General & Operations Manager

Fariborz Mohebati

*** **** ******, ****. **** San Diego, CA 92101 619-***-**** ********@*****.*** U.S. Citizen

General Manager District Manager Operations Manager

Over 20 years of leadership in Retail, Hospitality, and Restaurant Management in New York City, Beijing, & Shanghai

Accomplished GM & Business Operations Manager who has successfully launched a restaurant chain overseas as well as ran data-driven operations for flagship stores of Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. Strong sales orientation coupled with a superb P&L management acumen due to tenure as a NYC retail planning analyst. Effective cross-cultural communicator and leader, having lived and worked in the United Kingdom, New York, New Jersey, Beijing, and Shanghai.

Professional Experience

Rumi Grill – Beijing & Shanghai Stores Largely Ex-Pat Clientele Oct 2005 - Mar 2017

General Manager & Partner

Built thriving venture-backed restaurant chain deemed the best in its class for 9 straight years by the top 3 ex-pat publications in Beijing, recouping full investment within 3 years of operation.

Launched 150-person restaurant from the ground up, including lease, renovations, licensing, staff, sourcing materials/furniture/ingredients, menu, KPIs, and P&L management – maintaining >40% YoY growth.

Opened a second 2-story restaurant in Shanghai, replicating the Beijing business model to tap the city’s international client base and more than double revenues for the company.

Recruited, hired, and trained floor managers and 75 staff on 2 shifts running from 11am to 1am every day. Implemented incentive program to reward suggestive selling, upselling, and great service.

Devised PR/marketing campaigns involving biweekly placement in 4 of the top 5 local magazines as well as “behind-the-scenes” advertising spots delivered via subway video billboards.

Established strong base of business clientele through B2B alliances with nearby embassies/corporations, luncheon promotions, and private party dinner service billing up to $20,000/night.

Maintained solid margins through careful budgeting, smart sourcing, hard negotiations with vendors and suppliers, tight inventory/receiving controls, and clear guidelines on portioning and recycling.

* After topping out revenues for both locations, negotiated sale of the company to private investors.

Bloomingdale’s – New York, NY 3rd Avenue Store May 1998 - Jun 2005

Senior Planning & Distribution Manager / Senior Analyst / Planning Analyst – Home

Achieved YoY incremental profits for Home categories generating up to $100M each, through data-driven decision-making for a tier of buyers at Bloomingdale’s highest volume store, the New York City flagship location.

Relentlessly analyzed store historical data, market trends, and shopper demographics to determine seasonal assortment and develop a purchasing strategy.

Monitored store inventory of 300+ SKUs to identify underperforming categories/products and determine corrective action such as remerchandising, markdowns, transfers, and vendor returns.

Evaluated vendor fill rates and lead-time performance to forecast needs and avoid stock-outs.

Macy’s – New York, NY Herald Square Store Jun 1996 - Apr 1998

Sales Manager – Women’s Apparel

Led a team of 35 sales associates in producing $60M/year in revenues across 4 seasons/quarters. Managed inventory, merchandising, customer service, sales, and finances. Completed Macy’s executive management training program.

Innovated methods of incentivizing staff to cross-sell, upsell, and drive store-level promotions: developed trainings, coaching sessions, bonus program, and disciplinary protocols.

Meticulously tracked P&L, evaluating budget-vs-actual performance on a daily basis.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Business Management – University of Brighton, Brighton, UK May 1993

Specializations: Operations, International Marketing Strategy, Product Development, & Purchasing

Internship @ International Computers Limited: Assisted with selling into retail accounts, forecasting, product launches, and training programs. Earned full-time job following graduation.

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