Greater Boston
Over 30 years, I have built and led businesses across restaurants, consumer products, media, and large-scale operations. The industries have changed. The work has always been the same — build something real, build the right team, and make it perform. I founded and built Foumami over 17 years, growing it from a single unit in Boston's Financial District into a PE-backed, widely recognized fast casual brand. The unit economics spoke for themselves: $1.2M AUV, 27% food cost, 28% labor, and staff turnover below 20% in an industry where 150% is the norm. The business attracted four competing private equity term sheets and was fully positioned for multi-unit expansion via franchising and corporate-owned stores. At Amazon, I serve as Area Manager and site Sustainability Ambassador at OWD5, a high-volume sortation center, leading 5 Process Assistants and up to 250 Associates per shift. A structured coaching program I designed drove a 10-point CPT gain in three weeks, and a Start-Up Meeting model I created was filmed by Amazon and adopted across the entire North America network as the standard for teaching incoming Area Managers how to execute a near-perfect Start-Up. Named Northeast Region Finalist, 2025 Iron Banana Start-Up Award, a network-wide honor recognizing exemplary leadership and innovation. As Sustainability Ambassador, reduced landfill output by 28% year-over-year in alignment with Amazon's Climate Pledge. What sets me apart is not just the ability to build and operate — it is the ability to communicate. In investor meetings, client presentations, media pitches, and on the sort floor at Amazon, translating complexity into clarity has been as consequential as any operational or financial decision. It is how four competing PE term sheets got generated, how a restaurant brand earned coverage in Bon Appétit and the Boston Globe, and how a Start-Up Meeting model became the NA network-wide standard at Amazon.
Lead daily operations at OWD5, a high-volume sortation center, managing 5 Process Assistants and up to 250 associates per shift, with coverage responsibility for co-located fulfillment center VXO3. I use storytelling and culture-building to motivate teams and drive performance. • Created a Start-Up Meeting model filmed by Amazon and adopted into LEW onboarding as the NA network-wide standard for teaching incoming Area Managers how to execute a near-perfect Start-Up — recognized as Northeast Region Finalist, 2025 Iron Banana Start-Up Award, a network-wide honor recognizing exemplary leadership and innovation. • Launched OWD Moments, a recognition program that built a culture of ownership, accountability, and celebration across safety, engagement, and community at every level of the facility. • Serve as site Sustainability Ambassador, translating Amazon's Climate Pledge into associate-level engagement and action — reduced landfill output by 28% year-over-year. • Designed and deployed a structured coaching program that drove a 10-point CPT gain in three weeks, consistently achieving +2% above benchmark on CPH. • Contributed to six consecutive PEAK records including a site-high sortation volume of 211,855 units.
Founded and built Foumami from a single unit in Boston's Financial District into a PE-backed, widely recognized fast casual brand over 17 years. Held single-threaded accountability for concept, P&L, brand, team, supply chain, franchise infrastructure, and investor relations from day one. • Achieved $1.2M AUV, 27% food cost, and 28% labor at the flagship unit, delivering positive EBITDA, cashflow, and net income throughout operations. • Generated four competing private equity term sheets; closed a multi-million dollar investment with a blue-chip investor to fund multi-unit expansion. • Built an IFA/FTC-registered franchise program and developed a 44-unit expansion platform via franchising and corporate-owned stores. • Secured a signed location at Harvard Square; advanced discussions with TD Garden, North Station, and Delaware North for airport and venue expansion as part of the PE-funded growth pipeline. • Personally developed the menu, kitchen systems, and prep workflows from scratch, engineering repeatable builds optimized for throughput, quality, and consistency. • Built national brand recognition through strategic PR and media outreach, earning coverage in Bon Appétit, Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, QSR Magazine, Phantom Gourmet, NECN, Eater, among others. • Maintained staff turnover below 20% against an industry average exceeding 150% annually.
Led strategic sales, marketing, and business development for a diversified privately held company specializing in towelette products, pest control solutions, and olfactory marketing services. • Reinvented the company's car air freshener division from a commodity product into Air Logo, a trademarked B2B olfactory marketing platform delivering proprietary sensory branding programs to corporate clients. • Grew Air Logo from zero to $1.8M in annual revenue; the division was subsequently acquired at a profitable exit. • Expanded towelette product distribution into new markets through channel development with distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and cataloguers.
Conducted strategic M&A research and due diligence for a boutique investment bank focused exclusively on the direct marketing industry. • Prepared comprehensive analyses of prospective acquisition candidates presented to clients for strategic evaluation. • Cold-called management at privately held M&A targets to compile non-public company data in support of deal sourcing and valuation.
Supported business development and strategic growth initiatives for a financial media company publishing The Daily Deal newspaper and TheDeal.com. • Co-developed research and investor presentation that helped close $30M in second-round financing led by Rustic Canyon Ventures. • Evaluated strategic partnership opportunities across content licensing, e-commerce, wireless internet, and online education; participated in negotiations with Motorola, CNBC.com, and ON24 among others.