James Byrne has worked with the largest consumer-facing brands in the world including Procter & Gamble, Nabisco, Fruit of the Loom, The Walt Disney Company, Jim Henson Associates, World Wrestling Entertainment and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has been named Ad Age’s “Marketer of the Year” and received accolades for his work in PR and crisis management and has been mentored by both Mary Wells Lawrence and Michael Eisner. His highly public career has granted him access to the world of celebrity, influencers and media thought leaders and afforded him vast insights into consumer behaviors and habits. A godson of the founding family of Schrafft’s, Byrne cut his teeth working in his family’s restaurants in the Caribbean and continued food service work during his studies in DC’s most famous restaurants and bars – including Clyde’s, The Dubliner and The Third Edition. At the time, he was considered one of the most sought-after bartenders in the US and parlayed that demi-fame to author the book “Mega-Tips: How to Get and Keep Any Job in the Restaurant Business.” Byrne was interviewed recently if he’d checked off all the career boxes and replied, “returning Schrafft’s to its rightful, pre-eminent position in the food and beverage industry will either be my capstone or my headstone. Either way, it’s happening.”