Alison Birdwell
President, Sports & Entertainment, Aramark; Board Member, School of Hospitality Administration Advisory Board
2019 ALUMNI OF THE YEAR RECIPIENT
Alison Birdwell is Regional Vice President for Aramark’s Sports and Entertainment West Region with oversight of Aramark operations at forty venues from Louisiana to Vancouver BC. She oversees a portfolio of premier stadiums, arenas, university athletic venues, minor league ballparks, convention centers, and other concert venues in both the US and Canada. Aramark Sports and Entertainment provides concessions, premium catering, restaurant, alcohol, retail merchandise, and housekeeping and venue management services. Alison’s clients include the NFL, the Houston Astros, the Houston Texans, the San Diego Padres, the San Jose Sharks, the San Antonio Spurs, the Edmonton Oilers, and many others.
Alison has created a service- and results-driven culture and successfully executed special events including the last four Super Bowls, three Final Four events, mega concerts such as The Rolling Stones, U2 and Garth Brooks, Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and numerous play-off and championship sporting events for NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL clients. She also leads Aramark’s convention center standards and innovation efforts for over twenty high profile convention center accounts.
She has received numerous accolades over her years at Aramark, including the distinction of being named Aramark’s Sports and Entertainment division’s General Manager of the Year, District Manager of the Year, the Aramark President’s Safety Excellence Award, the Aramark President’s Innovation in Safety Award, the President’s Leadership Award, and Ring of Honor Award.
Alison served as the chair of the Local Host Committee for food, beverage, and merchandise for the 2011 NCAA Final Four and was a member of the Super Bowl LI Host Committee. She also served as the Chair of the Aramark STAR Team, a community outreach program providing job training, fundraising, and volunteers for various Houston charities from 2005-2014.
Prior to joining Aramark, Alison rose through the ranks to become a seasoned hospitality professional, holding various roles with Hilton, Marriott, and Wyndham Hotels, among others. She completed her undergraduate degree in Hospitality Management from Boston University, as well as a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Miami. Her son, Sam, will be starting at the School of Hospitality in the fall of 2018.