United States
I am a strategic leader with national operations experience, an entrepreneurial spirit and a track record of increasing sales, retaining top talent, developing exceptional teams, and delivering on customer experience. A standard bearer, I leverage technology and communication skills to inspire teams and maximize productivity. I am also methodical with a proven ability to prioritize activity, champion innovation, and garner staff buy-in. ✔︎Areas of expertise include: People Strategy / Talent Development / Strategic Operational Leadership / P&L Accountability / Product Development / Training Programs / Training Development / Quality Control / Organizational Culture / Multi-unit Management / Restaurant Management / People Development / Process Management New Unit Openings / New Process Rollouts / Staff Evaluation / Real Estate Site Selection / Media Relations / Customer Experience / Strategic Planning / Organizational Agility / Crisis Management / Innovative Change Agent
Elevated to this executive leadership role to own the franchise pulse of the brand, drive strategic growth, and manage relationships with 28 traditional and FSO franchisees across the US. Accounting for 51% of the entire Panera Bread system, our 1124 franchise cafes generated $3.1B in net sales in FY 2023.
In this high-impact leadership role, I am accountable for unlocking growth opportunities, launching new cafes, shaping people strategy, and ensuring the financial health of an 80-cafe, $209 million region. Direct reports include 10 Area Operating Partners, a Channel Growth Manager, and a Regional Bakery Operations Manager with dotted-line oversight of an Area Learning Manager, Talent Acquisition Manager, and HR Manager.
After successfully turning around the California region, I was tapped by the Chief Brand & Concept Officer to develop and implement strategies to bolster the guest experience within the four walls of the bakery cafe. In this role, I conceived of and stood-up the massively successful concept of “Bakery Theater”, a model intended to re-invent the guest experience as part of Panera’s Next Gen design. I also spearheaded a project to create Panera’s key guiding principles for delivering a consistently exceptional guest experience and directly managed the Field Marketing team responsible for all local corporate and franchise marketing tactics.
McDonald’s is where I truly developed my restaurant management and people development skills. During my tenure, I consistently met or exceeded monthly profit goals by closely managing all controllables. I coached and developed Assistant and Swing Managers by establishing goals that maximized their abilities, built self-confidence, and allowed them the opportunity to take on greater challenges. Some notable accomplishments include: • Decreased employee turnover by 20% for FY 1999 by utilizing an ongoing retention program • Increased drive thru profit by 3% each month for FY 1999 by focusing managers and crew on team development, food accuracy, and speed