STEELE SMILEY - EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, FOUNDER, OWNER
Steele has served as Chairman of the Board and controlling shareholder of numerous companies including CRISP & GREEN®, STALK & SPADE®, PURALIMA®, and STEELE Fitness, and also served as Chief Officer of Lift Brands, a Global wellness company that built and managed multiple fitness concepts. Under his leadership the company added over 1000 units in over 20 countries. At the time of his departure in 2017, Lift Brands was the largest privately held wellness franchisor in the world with over 2500 locations in 25 countries.
Over the past decade, Steele has been called a Chief Executive Officer, Entrepreneur, Investor, Board Member, Creator, Founder, Chairman and Builder of Brands Worldwide. Having successfully worn all the hats, Steele is a seasoned executive that has done business all over the globe with expertise ranging from building world-class brands to world-class teams; from investment banking to international development; from transforming businesses to transforming lives.
Steele has an undergraduate degree in Finance and Marketing from the
McIntire School of Commerce from the University of Virginia.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
MARK VINTON - CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Mark Vinton is an operational-minded financial executive who brings nearly 30 years of experience to the Steele Brands team. Mark’s background spans public accounting, Fortune 100 SEC compliance, and executive leadership. Mark previously held positions within the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, including Assistant Controller of Berkshire Hathaway, CFO of International Dairy Queen, and most recently as Corporate Controller of HomeServices of America. Mark is dedicated to identifying strategic business opportunities and driving profitable sales growth. As an engaged leader, Mark is recognized for his sound judgment, financial integrity, and entrepreneurial mindset.
ANN FLANAGAN - CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Ann Flanagan has over 30 years of leadership across the QSR and full-service industries. As an expert in hyper-growth, she led the operational scaling for the field at sweetgreen as VP of Operations during a major growth period. Prior to that, Ann worked for Yum! Brands for over 10 years in various operational roles. Most recently, Ann served as a SVP of Operations at CAVA. Ann is passionate about evolving brands into national category leaders by fostering a culture of collaborative innovation and mentoring our team to ensure Steele Brands restaurants become the gold standard of the guest experience on a national scale.
BILL FAIRBANKS - PARTNER, CHIEF CULINARY OFFICER
Bill Fairbanks has dedicated more than two decades to the Culinary and Hospitality industry. As a chef he is dedicated to creative innovation, is passionately seasonal and continually inspired by classic cuisine. He has held many positions in a wide range of kitchens, from fine dining to high concept bars and wellness focused fast-casual restaurants. In 2016 he was excited to join CRISP & GREEN®. He helped to design the culinary program to reflect CRISP & GREEN®’s mission to offer chef crafted and scratch made nutritious foods to conveniently fit into a modern wellness driven lifestyle. He believes that access to healthy eating is the future of the culinary industry and is dedicated to working with Steele Brands® to create a diverse landscape of foods in the wellness sector
JONATHAN GRAND - CHIEF CONCEPT OFFICER
Jonathan Grand serves as the Chief Concept Officer of Steele Brands®, where he oversees development, real estate, design and buildout, and partners closely with franchisees to ensure their success across multiple facets. Originally joining Steele Brands® as VP of Development, Jonathan has over 20 years of diverse restaurant industry experience, including in restaurant operations and real estate development. Before joining Steele Brands®, he served as Senior Director of Franchise Development at Whataburger Restaurants, and held several leadership roles across multiple brands within Darden Restaurants.
ROBIN KUHN - CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER
Robin brings more than 20 years of experience leading people, culture, and business transformation across high-growth and global organizations. Most recently, she spent nearly 10 years at lululemon, where she held senior People & Culture leadership roles and partnered with leaders and teams through significant growth, transformation, and change. Throughout her career, Robin has been passionate about building strong teams, developing leaders, creating great employee experiences, and connecting people strategy directly to business performance.
LILY PHILLIPS - PARTNER, CHIEF OF STAFF
Lily has over 20 years of experience in wellness and hospitality, first beginning her career alongside Steele Smiley at STEELE Fitness. There, she focused on marketing of both the fitness and retail aspects of the business, contributing to the successful growth of company. In addition, Lily spent time in the Client Service department of STEELE Fitness where she developed a passion for providing world-class hospitality. In 2016, Lily helped create the CRISP & GREEN® brand, working in both the marketing and operations departments. Today, she continues to work across all Steele Brands® companies.
