Howard Stilianessis is the complex banquet chef for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. He is responsible for overseeing the banquet kitchen and its 25 staff members who produce meals daily for groups ranging in size from 10 to 4,000.

Prior to joining the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Chef Stilianessis served as the executive banquet chef at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, NV, supervising a banquet operation of 14 chefs and a staff of 100 cooks.

He also holds an associate degree in culinary arts and restaurant management from the New York Restaurant School in Manhattan, NY.
Chef Stilianessis’ culinary skills and experience have afforded him two impressive career opportunities. He was the executive banquet chef for the Phantom of the Opera Gala Reception, which was featured on an episode of the Food Network’s Behind the Bash. He was also invited, on two occasions, to prepare meals for the internationally renowned Chaine des Rotisseurs gastronomic society.