the team
MARC LEPINE Chef & Owner
Chef Marc Lepine spent time working in Toronto, France and Italy before moving to Ottawa in 2001 with the intention of eventually opening a restaurant. He received his sommelier certification from Algonquin College and spent 6 years working as executive chef for the Courtyard Restaurant, where he was twice named 'Ottawa Chef of the Year' by the Canadian Culinary Federation. Marc opened Atelier in 2008 and it was named one of Canada's Best New Restaurants by enRoute Magazine. In February 2012, and then again in February 2016, Marc won the Canadian Culinary Championship. In 2018, he was named 'Canada's Most Innovative Chef' by Canada's 100 Best Restaurants magazine.
MARIEL LEGERE-VAN HERPEN Sous Chef
Mariel was born in Landstuhl, Germany to a Canadian military family, constantly moving from post to post, finally settling in the Ottawa area in 2013. Her passion for cooking was birthed in high school after taking a culinary program resulting in interest doing culinary competitions. In 2018 she enrolled in the Culinary Management Program at Algonquin College, graduating with honors in 2020. During this time, she was the winner of the Ron Eade Award, participated in the Skills Ontario competition and was also president of the Canadian Association of Food Service Professionals (CAFP). Most recently she was a finalist for Team Canada preparing to compete at the Bocuse d'Or culinary championship. After a short stint at the Ottawa Art Gallery, Mariel joined Atelier in 2021 as Chef de Partie. Her natural leadership and talent were quickly noticed resulting in her assuming the role of Sous Chef.
DEVON BOWERS-KRISHNAN General Manager & Head Sommelier
Born and raised in Ottawa, Devon began his restaurant journey in 2007 as a busboy and dishwasher. It wouldn’t be until the completion of a BA with Honors in History and International Development at Trent University that he decided to expand his knowledge and skillset within the hospitality industry and become a sommelier. Upon completing the Algonquin College Sommelier Program in 2015 he was awarded the Sommelier of Excellence Award. Devon then went on to achieve Level 3 certification with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Most recently he received the Certified Level of the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas (CMS) accompanied by the Walter Clore distinction for top in class and continues to pursue higher certification. He joined Atelier in January 2016 and took on the role of GM in December 2024