Hotel, Food & Beverage, Events and Hospitality Leader

Results-oriented, solutions-driven, passionate, dynamic and hands-on executive with extensive USA and international experience at world-class Hotels, Resorts, Restaurants, Mixed-Use Developments and top-tier Corporations. Highly competent in strategic leadership and all aspects of business operations, financial and strategic management, design, construction and project management. Vocational background of consistently conceptualizing and implementing innovative, best-in-class F&B and hotel services and operations to drive operational excellence, financial performance, continuous improvement to optimize business and operations, revenue growth, profitability, and deliver memorable experience. A leader that develops high performance teams and fosters productive and collaborative work environment, and a trusted advisor with a keen ability to harness support and influence organizations.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Strategic Planning

Project Management

Operational Excellence

Superior Customer Service

Partnerships building

Asset Management

Concept & Culinary Development

Change Management

Vendor Management

Contract Negotiation - Procurement

Quality Control – Standards - SOPs

Talent Development

Budget & Expense Management

Process Improvement/Innovation

P&L Management, Revenue Analysis

Financial & Business optimization

Turn-around strategy – positioning

Crisis Management – BCP - CSR

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Founder – Managing Director Katalyse Hospitality LLC, Miami, FL 9/2019 – current

Managing Director: Patton Real Estate Development Group

Lead advisory group to provide expertise, thought-leadership and advisory services to the Hotel, F&B, Restaurants, Food Services and Real Estate industries to implement best practices, innovative solutions, partnerships and concepts, develop high-performing teams, improve processes, procedures and standards, develop training programs to optimize operations and drive operational excellence, financial performance, effective work environment and deliver best-in-class customer experience. Advise on business repositioning, optimization, efficiencies, asset utilization and capital planning.

Responsible for facilities and asset management, tenant relationship, vendor management, operational and financial performance, capital planning of a portfolio of office & residential properties. Develop performance analytics and asset management tools to develop strategies and recommendations to optimize real estate and assets performance.

Vice President of F&B and Hospitality Operations and Restaurant/Retail Partnerships

Virgin - Brightline: Mixed-Use Real Estate Development, Miami, FL 3/2016 – 6/2019

Led the strategy, conceptualization, design, development, P&L management, positioning and operation for 160,000 SFT of retail, 50,000 SFT. food-hall and F&B program with 25 restaurants, culinary concepts and self-operated 250 seats restaurant. Devised operating model, sales & marketing strategy focused on local operators, chef-driven, authentic, innovative programs.

Managed the three-year $30M construction project: construction budgets and processes of the project. Orchestrated the activities with numerous consultants to devise and conceptualize the elaborate hospitality and lifestyle offerings.

Directed tenants’ selection and relationship fostering strong customer engagement and business partnership

Spearheaded various community engagement programs, including art and educational programs culinary school partnerships, environmental/social initiatives, crisis management, mentoring, incubator & entrepreneurship programs

Principal / Consultant – F&B, Hotel, B&I, Events and Hospitality Operations

Katalyse Hospitality and Jones Lang LaSalle: New York, NY 6/2014 – 3/2016

Directed the overall operational strategy and implementation of food and beverage and hospitality services, which included events/conferences, housekeeping, maintenance, amenities, wellness, and vendor contracts, performance and relationships

Revamped Jones Lang LaSalle corporate client accounts, which included reorganizing the food and beverage, hospitality services and events programs. Restructured the overall hospitality, F&B and employee amenity services ($100M annual budget), dining, conference/meeting, pantries, reception services, and fitness/wellness programs.

Led the successful RFI/RFP and renegotiation with third-party service providers: service levels, KPIs, SOPs, performance management processes. Also devised standards and training programs with the service providers.

VP F&B, Hospitality Services & CONRAD Hotel NY & Restaurant Complex Asset Manager

Goldman Sachs - Corporate Hospitality & Real Estate, New York, NY 8/2011 – 6/2014

Proactively managed the performance and delivery of hospitality services for the Americas that included food services, ground transportation, reception and conference services, training centers, and the Conrad Hotel NYC property.

Asset Manager Conrad Hilton Hotel and F&B and Retail Complex

Oversaw extensive remodeling, pre-opening, opening, and initial operations of the Conrad Hotel ($90M annual revenue) with 468 suites and extensive F&B, and the curation, development and orchestration of asset positioning, capital planning and implementation of Restaurants and Retail complex with celebrated chefs and local concepts. Prepared the annual capital and operating budgets for the entire complex. Implemented operational procedures and protocols, marketing and pricing strategy, GSS, STAR, and key performance measurements. Developed training programs, recruited key personnel, devised marketing and sales initiatives, and partnered with Conrad/Hilton to establish their first lifestyle property in NYC.

VP Americas F&B, Conferences/Events and Hospitality Services

Instituted extensive changes and modernizations to the operations. Introduced innovative F&B concepts and quickly established profitable partnerships with area celebrity chefs, restaurateurs, and vendors. Eliminated food services subsidies and lowered hospitality costs by over $3.5M annually. Implemented continuous improvements, customer feedback, quality control protocols and service excellence programs. Developed successful culinary concepts, pilot programs, global conference, meeting and hospitality services technologies, procedures, service delivery models and partnerships. Actively contributed to the global workplace strategy think-tank and proactively led soft-services programs, initiatives and pilot programs.

