national and international openings, including Tel Aviv

Richard Sandoval Restaurants - Director of Marketing, national and international openings

including Mexico and Dubai

Rosa Mexicano - VP Marketing

University of Michigan - BA in Economics

French Culinary Institute - Grand Diploma

New York University - Graduate Certificate in Hospitality Marketing