Confessions of Ann McNally

Ann McNally, vice president of amenities for Morgan Stanley in New York City, and president of SFM, comes clean about her love of managing people and seafood Fra Diavolo and hating her commute.

Q. What is the best part of your job?

Managing people.My commute (two hours).

Q. What is the worst part of your job?

My commute (two hours).

Q. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

The relationship I have with my 20-year-old son.

Q. What is the most unusual foodservice/catering request you have ever received?

A five-course meal for $3 per person.

Q. If you weren't in foodservice what would you be doing?

Working with children in some capacity.

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?

Singing.

Q. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

More patience.

Q. What is your greatest fear?

Flying in small planes. My husband has his private pilot’s license so he’s not too fond of this fear.

Q. Which living person do you most admire?

Barack Obama.

Q. What is your favorite meal?

Seafood Fra Diavolo in a nice Italian restaurant.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure?

Oatmeal cookies from this wonderful bakery in my town (Lawrenceville, N.J.).

Q. What will people always find in your refrigerator?

Fresh salad greens.

Q. What food fad do you wish had never started?

Fad diets with exaggerated marketing.

Q. What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten?

I am not that adventurous so I am embarrassed to say only quail (sorry, chefs).

Q. What do you consider to be the most overrated foodservice trend?

Free—fat free, gluten free, sugar free, caffeine free.

Q. Read the book or see the movie?

Both.

Q. Are you a morning or evening person?

Morning. I rise at 5:00 a.m. to run.

Q. What are your words to live by?

Don’t ever forget where you came from and treat everyone at all levels in the workplace kindly.