What is a Chief People Officer? LaTosha Marks joins Brittany Thoms on this episode of The Spark Session to explain everything that goes in to one of the most important leadership roles at Proof of the Pudding, an Atlanta catering company that consistently delivers elite customer service.
LaTosha and Brittany talk about what it takes to build a people-first culture when teams are spread across dozens of venues, including the data-driven HR practices, AI in recruiting, and paperless onboarding she brought to the company. LaTosha shares how culture is set by what leaders do, what they tolerate, and what they reward, and why people do their best work for leaders they like and respect. She also gets into the spark behind ideas her team has developed at Proof of the Pudding, the rhythms that make a great team work, and the advice, leaders, and principles that still guide her. If you are scaling a business, leading a dispersed team, or trying to build a culture people can actually feel, this conversation is for you.
LaTosha Marks is the Chief People Officer at Proof of the Pudding, the Atlanta catering company behind food and hospitality at convention centers, arenas, stadiums, and landmarks across the U.S. and Canada. LaTosha has spent more than twenty years in foodservice, starting as a people services specialist at Popeyes and moving through HR roles at Hooters of America and airport concessions company Crews1972 before joining Proof of the Pudding in 2022. She now leads people strategy, culture, and talent for a workforce of more than 2,000 employees across 50-plus venues. In our conversation, she walks through how that ground-up path shaped the way she leads, and why she believes managing your personal presence every day opens doors a title alone cannot.