Chowbotics Appoints Food Service Automation Pioneer Dorothy Cudia Vice President of Engineering
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Food robotics company Chowbotics is pleased to announce the appointment of food service automation pioneer Dorothy Cudia as Vice President of Engineering.
"This role marks a dramatic shift in my career path, and I couldn't be more excited," says Cudia. "In a few months, Chowbotics has already established itself as a leader in the food robotics industry, and with my background at some of the largest companies in food service, I am eager to propel the company and its innovations to even greater heights."
Cudia brings more than 25 years of domestic and global experience to her new position. She has held leadership roles at Nabisco Brands, the McDonald's Corporation and Darden Restaurants. Most recently, Cudia was Vice President of Automation for the Middleby Corporation, where she was building out a vertical around robotics and food, targeting potential acquisitions for the largest food equipment manufacturer in the world. Her hunt for best-in-class companies directed her to Chowbotics.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dorothy to the Chowbotics team," says Dr. Deepak Sekar, founder and CEO. "She is an experienced engineer with a wealth of knowledge, contacts and expertise in the food service industry. We look forward to seeing Chowbotics' growth catapult with Dorothy now on board."
Cudia's accomplishments include food manufacturing expertise in automation and process control at Nabisco Brands as well as leading a variety of innovation efforts across supply chain for food, energy and capital equipment at Darden. In her engineering role at the McDonald's Corporation, she was known as a results-oriented dynamo who pushed industry-leading products from ideas through product development and deployment, followed by sales support. One major capstone was the Automated Beverage Machine now installed in tens of thousands McDonald's restaurants across the globe.
Long-standing colleague Jerry Sus, Chief Engineer at McDonald's, says, "Dorothy is a food industry pioneer in automation and robotics known for developing disruptive technologies. She is a longtime advocate for change and innovation, which increase performance, quality and profit."
Cudia is a cum laude graduate of Manhattan College with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
About Chowbotics: Chowbotics develops robots for food service. By automating repetitive tasks, Chowbotics aims to increase productivity and enable creativity, both in and out of the kitchen. The company's first product, Sally the Salad Robot, allows users to create custom salads. Proprietary technology ensures precise caloric counts and protects the integrity of ingredients, keeping them fresh, sanitary, and separate. Future robots will offer breakfast as well as Mexican and other ethnic foods. These robots could be used in cafeterias, restaurants, hotels and other commercial venues. Chowbotics, was founded by Deepak Sekar, Ph.D., an inventor with more than 100 patents. He serves as the CEO. Rich Page, an Apple Fellow who joined Steve Jobs as Co-Founder and VP at NeXT, is Executive Chairman. Food service automation expert Dorothy Cudia serves as Vice President of Engineering. Charlie Ayers, "the chef who fed Google," is Executive Chef, and Kelly Olazar is Vice President, Culinary Services. Investors include Techstars Ventures and Foundry Group.
SOURCE Chowbotics
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