Regional Operations
Resume:
PERSONAL DETAILS
Nationality
American
Location
Manama, Bahrain (Golden VISA)
Notice Period
Immediate
Marital Status
Married (two children)
Contact Details
**********@*******.***
Computer Knowledge
Micros, Word, Excel
Education & Training
2011 – 2013 MBA Business, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina US
1990 – 1994 BA, International Relations, Minor in Contemporary Europe, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia US
CAREER HISTORY
Sept 22 -present
Sept 18 – Aug 22
Dec 19 – Aug 22
Khalid Khan Advisory Services (KKAS)
Partner / Consultant – Bahrain
KKAS focuses on new company formations, corporate governance, HR advisory, marketing, and Debt Collection.
As a partner I actively engage in new business development and specialize in working with companies on corporate governance issues (share agreements, internal policies, and business alignments), new company formation structures, and HR issues. Bringing 25 years of experience in business and tribal government work, I offer clients a wealth of business experience to help ensure they build the proper foundations for their business that will allow them to grow and enhance profitability.
Kharafi Global, Bahrain
REGIONAL BUSINESS MANAGER (OPERATIONS) – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia
Responsible for 4 brands (32 branches) including
-Johnny Rockets (American QSR)
-Nino Restaurant (Italian smart casual)
-Leila (Lebanese, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean smart casual)
-Baker & Spice (specialty coffee, Viennoiserie, and food)
Responsible for a team of 18, including 4 Country Operations Managers and over 400 staff
Reporting to owners
Promoted by owners to lead the business operations in Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for all brands, lead point of contact with our International Franchisors
Responsible for ALL Franchisee relations (from initial negotiations of Franchise Agreement through to opening) and sales
Aligning markets with overall company business objectives for continued business growth and exploiting opportunities
Coordinate regional marketing efforts with the Director of Marketing to include LTOs, menu rollouts, and new launches
Direct mentoring and development of growth plans for Country Operations Managers
Lead M&A negotiations
Coordinate with and develop strategies with Legal for contract and franchise agreement issues / renegotiations
Review and approve manning guides with HR and Operations Managers to ensure smooth operations and budgetary guidelines
Prepare, review, and submit for consultation budgets for each market; including CAPEX allocations, revenue projections, and cost impacts on goods due to supply change, VAT, and/or rising input costs
Mar 19 – Dec19
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia
Responsible for 5 brands (28 branches) including
-Arby’s
-Johnny Rockets
Responsible for a team of 17 Managers and 300 staff
Reporting to owners
Promoted by owners to establish and lead the new QSR Division within the company
Direct reports include the QSR Marketing Manager, Country Operations Managers and Training Manager
Responsible the financial performance and strategic planning for the brands across the entire GCC region (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain)
Develop and implement a 3-year plan for expansion, relocation, and right sizing of the brands across the region
Renegotiate the Multi Unit Licensing Agreement with Inspire Brands to ensure that development of Arby’s matched the regional demand for stores and the company’s growth projections
Bring the marketing and promotion activities for all markets into alignment. Work with franchisor and brand management to develop new LTO products that matched regional preferences and agreed roll-out plans for 2020
Responsible for hiring Marketing and Country Operations Managers
Enhance operations in Qatar through the Country Operations Manager and leveraged home delivery opportunities to increase top line revenues by 35% over the last 3 months
Launch innovative and targeted promotions and LTOs that have increased transactions and revenues by over 10% with the Arby’s brand
Certify training stores in 2019 for Arby’s Kuwait and Johnny Rockets Kuwait and KSA
All Quality Audits and Reviews by the franchisors have resulted in above passing marks for both brands in all markets
Sep 18 – Mar 19
COUNTRY MANAGER
Hired to reinvigorate Johnny Rockets, Nino, and Leila brands in Bahrain; and bring Baker & Spice into profitability by leading marketing, operational planning, training initiatives, and managing cost control efforts
Responsible for a team of 13 Managers and over 120 staff
Reporting to owners
Responsible for working with our Marketing Agency and In-house team to develop marketing and promotion campaigns across all brands. Increased revenues through aggressive marketing of new menus, retail goods, lunch delivery menus, and theme nights
Identify and participate in events to increase brand awareness and exposure with food stalls and live cooking stations
Develop partnerships with strategic business partners to provide their members with special offers and events increasing customer counts and social media coverage / exposure
Reduce accommodation and transport costs of staff by 8,500 USD per month, streamlined and consolidated purchasing to reduce food costs by 2% overall, and implemented better par stock levels to reduce wastage, shrinkage, and stock on hand. The COGS YTD have been 4 percentage points lower than budget, while Operating Costs have been 5 percentage points lower
Lead the development and launch of new menus in Baker & Spice, Nino, and Leila brands; including a new menu for Baker & Spice, Lunch Menus, Holiday Menus, catering packages, retail goods, and delivery specials
Through the above initiatives and focusing managers on operational excellence, cost controls, and enhancing customer experience
Delivered YTD results for EBITDA and EBIT 9% better than budgeted
Oct 15 – Mar 18
Yum Yum Tree Food Court, Manama
COUNTRY MANAGER
Responsible for 12 brands (franchised and home grown) and 120 units across 23 locations in Bahrain
(Vanellis, Subway, Teriyaki Experience, Al Mangal, Fish Harbor, Pad Thai, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Papa’s Chicken, Tutti Frutti, Tiki Ming, Tandoor, and Irani Kebab)
Responsible for a team of 11 senior managers with over 700 staff
Reporting to owners
