MINNEAPOLIS, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following an extensive multiyear succession planning process, Restaurant Technologies’ (RTI) Board of Directors has unanimously appointed current Chief Operations Officer (COO) Alissa Partee as President and CEO, effective July 1, 2026, upon the retirement of current Chairman, President, and CEO Jeff Kiesel.
Partee joined RTI in 2020 as Chief People Officer (CPO), where she led the company’s human resources strategy and helped strengthen its award-winning culture. During her tenure, RTI earned national recognition from Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces, America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity, and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Mental Well-Being. The organization was also recognized regionally by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal with multiple “Best Places to Work” honors.
“I’m honored to lead RTI into its next chapter as we continue to set the standard for service and innovation in automated cooking oil management,” said Partee. “Jeff has built a remarkable legacy as CEO for over two decades. I’m grateful for his leadership, mentorship, and the trust Jeff and the board have placed in me. I’m excited to build on our position as the market leader and carry that momentum forward for RTI.”
In 2024, Partee was appointed Chief Operations Officer, where she demonstrated the rare ability to lead across complex, enterprise-wide functions. As COO, she established a nine-member operations excellence team that enhanced service and further strengthened RTI’s customer value proposition.
“Ensuring a strong future for RTI was our top priority, and it became clear that Alissa Partee was the right leader for this role,” said Kiesel, who will transition to non-executive chairman of the board. “Alissa has a deep understanding of our business and the unique talent to carry our winning culture forward. She has proven that she can lead effectively across functions with high success, and she has genuine care and understanding for our people that sets her apart. I have complete confidence that RTI will reach new heights under her leadership.”
Since becoming CEO in 2005, Kiesel has guided the company through significant growth and strengthened its market position, expanding operations from 12 depots to 41 while navigating major challenges such as the economic recession and the global pandemic. In 2022, Kiesel, Partee, and RTI’s senior leadership team helped lead the company through a successful ownership transition from Goldman Sachs Asset Management to Energy Capital Partners, the company’s current ownership group.
Partee holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the DePaul Driehaus College of Business. She will step in and lead a business that currently boasts over 45,000 customers serviced by over 1,200 employees nationwide. This leadership transition reflects a deliberate, thoughtful, and highly selective process led by Kiesel and RTI’s Board of Directors to ensure continuity and position the company for long-term growth and success.
For more information about Restaurant Technologies and its leadership team, visit our media kit or rti-inc.com.
About Restaurant Technologies
Restaurant Technologies is the leading provider of automated commercial kitchen solutions for more than 45,000 customers nationwide. Since 1999, its Total Oil Management® solution has automated and elevated foodservice operations for quick-service and full-service restaurant chains, independent restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, hotels, resorts, casinos, and hospitals. Its closed-loop, end-to-end solution minimizes the risks of manual cooking oil handling by delivering, storing, filtering, monitoring, collecting, and recycling cooking oil. Restaurant Technologies partners with renewable energy providers to convert used cooking oil into renewable fuels for a more sustainable business.
Headquartered in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, Restaurant Technologies is privately held and operates 41 depots nationwide with more than 1,200 employees. For more information, visit www.rti-inc.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.
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Contact Info
David Cheng
[email protected]
+1 612-308-9360
- Jeff Kiesel and Alissa Partee
- Alissa Partee