Customer Service Manager

Carla G. Held

***** ******** ****** #*** *******, VA 20171

Mobile 703-***-**** E-mail **********@*****.***

OVERVIEW

Experienced food and beverage professional with a stellar record of employee management, client relations, customer service, financial acumen, budgetary compliance, project management, training skills, food and labor cost controls, food safety, and health department standards combined with a passion for international, local, and sustainable cuisines.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND KEY PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Financial administration and budget management

Employee management, leadership and mentoring

Multi unit management

Trainer and Presenter

Problem Solver

Extremely organized, detail oriented and proactive

Corporate culinary programming and procurement

Innate ability to prioritize, execute projects and accomplish all objectives PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Sodexo Corporate Services, Gaithersburg MD January 2000 - February 2015 Fifteen-year career with Sodexo, serving in key management roles including Senior General Manager, General Manager, Director of Retail Operations, Resource Manager, Area Executive Chef, and Executive Chef.

Senior General Manager – International Monetary Fund Led daily retail and culinary operations for $9M operation comprised of two cafés, two coffee bistros, catering and coffee service, a la carte restaurant located in Washington DC, and two offsite employee amenity operations located in Crystal City, VA and Bethesda, MD. Led seventy team members, eight managers and four supervisors, serving 2,800 people daily.

Turned years of annual financial losses to profitability during first year of leadership and remaining tenure

Increased customer survey scores from 54.5% to 80.3%

Consistently exceeded client expectations through transparent communication, resulting in financial turnaround, improved food quality, and heightened customer service

Assisted IMF in developing kitchen and dining area plans for building renovation

Ensured compliance with Sodexo and IMF policies in quality assurance, food and physical safety, cash management, budget compliance, recruitment, and training Director of Retail Operations – The World Bank

Responsible for daily retail and culinary operations for a $3M café account serving approximately 2,200 people daily. Managed fifty-eight team members, four supervisors and three managers.

Developed new culinary and retail strategy with area culinary leaders to create fresh, exciting menus

Trained culinary team on international cuisines using Indian, African, Asian, Spanish and Caribbean recipes

Worked with team members to increase customer survey scores 17% year-over-year

Increased sales 5% year-over-year on refreshed stations

Implemented standardized station set-up and production systems resulting in consistent food quality to increase customer satisfaction

Carla G. Held, Food & Beverage Professional

Mobile 703-***-**** E-mail **********@*****.*** Page 2 Executive Chef, Gannett

Directed food production in catering and employee café serving more than 900 associates daily. Assisted development plans to achieve financial targets for food and labor costs. Led eighteen team members, two managers, one supervisor and one pastry chef.

Reduced café food cost 6% (from 45% to 39%) and catering food cost 3.1% (from 37.1% to 34%) year over year

Increased purchasing compliance by 25%, from 67% to 92%

Decreased inventory by $15,000

Created menus for café and customized menus for catering based on customer requests

Hired and trained culinary team on food production, HACCP, sanitation, customer service, and operational standards

Area Executive Chef, Sodexo Corporate Services

Supported training for 125 Mid-Atlantic area accounts in key culinary, retail, and procurement initiatives to promote maximum account profitability, customer satisfaction, retention, and growth. Conducted physical and food safety audits in units. Served as mentor and resource for new chefs to the company.

Trained area team members in Sodexo Culinary Foundations, vendor and product compliance, inventory, HACCP, and production systems

Increased area product compliance from 73% to 92% and vendor compliance from 64% to 92%

Implemented wellness food program and retail pricing initiatives in the Mid-Atlantic area

Presented culinary support structure and menu sampling to account prospects (National Academies of Science, Dow Chemical, Intelsat, and John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab) during the new sales process

Led new account openings, assisted new chefs and team members throughout opening process CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

Proficient in MS Office programs Word, Excel and PowerPoint Micros Systems

Agilysis POS and PMS

Serv Safe Certified Food Handler

Certified TIPS Manager

Fairfax County and District of Columbia Certified Food Manager Social media savvy

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Culinary School of Washington, DC

Commercial Baking, Steel Center Vocational School, Pittsburgh PA

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