Tim Gannon is an American businessman and polo player.

Early life

Tim Gannon graduated from

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, with a degree in Art History.BusinessWeek
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Career

Gannon started his career at the

Four Seasons Hotel Four Seasons Hotels Limited, trading as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is a Canadian luxury hotel and resort company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Four Seasons currently operates more than 100 hotels and resorts worldwide.David Se ...

, Steak & Ale and Al Copeland's Cajun Cafe in New Orleans.Thayer Ventures biography
/ref> From 1984 to 1987, he served as Vice President and Director of Development of Al Copeland Enterprises.OSI Restaurant Partners biography
/ref> In 1988, he co-founded

Outback Steakhouse Outback Steakhouse is an American chain of Australian-themed casual dining restaurants, serving American cuisine, based in Tampa, Florida. The chain has over 1,000 locations in 23 countries throughout North America, South America, Asia, and Aus ...

. In 2006, he created

OSI Restaurant Partners Bloomin' Brands, Inc. is a restaurant holding company that owns several American casual dining restaurant chains. The company was established in 1988 in Tampa, Florida, where it is headquartered. History The company was founded in August 1988 as ...

, which operates Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Roy's Restaurant and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. He sits on the Advisory Board of Thayer Ventures. In 1994, '' Inc.'' named him Entrepreneur of the Year. He is the recipient of the Florida Restaurant Association's Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from

Johnson & Wales University Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its cam ...

. He was inducted in the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame.

Polo

Gannon sponsors the Outback Polo Team. He has won three U.S. Open Polo Championship, in 1995 (with Julio Arellano, Sebastian Merlos and Guillermo Gracida, Jr.), 1996 (with Valerio Aguilar, Mike Azzaro,

Jeff Blake Jeffrey Bertrand Coleman Blake (born December 4, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates. Bl ...

and Guillermo Gracida, Jr.) and 1999 (with Jeff Blake, Adolfo Cambiaso and Lolo Castagnola).Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame: 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
/ref>Hurlingham Media: U.S. Open Polo Championship
In 2013, he was inducted into the

Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization to celebrate the sport of polo.Horace Laffaye, Dennis J. Amato, ''Polo in the United States: A History'', Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2011, p. 28/ref> Overview ...

Lake Worth, Florida Lake Worth Beach, previously named Lake Worth, is a city in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, located about north of Miami. The city's name is derived from the body of water along its eastern border known as the Lake Wort ...

. His son, Chris Gannon, is also a polo player. In recent year, his son opened a chain of fast-casual dining restaurants across Florida that feature gluten-free and vegan options named Bolay.Horace A. Laffaye, ''Polo in the United States: A History'', Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co., 2011, pp. 260, 313G2 International biography
/ref>Patrick David Columbia
Casa Casuarina's Miami Beach Polo World Cup
''New York Social Diary'' His Outback Polo Team, whose other players include Adolfo Cambiaso, Fabio Diniz, Santiago Chavanne, won the U.S. Open Polo Championship in 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gannon, Tim Living people Florida State University alumni American businesspeople American polo players Year of birth missing (living people)