Liana Wood ’08

Course: Food Industry Organizational Management.

Liana Wood is a skilled culinary director and hospitality leader with a rich and varied career in food management, program development, and culinary education. She holds a Master of Science in Hospitality Management from Florida International University, along with a bachelor’s and associate in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America.

As an instructor in CIA’s School of Business and Management, Liana teaches courses on entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, hospitality, and foodservice management. Before joining CIA in 2020, she held leadership positions at Amazon and Whole Foods Market. In her role as senior culinary manager at Amazon, she assisted in the development and launch of the company’s physical grocery store brand. Prior to Amazon, she spent nearly 10 years with Whole Foods Market where she held various progressive leadership positions. In her last role there, as a regional culinary director, Liana oversaw 57 departments across six states, managing $300 million in annual revenue.

Her earlier career features roles in hospitality management with Hillstone Restaurant Group and the Dinex Restaurant Group. Liana has also contributed to culinary education by developing curriculum and training students in European dining techniques at Tianjin University of Commerce in China as part of The Marriott Tianjin Program.

Liana currently lives in the Hudson Valley.