Leadership

Andy Lansing is Chief Executive Officer of Levy, an innovative and award-winning company specializing in restaurants and premium sports and entertainment dining and retail. Andy has been at the forefront of the Company’s explosive and strategic growth for more than 35 years. Under his leadership, Levy has grown to over 50,000 team members delivering Levy’s signature hospitality to guests at over 250 locations in North America and around the world. Levy has been recognized as one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports by Fast Company and by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers, Best Employers for Diversity and Best Employers for Women. Nation’s Restaurant News also recognized Andy on its list of the most influential CEO’s in the hospitality industry in 2020 and 2021.

Andy began his career with Levy in 1988 as Vice President and General Counsel. In 1991, he was promoted to Executive Vice President, and in 1995 to President and Chief Operating Officer. In 2004, Andy took on his current role as Chief Executive Officer.

Under Andy’s leadership, Levy has continuously evolved its business to create industry-leading, frictionless experiences for its guests. In 2014, Andy initiated the launch of E15, an advanced analytics and emerging technology subsidiary that has since set a new industry standard for data-driven experiences. In 2022, Levy created DBK Studio as its innovation studio to partner with E15 in piloting and scaling the next generation of technologies across Levy venues. Levy also expanded into retail under Andy’s guidance, with Rank + Rally born in 2017 to bring the same guiding principles to retail that Levy has always brought to hospitality.

Andy is an active contributor to Chicago’s business and charitable communities. A committed leader at the University of Michigan, his alma mater, Andy serves on the College of Literature, Science and Arts School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. He is also a member of the World Presidents’ Organization.

Andy spearheaded the formation of Levy Cares, Levy’s charitable arm. Under his direction, Levy Cares has become a national charitable presence, supporting local children’s causes and providing food and shelter to the homeless and hungry nationwide.

Andy’s personal passion for magic has been incorporated into the entrepreneurial culture of Levy to inspire the creativity in team members to wonder and develop new ideas. His unique style of motivation and leadership has been featured on NBC television, in the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and Crain’s.

Rob Ellis serves as Levy’s President, overseeing finance, IT, risk management, strategic planning, business services, design & construction, legal, and security. Rob joined Levy as a Controller in the restaurant group in 1998, and in 2007 he became the Vice President of Strategy and Planning, overseeing Levy’s acquisitions, new business deals, budgeting, and strategic planning. In 2015 he was promoted to the role of Chief Financial Officer, and to President in 2022.

Prior to joining Levy, Rob began his career with U.S. Robotics, and earned a B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. When Rob isn’t coaching Levy team members, he can be found on the sidelines coaching his two children in all sports.

Shauna Gilhooly is Chief People Officer for Levy. Shauna joined Levy in 2018 where she leads the Human Resources team, overseeing Levy’s people strategy and team member experience including recruiting, onboarding, engagement, and talent development.

Shauna earned her B.S. in Management from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University, and served as an HR Manager for Wyndham Hotels in New Orleans before returning to her hometown of Boston in 2005. She spent several years with Starwood Hotels in various senior-level HR positions and six seasons with Delaware North at TD Garden and the Boston Bruins as Vice President of Human Resources.

Shauna is excited to continue evolving the people strategy and culture at Levy, with a focus on developing programs that enhance the lives of team members. When she’s not at work, Shauna can be found by the water with her husband and their two daughters.

Elizabeth Shakespeare is Levy’s Chief Financial Officer, overseeing accounting, audit, operations finance, corporate finance, and special projects. She also serves as Principal of Portfolio Operations for DBK Studio, Levy’s Innovation Studio. A graduate of the University of Iowa’s Tippie School of Business, Elizabeth joined Levy in 2015 as Vice President of Finance and Strategic Planning, bringing a decade of experience leading financial and strategic planning efforts in the food and beverage industry. Her sharp, strategic thinking, top-of-the-line financial analysis skills, and embodiment of Levy’s Family Values led to her promotion to Senior Vice President of Finance in 2020, and to CFO in 2022.

Alison Weber is Chief Creative Officer for Levy. In her role, Alison inspires the vision for the company’s industry-recognized experience design capabilities, future forward pipeline, as well as Levy’s culture of innovation. She leads a team of creative strategists, brand specialists, graphic designers and culinarians to experience solutions for food and hospitality business challenges.

During her two-decade plus career, Alison has had a seat at the table crafting the revolution in sports food and pushing for continual relevancy around the fan experience.

Alison started as a hot dog and beer vendor at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. In 2014, she was recognized as one of the top influencers in her industry and received Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers Award.

Sandeep Satish is Chief Commercial Officer for Levy. With a keen sense for finance and deep understanding of how professional sports teams operate thanks to previous experience with investment banking and league relationships, Sandeep is able to guide Levy operators and their partners through the most fiscally efficient and innovative solutions to challenges many face in the ever-changing sports, entertainment, and hospitality industries. In his role, Sandeep leads the implementation of Levy-wide speed of service initiatives, cashless solutions, and other emerging hospitality technology best practices across our partnerships, while also supporting all new business and retention efforts. Sandeep holds an MBA in Strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. He resides in Lincoln Park with his wife where they enjoy trying as many new local restaurants as possible.

Jeff embarked on his impressive career with Levy in 1988, where he has been at the forefront of the company’s strategic growth and development for more than 35 years. With a deep commitment to excellence, Jeff has been instrumental in initiating and nurturing key business relationships with a diverse array of professional and college sports venues, entertainment destinations, and convention facilities. Through his visionary leadership, he has played a pivotal role in elevating sports and entertainment services to become the core business focus of Levy.

Folarin Dosunmu is Vice President & General Counsel for Levy. Folarin is a business advisor to the senior management team and leads the legal team on all significant matters involving Levy and its subsidiary companies.

Folarin graduated from Dartmouth College before earning his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. He was most recently the Senior Commercial Counsel for GE Aviation where he was the lead legal advisor for the Commercial Engines, Services, Global Sales, and Digital business units and the General Counsel for the International Revenue Sharing Program. Prior to his role at GE, Folarin spent several years at Much Shelist P.C. and Skadden Arps in Chicago.

Folarin has been widely recognized for his philanthropic efforts, including with Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation, where he was twice elected as President of the Board.

Joiel serves as the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Convention Centers, Cultural Attractions, and Special Events. In her role, she leads strategic growth and new business efforts across all three sectors. Joiel originally joined Levy as Area Director of Sales in Atlanta before she joined the Business Development Team as the Vice President of Business Development for Convention Centers in 2018. Joiel has decades of experience in the hospitality industry and earned both a B.S. in Psychology and MBA from Duke University. She also serves as a member of Levy’s Executive Board guiding the company’s Diversity & Inclusion efforts and sponsors the company’s Black Leaders Business Council.

Born in Chicago, Jason’s first hospitality job was with Levy as a server assistant at the Ravinia Festival. He found his passion for the restaurant industry working in Italy, where he spent four years honing his hospitality craft. Back in the States, he joined the Levy family again as the General Manager of Michelin-starred restaurant and iconic Chicago dining destination, Spiaggia, in 2005. Jason has since worked with numerous Chicago restaurant groups, as well as playing a key role in opening the critically acclaimed Eataly Chicago property. In 2023, he joined Levy as the Vice President of Restaurant Operations. In this role, he oversees operations at all of Levy’s restaurant properties, including locations in New York, Orlando, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington State. He lives in Chicago’s West Lakeview neighborhood with his wife and daughters.