Dennis Maple

Exec. VP, Aramark Education, Facilities Services

Aramark Corp.

Age: 44

Maple manages an employee team of more than 7,500 and, on a national level, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of more that 400 clients in the higher education and K-12 market for one of the leading food caterers. His division represented approximately $375 million of Aramark's $9.7 billion in revenues. Based in Philadelphia, Aramark's other customers include sports arenas, hospitals, and business cafeterias. Maple built his career in sales, market development, and operations at several large companies, including Kraft-General Foods, Pepsi-Cola, and Coors Brewing Co., where he served as the area vice president in the Dallas region. Maple was also the zone development manager for the Jackson, Florida, region of the Quaker Oats Co. He earned his B.A. at the University of Tennessee.

Dennis Maple is the president of ARAMARK Education, which is located in Philadelphia, Pa., and is responsible for the overall direction and management of more than 14,000 employees.

Founded in 1936, ARAMARK provides a complete range of food, nutrition, facility and other support services to more than 500 K - 12 school districts in the United States. Prior to his current position, Maple served as executive vice president of ARAMARK Education, Facility Services. He has experience in sales, field marketing, market development, and operations at Kraft-General Foods, Pepsi-Cola, Coors Brewing Company, and Quaker Oats Company.

Maple is a native of Memphis, Tenn. He received his bachelor's in business administration from the University of Tennessee in 1982 and throughout his career has participated in and contributed to organizations such as the March of Dimes, the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, the Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, and One Hundred Black Men of America.

A member of the E. J. Ourso College of Business Dean's Advisory Council, Maple also serves on the board of the Philadelphia Chapter of Outward Bound, an organization dedicated to the development of young people. Additionally, he is a member of the board of Phildephia Academies, whose mission is to expand life and economic options for Philadelphia public school students, and the board of trutees of the Paoli Hospital Foundation. Maple is also an affiliate of the Executive Council at New York University's Metropolitan Center for Urban Education.