Cornerstone Restaurant Group Names Mitch Langeler Chief People Officer

Cornerstone Restaurant Group, one of Chicago’s leaders on the forefront of restaurant industry trends, announced the appointment of Mitch Langeler as Chief People Officer. Langeler is the first to hold this role at Cornerstone and will be responsible for ensuring that the values of the purpose-driven organization remain in place, continuing to elevate their status as a true employer of choice in the industry.

“At Cornerstone, our mission is not just to deliver heartfelt hospitality to our guests, but for every one of our employees,” says Josh Zadikoff, president. “Every decision we make has them in mind. With Mitch joining the team, we’re excited to continue to build and grow the Cornerstone family of employees, some of whom have been with us since we were founded over 25 years ago.”

A seasoned industry veteran with over 20 years in hospitality, Langeler started his career in operations before finding his true calling in human resources, working with brands such as Boston Market, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Most recently, he was the VP of Human Resources for SMASHotels in Chicago, a boutique hospitality management company and franchisee of Marriott and Hilton that operates iconic city hotels like theWit, and Hotel EMC2. At SMASHotels, Mitch built the entire HR infrastructure from scratch, including benefits, total rewards, performance management and talent acquisition.

“Restaurant and hospitality employees have always been very special to me, and I understand and appreciate the footsteps they walk in every day,” says Langeler. “I embrace the philosophy that happy and engaged employees take incredible care of their customers. I understand the tremendous responsibility that comes with this role and am thrilled to be a part of the talented CRG team.”

Langeler lives and breathes hospitality and remains very involved within the industry. He regularly lectures for the Hospitality Leadership Programs at DePaul University and Kendall College and has served as a Capstone judge for many years. He is also on the Academic Advisory Board at Kendall, which helps shape the curriculum for Hospitality students.

Originally from Elmhurst, Illinois, Mitch resides in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood with his wife Rebecca, a high school math teacher, and two sons, Adrian and Tucker.