Leif began his foodservice career at the age of 15 working behind the scenes as a dishwasher in numerous foodservice venues. With a passion for culinary arts, he worked his way into the kitchen starting as a prep cook and eventually becoming a sous-chef at a fine dining restaurant as well as a resort in the Adirondack Mountains of New York while attending high school and college. Leif holds a B.S. from Nyack College where he studied secondary education. Upon graduating Leif began working as a carpenter working on high-end renovations as well as new build projects honing skills in framing, trim and millwork for 3 years.

In 2007, Leif found his true calling when he merged his diverse skills of foodservice and construction and joined CFL Design as a CAD Operator and Project Manager where he was able to apply his real-life experiences into a career that he never knew existed in foodservice consulting. In 2015 Leif was recognized as Young Lions MAFSI Honoree marking his growth and accomplishments as foodservice consultant.

Leif is now a Senior Project Director with CFL Design and has 18 years of consulting experience and 30 years in the foodservice industry and an extensive portfolio focusing on chef driven fine dining restaurants, quick service restaurants, business dining, hotels and resorts as well as education.