RITA UGARTE

Director of Operations

619-***-****

adfflq@r.postjobfree.com · linkedin.com/in/ritaugarte

Accomplished Operations Professional with more than 20 years of experience leading multi- site operations. Proven ability to lead diverse teams into execution of strategic plans and over deliver on results. A decisive, highly motivated leader with a can-do attitude that delivers a well-balanced approach to leading and directing teams. EXPERIENCE

MIMIS CAFE

A $200 million+ division of Dallas-based Le Duff America, Inc., the North American subsidiary of global bakery-cafe leader Groupe Le Duff, headquartered in Rennes, France. Founded in 1978, Mimi’s has 77 locations in 16 U.S. states. DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS / OPS SERVICES AND TRAINING, San Diego, Orange County, LA, Central CA, So. AZ and UT OCT 2010 - DATE

Supervision of 10+ restaurant in two states and 4 Designated Market Areas

Leading and directing 40+ managers and 500+ hourly teammates

Responsible for financial results in excess of $25,000,000 in sales

Consistently delivered 3 to 5% sales growth for five consecutive years by improving Sales Per Guest

Achieved 11% Manager Turnover, the lowest in the company for six consecutive years

Consistently improved Prime Cost by 1.2% and Controllable Profit by 2.1% even on a negative sales environment

Delivered consistent operational results through execution of brand standards, achieving 98%+ on all Health Department audits

Part of the strategic planning phase for companywide initiatives and Ops liaison with Corporate Leadership Team

Responsible for the implementation of strategic succession plan, resulting in development of 60+ managers

Training, implementation and support for technology innovations in the areas of labor, sales and COGS controls

Test and validation of new products, recipes, systems and processes for company rollout

Creation and distribution of communications to entire enterprise regarding systems, processes and implementation guides

Design and implementation of training systems, tools and documents 1

FIELD TRAINING LEADER 152 units throughout 22 states in the USA with, 8,000+ employees FEB 2009 – OCT 2010

Developed and maintained all Training Materials for all Operation’s Departments

Training and implementation of company programs

Supervision of all Field Training initiatives in all 152 units

Supervision and certification of all MITs (Managers In Training)

Certification of 27 Training Units and 100+ Training Managers

Coordinated all Training for New Units

Conducted all Training for Remodeled Units

Re-designed company’s website and created Online Ordering

Performed all legal, technical, administrative and commercial communication translations (English to Spanish)

YUM BRANDS

World's largest restaurant system, with over 32,500 KFC, A&W All-American Food™, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's and Pizza Hut restaurants in more than 100 countries and territories.

AREA DIRECTOR, San Diego JAN 2007-NOV 2008

Supervision of 6+ business units with total sales of $15,000,000+

Responsible for development of 24+ managers and 200+ associates

Achieved an average of 5.2% sales growth in all 6 locations

Worked closely with Headquarters’ Guest Excellence department and improved guest satisfaction CHAMPS program from 82% to 94.6% in 6 months

Created and implemented sales building program for associates that delivered average 5.2% positive sales for 14 months

Achieved Top Performer Award four consecutive years for People, Profits and Guest Satisfaction.

REGIONAL TRAINING MANAGER, San Diego AUG 2001-DEC 2006

Oversaw Training of 86 company owned restaurants under four different concepts: KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, A&W and Long John Silver’s.

Delivered Management Development classes

Developed 91 managers from hourly teammates to Shift Leaders and to Assistant Managers all the way to General Managers

Delivered Food Safety Training to 100+ managers

Coordinated and delivered Leadership Development seminars

Implemented major initiatives like KFC Grilled Chicken 2

HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL

With venues in 74 countries, including 183 cafes, 27 hotels and 12 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise and Hard Rock Live performance venues. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities worldwide. OPENINGS COORDINATOR/GM, ECE MASTER FRANCHISEE FOR HARD ROCK CAFE, PLANET HOLLYWOOD, OFFICIAL ALL-STAR CAFE, RAINFOREST CAFE AUG 1992-FEB 2000

Part of the Groundbreaking and Pre-Opening teams for five restaurants under all four theme restaurant concepts in four different cities. o Hard Rock Cafe Mexico City, MX

o Hard Rock Cafe Cabo San Lucas, MX

o Official All-Star Cafe Cancun, MX

o Rainforest Cafe Cancun, MX

o Planet Hollywood Cabo San Lucas, MX

Responsibilities included ground up building coordination, supplies procurement, hiring, training, soft openings, and events logistics for grand openings

Liaison with Corporate Headquarters in USA

ASSISTANT GM, PR & SALES MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES

MANAGER, HARD ROCK CAFE Tijuana and Cabo San Lucas EDUCATION

FEB 1992

BS BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF BAJA CALIFORNIA, GRADUATED CUM LAUDE WITH 3.7 GPA

Focus on Human Resources, Finance and Strategic Planning. SKILLS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Adaptability

Critical thinker

Strategic Planning

Bilingual

Interpersonal skills

Time Management

Problem solving

People Development

ServSafe Certified Food Safety Manager

ServSafe Certified Food Safety Proctor

ServSafe Certified Food Safety Instructor

Ken Blanchard Situational Frontline Leadership

Ken Blanchard on Servant Leadership

Achieving Breakthrough Results

High Impact Coaching

CliftonStrengths finder Assessment: Strategic, Positivity, WOO, Connectedness, Activator

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