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OWNER
Emmanuel Nony
Emmanuel Nony was raised in the French countryside by parents who were true bon vivants, and who passed their love of food and entertaining to their son. Following more than sixteen years of experience working at several of Hyatt’s luxury properties, including the U.N. Plaza Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Grand Hyatt Seoul, Japan’s Hyatt Regency Fukuoka, and the Park Hyatt Tokyo, Nony returned to the United States, where he opened the highly-anticipated Park Hyatt Chicago and its restaurant NoMI. There, he set new standards for hotel fine dining in the city. Having fallen in love with Chicago, Emmanuel decided to call the Windy City home and conceptualized Sepia, his realization of a lifelong professional dream. At Sepia, Emmanuel seamlessly blends style with comfort, past with present, and timeless design – showcasing true Midwestern hospitality with international flair. His career reached another milestone when Sepia was honored with a star rating in the inaugural Chicago edition of the Michelin Guide in 2010.
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INTERIOR DESIGNER
Donna Corbat
With a firm belief that the spaces we live and work in greatly influence our lives, Donna has designed residential spaces, workplaces, and furniture lines that have supported and influenced culture, quality of life, and lifestyles over the last two decades.
As the leader of Gary Lee Partners’ residential studio, Donna oversees work with developers, condominium associations, and private owners. Donna’s notable residential work includes the 6 N. Michigan Avenue sales center and model units, the Lake County Manor, the Ambassador conversion, and various residences in the Palmolive Building. Many of her projects have won awards, including the American Institute of Architects Chicago Design Excellence Awards for Amerin Guaranty Corp and the NeoCon Gold Award for “Best New Product” for the Gianni collection. Prior to joining GLP in 1993, Donna worked as a designer for ISD, ISI, and VOA Associates. Donna is a graduate of Wayne State University where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design and is a registered Interior Designer in the State of Illinois.
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EXECUTIVE CHEF
Andrew Zimmerman
Growing up in New York in the ‘80’s, Andrew Zimmerman’s childhood goal was a fairly common one – he wanted to be a rock star. He actually pursued that goal into his early 20’s, supporting his dream by working in local restaurant kitchens. Over the years, he realized that he was a better cook than musician, and that his true calling was in the kitchen. He worked as sous chef under Renato Sommelia, whom he cites as one of his strongest culinary mentors, then enrolled in the prestigious French Culinary Institute. Zimmerman graduated first in his class at the FCI in 2000 and never looked back. After time working on the East Coast, Zimmerman accepted a position at the Park Hyatt Chicago working alongside Sandro Gamba. In 2004, he met restaurateur Terry Alexander, who was impressed with his capabilities, and hired him as Executive Chef at MOD. From there, the duo opened del Toro, which received wide acclaim.
Zimmerman returned to the Park Hyatt as the chef de cuisine at NoMI, working with Christophe David. In 2008, he was introduced to Emmanuel Nony, and the following year, Nony offered Zimmerman the executive chef position at Sepia.
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