Electrolux Professional Group has appointed Raymond Jackson corporate chef for its Americas Center of Excellence, placing a culinary operator inside the foodservice equipment maker's go-to-market engine rather than its test kitchen alone.

Jackson joins the culinary marketing team at the Rockingham, North Carolina-based CoE, where he will be responsible for driving regional and national sales growth. His remit centers on building new local partnerships and deepening customer relationships across the Americas — a role that ties menu development directly to equipment specification and, ultimately, to unit sales for the Swedish manufacturer's professional division.

The appointment signals how equipment manufacturers increasingly sell outcomes, not machines. A corporate chef embedded in marketing can demonstrate throughput, labor savings and consistency to operators evaluating capital purchases — evidence that carries more weight in a procurement process than a spec sheet.

Beyond the commercial mandate, Jackson will implement processes designed to enhance the CoE's kitchen operations, advance sustainability initiatives and improve the guest experience at the facility. The Center of Excellence functions as Electrolux Professional's showcase campus in the Americas, hosting customer demonstrations, training and culinary development for foodservice operators across segments.

The hire comes as foodservice operators weigh equipment purchases against persistent labor and energy cost pressure, and as manufacturers compete on total cost of ownership rather than upfront price. Electrolux Professional Group, which spans cooking, refrigeration, warewashing and beverage equipment brands, has positioned its culinary teams as a bridge between kitchen design and menu execution.

In the corporate chef role, Jackson will report through the culinary marketing organization and work alongside sales teams to convert partnerships into pipeline. His sustainability brief aligns with growing operator demand for equipment that trims energy and water use — cost lines that directly affect margins in commercial kitchens.

The company said Jackson's work will span both the operational performance of the CoE kitchens and the customer-facing experience, suggesting the facility will serve as a live proving ground for processes the company then markets to operators.

Jackson's appointment takes effect immediately, and he is expected to begin building out the local partnership network around the Americas Center of Excellence in the near term.