Ray Cottrell began his foodservice career at age 13 at My Place Pizzeria in the Bronx, N.Y., where he served slices of pizza and Italian ices at the counter. Nearly a half-century later, and after more than 40 years in healthcare food and support services, Senior Vice President Ray Cottrell will retire at year-end.
Ray joined Morrison Healthcare 17 years ago, in 2008, where he played a pivotal role in launching the company’s New York region and later leading the New England region. Under his leadership, both regions experienced extraordinary growth. Throughout his tenure, Ray became known for his commitment to developing future leaders, building strong client relationships, and bringing deep financial expertise to the healthcare foodservice business.
In recognition of his lasting impact, Ray was inducted into the Morrison Hall of Fame in 2025 an honor reserved for a select few who have made significant contributions to the organization.
“One of my proudest accomplishments has been helping the organization grow, especially launching a new region and building up the New York market,” Ray said. “I’m also proud to have mentored and guided so many individuals and teams, to see how far they’ve come, and to help ensure Morrison’s continued success in the future.”
His Immediate Contributions to Morrison’s Success
Once he joined the company, Ray quickly secured or enhanced Morrison’s business with several large health systems throughout the Northeast. These included Hartford HealthCare, the second-largest health system in Connecticut; Boston Medical Center, which added Morrison to hospitals in Brockton and Boston South as part of a recent contract extension; and Northern Light Health in Maine, which started with Morrison in January 2025.
“In his early years with Morrison, Ray was the catalyst of our growth in the Northeast,” says Division President Howard Weinstein. “He was generating so much new business that it was one of the reasons I was hired by Morrison because they needed two of us in the region. He made the most of his knowledge of the Northeast and his relationships in the industry to win a huge amount of business for us.”
Annual revenues from when he took over the New York region in 2008 to when he left increased by 149%.
After building the New York region, Ray was promoted to lead the New England Region, which now also includes several accounts in New York. Likewise, the New England region grew more than 120% revenue-wise from when he took it over in 2014 to now.
Weinstein credits Ray’s ability to understand healthcare finances as one of the key reasons for his success.
“He is a student of the industry. He knows how to align a new contract so that it works for the clients while also making Morrison profitable. He understands the financial details of healthcare as well as anyone in our business.”
Helping Others Succeed
In addition to his ability to generate new business, Ray is well known for his dedication to his team and his commitment to help his directors and others succeed.
For the past 10 years, he has worked closely with Jamie Robidoux, who will succeed him as the Regional Vice President. Robidoux has learned several valuable lessons working with Ray during the past decade.
“I took the opportunity to learn as much as possible from Ray, whether it was on business proposals, budgets or client retention programs,” he says. “I couldn’t have learned more from anyone else; Ray has put me in a great position to take on this role.”
One key lesson he learned is how to prepare for any scenario, particularly when dealing with client issues.
“Ray prepares for every meeting and situation unlike anyone else I’ve worked for,” says Robidoux. “If we have a client meeting, he considers everything that should go well, but he always has a contingency plan if it doesn’t.”
Robidoux has also found Ray’s thorough and deliberate approach a critical factor as a part of his success. “He doesn’t leave any stone unturned. It may take a little longer to read a contract or review key budget numbers than one would like, but he preaches that you need to spend the time and always look at the details.”
Serving as a Mentor
While Robidoux learned from Ray for a decade, others have learned a lot over a weekend.
Regional Director of Operations Amber Gard, who oversees nine hospitals in Maine, tells how Ray’s dedication helped her quickly meet a deadline from a client around strategic budget planning.
“Ray is in New York and I’m in Maine, so he drove to Maine and told me, ‘Today is the day you are going to get your RDO wings’,” she recalls.
Gard shared that they spent 48 hours hard at work, and Cottrell supported her every step of the way.
“In those 48 hours, I learned so much about how to build a budget and the reasons behind the numbers. It also helped me relay this information to my directors, so they understood it. Ray’s financial acumen is incredible. I’ve been reporting to him for less than a year, but I’ve learned more doing this period than the previous several years.”
To succeed, Ray advises all young managers to embrace every learning opportunity that comes their way with the company.
“Assimilate into the culture and don’t be afraid to take risks,” he says. “This is an organization that values innovation and supports people who try new things.” He also advises them to keep their sense of humor and to balance their work and personal lives.
“Remember that family and friends come first. Don’t let work consume your life or impact your health.”
Weinstein says Ray’s ability to care for everyone on his team has always set him apart.
“I have the utmost respect for Ray as an individual,” says Weinstein. “He always asks about my family and always cared about the person he was speaking with. But family is always his top priority.”
Retirement Plans
Ray has plenty of activities to enjoy his free time in retirement. He plans to pick up golf and his guitar again, as well as cruising in his classic 1967 Dodge Charger, and work on plenty of home improvement projects.
He recently celebrated his 38th wedding anniversary with his wife, Eileen, and they will enjoy time in their in the net-zero energy home, which earned a Department of Energy Housing Innovation Award in 2023. They will also enjoy more time with their daughter, Alexa, son Tyler, and new daughter-in-law Jennifer — as well as Brady, his Irish Doodle.
While looking forward to retirement, Ray says he will miss his Morrison friends.
“Without question, I will miss the people — the relationships and friendships I’ve built over the years. I’ll miss the collaboration, the strategy, and the day-to-day challenge of the business, but most of all, I’ll miss the incredible team I’ve had the privilege to work with and how we were motivated to help each other out in any situation. Working at Morrison was truly an honor.”
As Ray prepares for retirement his colleagues, teams, and partners across the country reflect with deep appreciation on the legacy he leaves behind.
“Congratulations to Ray on a truly remarkable career and a very well-earned retirement. Having had the privilege to work alongside Ray for so many years, I’ve seen firsthand the steady leadership, generosity, and high standards he brings to his teams and his work. Ray hasn’t just helped shape our organization; he has shaped our team members – mentoring and inspiring other leaders who will carry his impact forward for years to come. I’m deeply grateful for his guidance, partnership, and friendship, and I wish him the best as he begins this next chapter,” said Glenn Robinson, Division President.
