Melissa Patel

Senior Vice President of Finance & Operations

As Senior Vice President of Finance & Operations, Melissa oversees Catering & Events, Sports & Leisure, and Accounting departments at Union Square Events. After starting her career as a CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Melissa followed her passion for food by completing Culinary Arts and Management programs at the Institute of Culinary Education. An externship led her to Union Square Hospitality Group’s Tabla and she was hired at sister restaurant Blue Smoke as Controller in 2005. Melissa joined the Union Square Events team in 2008 as the head of Accounting to expand the company’s reach beyond catering to include concessions, consulting, cafes, B&I, and restaurants. Melissa lives in New Jersey with her husband and three kids and spends her free time traveling, binge-watching TV shows and playing video games.