Jonathan Cetnarski

Chief Operating Oficer, Great Performances

Bio Current as of September 20, 2019

Jonathan Cetnarski is a transformational executive with a long history of running successful, innovative and value-creating businesses, first in the corporate sector and most recently in the private sector. From his early roots in human resources departments for commercial banks and retail businesses, he grew to develop and lead successful teams, driving strategic growth. He spent 15 years at MasterCard Worldwide where he created and grew their data analytics business, years ahead of Big Data. He spent several years at Vodafone Global Enterprise, leading the integration of a managed services company into Vodafone and ultimately becoming Global Head of Business Operations for Vodafone Telecom Management Practice. In this role he was responsible for the customer journey, leveraging and growing the people, processes, and technology to support the mission.

Jonathan’s passion for transformation and change extend beyond his professional life to his personal life as well. Noticing that he was struggling with constant fatigue, discomfort and weight fluctuations, he set out on a path of personal transformation. He learned that what he ate, where it came from and how it was prepared made a huge impact on how he felt. Through this journey, he discovered Natural Gourmet Institute and was immediately drawn to the school’s values, history and desire to be the definitive educator of health-supportive cooking. With his renewed clarity, energy and vibrancy, he transformed Natural Gourmet Institute from New York City’s best-kept-secret to its newest iteration as the Natural Gourmet Center at the Institute for Culinary Education, where the program will be taught both in New York City and Los Angeles.

Jonathan is a champion for food as health, particularly in food insecure communities. Jonathan’s work in the health and wellness fields includes supporting EcosystemsNYC, a fledgling nonprofit running a teaching farm with Bushwick High School to teach the community about urban farming and understanding food pathways; serving on the board for Samana+, an ayurvedic wellness company; and co-authoring The Complete Vegan Cookbook: Over 150 Whole-Foods, Plant-Based Recipes and Techniques published in 2019.