Expanded Yum Yum Tree from 110 units at 21 locations to 120 units at 23 locations in the first year; elevating the revenue to USD 25 Million
Launched marketing efforts for Yum Yum Tree’s 20th Anniversary: Developed high impact / efficient social media, Outdoor, and POS brand communications program
Led the company to accomplish its highest ever monthly revenue
Support the overall mission and vision of Yum Yum Tree by leading strategic revenue and operational planning, change management, and training initiatives – developing knowledge and best practice and implementing operational enhancements
Responsible for P&L of all the business units - accelerate revenue and profit growth through the formulation of the operational strategy
Ensure the productivity of the units as per the expectation of the company by planning activities for sales, identification of training needs and measurement of market penetrations, customer awareness and satisfaction
Conceptualise and prescribe home-grown marketing concepts that provide immediate ROI while instituting a longer route to market strategy for maximum business value and offerings optimisation
Responsible for setting and attaining of short- and long-term financial and operational goals
Lead revenue forecasting, metrics, and reporting responsibilities in addition to providing decision support to senior management in the creation of business reviews
Train and mentor management and executive teams to ensure that they perform their roles autonomously
Provide operating models and ensure that employees are aware of global best practices
Jan 15 – May 15
Divan Hotel (5*), Erbil IRQ
DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE
228 bedrooms 6 F&B operations and 10 meeting rooms
Headhunted by the former General Manager at Radisson SAS in Bulgaria to reinvigorate and improve the revenues, profits and service standards of the Food and Beverage Department and rebuild the Executive Management Team
Responsible for a team of 10 managers
Reporting to Hotel General Manager
Lead and mentor teams with overall responsibility of managing daily F&B operations and providing leadership for all hotel departments
Directed and managed all F&B operations including, but not limited to marketing and sales campaigns, budgeting and forecasting, strategic planning, leading service initiatives and implementing and complying with all company policies and standards
Work closely with the various stakeholders to review existing procedures, and other primary and secondary costs. Teamed up to review operations flow and stage by stage costing
Manage the cost controls, HACCP, labour management, strategic planning, and menu development
Increased catering and event revenue by 50% over previous year through new menu and packages
Sep 13 – Dec 14
Lumber River Foods, Sofia BUL
MANAGING DIRECTOR & OWNER
Conceptualised, launched and operated Bulgaria's first ever North Carolina Eastern Style BBQ concept restaurant
Setup and manage business processes relating to employees, sales, and profit/loss controls
Direct and managed general operations to assure optimum performance and continual improvement across guest service, employees, sales/marketing, property appearance, and profit/financial control. Created the menu items from scratch, including our signature 60-year-old secret family recipe for “Lowry Sister's BBQ Sauce” and “Tyler's Chili”.
Developed concept, business plan and cash flow projections
Conducted foot traffic and demographic assessments for site selection
Aug 09 – June 13
Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, North Carolina
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Brought in by the Tribal Chairman and Economic Development Committee of the Tribal Council to establish a tribally owned, revenue generating business venture. In cooperation with the Tribal Chairman and Council, launched the Tribe's first ever for- profit business venture (Lumbee Tribe Enterprises, LLC)
Jan 09 June 09
Royal Victoria Club Resort / Elenite Resort, Elenite BUL
COMPLEX MANAGER
Headhunted by investors to spearhead the pre-opening and opening of 3 hotels, SPA centre and food outlets
Directed all aspects of operations for the resort, comprising of 5 hotels, 110 villas, private beach, 5 outdoor swimming pools, SPA center, mini golf course, 3 night clubs, 10 bars, and 15 food outlets
June 08 – Dec 08
Grand Hotel Velingrad, Velingrad BUL
DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Successfully opened the new Entertainment Complex on time and within budget, exceeding budgeted revenues by 25%
Increased organic F&B revenues by 15% for last quarter of the year
May 06 – May 08
ONDA Coffee Break, Sofia BUL
CEO
Turned around Onda Coffee Break from a loss-making chain to an operationally profitable company within 18 months
Led the negotiations and successful acquisition of two companies, thus opening un-tapped market areas
May 03 – Apr 06
Radisson SAS Grand Hotel (5 *), Sofia
FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER
Feb 00 – Mar 03
Flannagans Irish Pubs, Sofia
MULTIUNIT GENERAL MANAGER
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
May 99 – Jan 00
Radio City New York, Sofia
GENERAL MANAGER
Nov 96 – Apr 99
Townhouse Tavern
MANAGER
May 94 – Aug 96
Radio City New York, Sofia
GENERAL MANAGER
SUMMARY
Proven business leadership in multi-brand management and development, service delivery, and process management excellence
Senior management to executive level credentials developed through a grounded, yet rapidly progressing career – advancing to business head for numerous hospitality leaders across Europe, USA and GCC regions
Strong ability to design and implement robust marketing and business development strategies
Strong exposure to Fine Dining, Casual Dining, Coffee Chains, and QSR brands, along with 5-Star Hospitality experience in Europe and Middle East
Experienced in dealing with franchisors and franchisees at all levels
Proven track record of delivering superior training and product development ideas while achieving revenue, profit and business growth objectives and ensuring top and bottom-line profitability across diverse positions
Extensive experience brining new concepts to market, expanding existing chains, and turning around under-performing businesses
Experience in leading large teams with up to 700 employees and leading multiple brands within 23 locations with 120 separate units
LANGUAGES
English (Mother Tongue)
Bulgarian (Fluent)
INTERESTS
Reading, Running, and Current Events
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