Corporate Director F&B, Hospitality, Conferences and Workplace Services

Deutsche Bank - Corporate Real Estate & Services, New York, NY, Frankfurt, Germany 8/2010 – 9/2011

Implemented new strategies and programs, oversaw performance management, budget planning, and P&L for workplace services with focus on innovative F&B and Hospitality services, technology solutions, processes, pilot programs and concepts.

Implemented new procedures and processes, standards, partnerships, SLAs and training programs to elevate the overall level of staff knowledge and competence necessary to operate a premier hospitality program.

Spearheaded the F&B and hospitality services for 20 employee dining centers, and 8 executive restaurants. Restructured conference/meeting facilities, hospitality, housekeeping, and reception services, reducing the operating costs by 10%.

Corporate Director F&B, Hospitality, Events and Work-Place Services & Center of Excellence

Jones Lang LaSalle - New York, NY 9/2009 – 8/2010

Direct oversight of global account (13 M sqft.) and $70 M/year Bundled Soft-Services (IFM model) that included, F&B/Dining, Hospitality, Housekeeping and Events services. Led a matrix organization of CoEs and SMEs

Successfully restructured entire F&B and Hospitality program and renegotiated contracts reducing costs by 15%

Devised and led implementation of service delivery improvements, business optimization and savings strategies that translated in reducing operating costs by $3M in the first year

Developed strategies and provided thought-leadership and change management expertise to drive efficiencies, introduce best practices, optimize performance, deliver value and elevate customer experience.

Led cross-functional network and forged strategic partnerships with vendors to develop/implement best practices and synergies and deliver sustained service excellence, customer care, innovation and savings

Corporate Director of F&B, Hospitality Services, Employee Amenities

Lehman Brothers– Corporate Services and Real Estate, New York / Global 9/2000 – 2/2009

Directed the development and implementation of the $80M/year F&B operations and hospitality services and initiatives globally for the 35,000 employees and clients: 12 employee-dining, 6 executive restaurants, 1,000 meeting rooms, 8 conference centers, switchboards and 6 fitness centers. Developed and implemented strategies, SOPs, training programs and operating models. Led and managed a team of 12 direct reports, 300 employees and 800 outsourced staff globally

Developed best-in-class hospitality and dining services, award-winning operations, pilots, trendsetting programs

Spearheaded major projects globally: conceptual design, project management and execution of premier F&B and Hospitality operations and services, collaborating with leadership, architects, designers, consultants, suppliers

Extensive P&L management: achieved significant savings by reengineering processes, and effective contract negotiation to include Travel and Hotel partnerships, and strategies to drive revenue and profitability

Pioneered innovative and trendsetting programs, forged vendor partnerships that resulted in significant savings (approx. $8M/year), service enhancements, improved controls, optimized staffing model and performance.

Developed strategies and programs around Hotel partnerships, CSR, Environmental, Community Engagement, Diversity, Wellness initiatives and workplace of the future to position company as an employer of choice.

Additional professional experiences:

Director of Food & Beverage and Catering Sales: The University Club, New York, NY (1994-2000)

Turned around this prestigious but dated NYC Club into one of NYC’s premier F&B and events venue (corporate and social),

Drove overall revenue and financial performance from a $1M/year loss to a $3M/year profit through menu development and implementing training programs, standards and procedures to optimize performance.

Participated to all Union related matters, including disciplinary actions and Bargaining agreement

Food & Beverage Manager: The Pierre Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel, New York, NY (1990-1994)

Food & Beverage Manager: The Waldorf-Astoria, New York, NY (1989-1990)

International professional exposure: USA, Brazil, China & Hong Kong (Restaurants opening), India, ANZ, EEC Countries (France, UK, CH, Germany, Italy, Monte Carlo (SBM))

Extensive F&B experience working with Restaurateurs/Chefs such as D. Boulud, D. Meyer, J. Pepin, T. Keller, D. Bouley, E. Ripert, G. Epie, Michael Schwartz, Voltaggio Brothers and many NYC, Miami and South Florida restaurant operators and Chefs: partnerships, concept development, activation, events, guest-chef programs, menu development, leasing.

Education

-Lausanne Hotel Management School – EHL – BA - Hotel and F&B Management & Administration (Switzerland)

-Cornell University School of Hotel Administration - Executive Development Program 2003 & 2004

Finance & Marketing

-University de Nantes (France) – Economics, Business Administration & Finance

Professional Affiliations

Society of Hospitality and Food Service Managers (SHFM) / Food & Beverage Association of America / Les Amis d’Escoffier Society New York / REBNY / Lausanne Hotel School Alumni Association / Diversity Networks/ French & Italian Chambers of Commerce / Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association

Languages

French and English: Bi-lingual

Spanish, German, Italian: Working knowledge

Chinese Mandarin: some conversational knowledge

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