Meet the Team

Vice President of Recruiting

Joe@TalentServed.com

Linkeid Joe Kelly is a professional recruiter bringing many years of recruiting experience serving markets such as restaurant management, legal, medical, financial and information technology. Joe’s extensive experience recruiting in these markets will be an asset to you as he understands what it takes to create a win-win for his clients and the candidates he serves. Prior to obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado, Joe worked for several seasons with his family’s fishing fleet in the Bering Sea. As a result, Joe has one of the best work ethics in the business. Joe’s tenacity has made him successful at doing the heavy lifting necessary to match the right person with our client’s demanding requirements. Joe lives in the metropolitan Atlanta area and helps many of the city’s top restaurateurs and emerging hot concepts to find strong leaders. He also works with several regional and national organizations where he helps to source top talent at many levels. PDF

Vice President of Recruiting

Shannon@TalentServed.com

Linkeid

Shannon brings over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and over 5 years of recruiting experience with TalentServed, with a focus on the vibrant hospitality industry in New York City and the Northeastern region of the United States. Shannon’s clients count on her to deliver top talent for their urgent and challenging hiring needs, and she has successfully placed numerous impactful leaders across a broad range and size of hospitality concepts. Focusing on each client’s unique culture and characteristics, she approaches talent acquisition with a “leave no stone unturned” mindset to deliver the highest potential candidates. Shannon’s knowledge and contacts have led her to place executive chefs for Michelin-starred restaurants, game-changing general managers, and a myriad of multi-unit, corporate support, and executive-level talent. 

Shannon’s previous hospitality industry experience includes 10 years with Applebee’s International where she served as Regional Training Manager and International Training Team leader, opening 20+ restaurants in the US and International locations. Following her travels, Shannon moved to New York City and spent 5 years with fast-growing Bowlmor Lanes where her competence propelled her through the ranks from Director of Training to Vice President of Human Capital.

Today, Shannon resides in Manhattan and enjoys exploring the vibrant restaurant and bar scene. She is passionate about international cuisine and travel.

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Director of Recruiting

Abbie@TalentServed.com

LinkedIn After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Georgia State, Abbie entered the restaurant industry and spent over 10 years in operations gaining valuable experience with one of the industry’s top national brands and two of Atlanta’s leading independent restaurateurs. Following her decade in restaurant operations, Abbie refined her recruiting skills with an executive recruiting group in Atlanta where she was responsible for recruiting engineers and scientists for the hi-tech industry. Today, Abbie combines her two career loves; the vibrant restaurant industry and professional hospitality recruiting, as she identifies appropriate talent and fills positions for our clients both in Atlanta and across the nation. PDF

Director of Recruiting

YoungJean@TalentServed.com

Linkeid Young Jean Ransdell, PHR, (better known as “YJ”) offers more than a decade of experience in human resources and executive talent acquisition within the corporate hotel and hospitality industries. Most recently, serving as an Executive Talent Acquisition Consultant for one of the nation’s top hotel management organizations, Pacific Hospitality Group, YJ provided full cycle recruiting services across 13 upscale boutique hotels and resorts. Prior to that, she served as the HR Manager for The Meritage Resort and Spa located in Napa Valley, California. Aside from obtaining a taste for finer wines, YJ set records by successfully and seamlessly filling 160 positions in two months when the Meritage underwent at $45 million expansion. High energy and very creative; YJ is always up for a challenge and relishes in identifying faster and better ways to get things done. Her passion for hospitality is fueled by the fast paced and ever evolving nature of the industry and the positive energy created when a memorable experience is delivered. Based in Miami, a city she affectionately calls “paradise,” YJ enjoys boating, diving, and discovering new local flavors with her husband, Jeff, and their friends. YJ is responsible for anchoring TalentServed’s recruiting operations in Miami and growing the firm’s hotel client base in Florida and across the nation. PDF

Director of Recruiting

Richard@TalentServed.com

Linkeid Richard Haake offers more than 20 years of service to the hospitality industry. From an accomplished executive chef in Napa Valley to an astute recruiter on the East Coast, Richard brings exceptional expertise having studied Culinary Arts and worked in the industry for many years. In the early 2000s, Richard moved to Napa Valley where he grew his craft in the kitchens of Michelin Star and James Beard award-winning chefs Joachim Splichal and Hiro Sone. An equal passion for wine and food led Richard to take his culinary skills to the wineries of Napa first as a Resident Chef with Cakebread Cellars and then as Winery Chef for Robert Mondavi. Engaging his entrepreneurial side, Richard saw an opportunity to provide a unique service to the wineries in Northern California. Founding his own culinary service company, he brought executive chef expertise to smaller wineries and specialized in customized catered events featuring food that paired perfectly with their wines. It’s all about the details and finding the perfect pairing for Richard. His passion for elevated food and beverages along with his extensive training in the culinary industry give him an unusually strong ability to identify the right candidates for his searches. His authentic culinary street credibility and extensive network offer clients and candidates a combination that can’t be found elsewhere. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute and frequent speaker at the Culinary Institute of America - Greystone, Richard is now based in Asheville, North Carolina. On the weekends, you can find him spending quality time with his family, gardening or outdoors enjoying fishing, hunting or hiking. Richard is responsible for fortifying TalentServed’s culinary recruiting expertise, as well as sourcing and expediting top hospitality talent in the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. PDF

Director of Recruiting

Patsy@TalentServed.com

Linkeid Patsy Van Brunt offers more than 20 years’ experience in recruitment, training and development within the hospitality industry. Serving more than 15 years with the industry-leading, Hillstone Restaurant Group; and, most recently, as one of their few HR & Recruiting Managers, Patsy played an instrumental role in developing the training program that helped establish the company’s signature, reputable service structure. From the heart of Napa Valley to beaches of South Florida and bustle of New York City, Patsy has been on the frontlines of the hospitality industry for decades. But, her passion for the industry didn’t begin there; rather, Patsy first discovered her passion for hospitality during college while interning at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. It was there that she first learned the value of authentic hospitality; a genuineness she strives to bring to her clients with every interaction. An active triathlete and former IRONMAN® finisher, Patsy enjoys running, biking and swimming. You can even find her and her husband, Vince, a few times a year, surfing the day away in Mexico. Based in Atlanta, Patsy is responsible for sourcing top hospitality talent throughout the Southeast region, Big Apple and beyond. PDF

Corporate Controller

Sheriza@TalentServed.com

Linkedin Sheriza brings over 15 years of combined financial experience in retail, banking, business operations and collections to the TalentServed team and our clients. Sheriza's expertise in organizational performance analysis, financial modeling, risk management, and strategic financial planning are key strength areas she employs in her leadership role with TalentServed. Sheriza currently resides in the Atlanta metropolitan area and manages TalentServed's accounting & administration activities and assists in our growth by contributing to key decisions pertaining to strategic initiatives and execution.

Founder & CEO

Steve@TalentServed.com

Linke Steve Gibson brings over 20 years of hospitality industry recruiting experience to your search. As a career restaurant industry recruiter, he has worked on the inside of Darden Restaurants and Ted’s Montana Grill where he helped guide over 500 salaried managers into various operational positions. Since late 2006, Steve has served independent restaurateurs, emerging concepts, regional restaurant groups and national brands by helping them identify and hire correct leaders including chief executive officers, corporate executives, support staff, general managers, executive chefs and other key management personnel. Today, Steve guides the TalentServed recruiting team, resulting in the placement of over 200 hospitality industry leaders each year with the firm’s clients. Steve lives in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area and works with clients nationally and internationally to deliver top talent for their organizations. PDF