Longwood Gardens recently announced the appointment of Nicolo (Nico) Dagnino as chief operating officer. In this new leadership role, Dagnino will be responsible for setting the strategy for and leading guest services and operations at Longwood Gardens as well as evaluating and managing the hospitality and guest experiences at Longwood at Granogue.  

Dagnino is an accomplished hospitality executive with more than two decades of experience driving growth, operational excellence, and innovation across diverse hospitality formats. He joins Longwood Gardens after serving as vice president of food & beverage at Alterra Mountain Company where he oversaw food and beverage operations for 19 year-round iconic mountain resorts, including Deer Valley, Mammoth, Palisades Tahoe, Steamboat, and Winter Park, among others. 

Prior to Alterra, Dagnino played a pivotal role in Eataly’s North American expansion, spearheading the brand’s entry into Canada and managing operations across multiple regions and eCommerce platforms. His career also includes senior roles at Avolta and consulting positions at Deloitte and IBM, providing strategic insights to Fortune 500 companies. 

“Nico brings exceptional leadership skills that focus on enhancing guest experiences, leveraging technology, and developing talent, while delivering measurable revenue and profitability growth,” said Paul B. Redman, president and chief executive officer of Longwood Gardens. “His broad expertise in creating seamless operations and elevated guest experiences across multiple sites will be integral to Longwood as we continue to advance our mission across our properties.” 

“I am excited to join Longwood Gardens in this newly created  role,” said Dagnino. “I look forward to working with Longwood’s talented staff and further elevating the extraordinary guest experience Longwood is known for.”

Dagnino will lead more than 200 staff in Longwood’s guest services and operations team.