Published: February 04, 2020
Founder of Outback Steakhouse to Speak at Falk Theatre Feb. 20
Chris T. Sullivan, the founder of Outback Steakhouse and the former chairman and CEO of Outback Steakhouse Inc., will speak as part of The University of Tampa Sykes College of Business’s Hall of Fame Business Speaker Series on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Chris T. Sullivan, the founder of Outback Steakhouse and the former chairman and CEO of Outback Steakhouse Inc., will speak as part of The University of Tampa Sykes College of Business’s Hall of Fame Business Speaker Series on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Sullivan, whose presentation is titled Once an Entrepreneur, Always an Entrepreneur: From Localization to Globalization, will speak at the Falk Theatre at 428 W. Kennedy Blvd., from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event is free to registered students and guests.
Sullivan, a University of Kentucky alumnus with a degree in business and economics, founded Outback Steakhouse in 1988 with Bob Basham, Tim Gannon and Trudy Cooper. The company went public in 1991, and Sullivan went on to collaborate with the founders of several nationally known restaurants including Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill to develop and operate more than 1,400 restaurants worldwide.
In 2007, with then-CEO Bill Allen, the OSI Board of Directors and the executive team sold the company to Bain Capital Partners, Catterton Partners and the founders.
Currently, Sullivan is partnered with Metro Diner, ConSul Hospitality Partners, Besito Mexican, Omnivore LLC, iPaladin LLC and several other restaurant industry investments.
In addition, he serves on the board of directors of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, the First Tee of Tampa Bay and Copperhead Charities. He is also active with charity organizations focused on education and catastrophic diseases, such as ART International, a PTSD-focused charity.
Seating is limited, so RSVP at www.ut.edu/business/sykeshalloffame/.
