Steve Ells (born September 12, 1966) is an American businessman. He is the founder, former CEO, and former Executive Chairman of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Ells founded Chipotle in 1992, and under his direction, the chain serves what it describes as "naturally raised meat" and promotes sustainable agriculture. On November 29, 2017, Chipotle announced Ells' resignation as CEO, pending the search for a new CEO with "turnaround expertise". Ells will serve as executive chairman following the appointment of a new CEO, and will also serve on the CEO search committee. Brian Niccol became CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill in February 2018. On March 6, 2020, Ells resigned as chairman and left the board of directors, breaking his final ties to the company.

Early life

Ells was born in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

on September 12, 1965, the son of a pharmaceutical executive. He attended

Boulder High School Boulder High School is a high school in Boulder, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Boulder Valley School District. Boulder High School was founded in 1875 as a preparatory school to the University of Colorado. In 1876, it was the first ...

and the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and became a member of the Delta Chi fraternity. Ells later enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, graduating in 1990.

Career

Ells served for two years as a sous chef under Jeremiah Tower at Stars restaurant in San Francisco prior to launching Chipotle. Ells opened a Chipotle themed taco store in Denver, Colorado near the University of Denver campus using $85,000 borrowed from his family and friends. Ells served as CEO of the chain from 1993 until 2009, when he split co-CEO duties with Monty Moran. Ells returned as sole CEO on December 12, 2016, upon Moran's retirement. In 2007, Ells received the CEO of the Year Award from ''ColoradoBiz'' magazine. He currently sits on the board of directors of the Land Institute. In 2010, Ells joined the judging and investment panel on NBC's series '' America's Next Great Restaurant'' alongside Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone and

Lorena Garcia Lorena Garcia is a Venezuelan chef who has opened multiple restaurants and became famous through appearances on multiple television shows. She is known for the restaurants she currently owns in airports across the United States, and for competin ...

. Ells had not previously watched reality television and was disillusioned with the experience. Chipotle announced on November 29, 2017, that Ells will step down as CEO following the appointment of a new CEO with "turnaround expertise." Ells will serve as executive chairman after the new CEO appointment, and will serve on the CEO search committee with fellow Chipotle board members Robin Hickenlooper and Ali Namvar. Ells left the company that he had founded in March 2020.

Controversies

Ells has received criticism over his salary. In 2013, '' The New York Times'' reported he was paid $25.1 million, more than equivalent executives in companies like Ford, Boeing, and AT&T. By the early 2010s, Ells and his co-CEO, Montgomery Moran, were paid more than $300 million. In May 2014 shareholders rejected a plan to further increase the executives' wages.

References

External links

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Photo Essay, Time Magazine: Steve Ells
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How I Built This with Guy Raz - Chipotle: Steve Ells
(audio interview) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ells, Steve 1966 births 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople American chefs American male chefs American chief executives of food industry companies American food company founders American restaurateurs Businesspeople from Indianapolis Businesspeople from Colorado Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park alumni Fast casual chain founders LGBT businesspeople from the United States LGBT people from Indiana LGBT people from Colorado Living people University of Colorado alumni Chefs from Colorado