Amelset Hailesilassie
Denver
Summary
My career objective is to seek senior leadership roles where I can leverage my vast operational expertise to drive organizational growth while continuing to empower teams and build collaborative environments.
Expereinced Director of Opertaionas. I have over 20 years of progressive leadership experience in operations management within the food and beverage, hospitality, and travel industries. I have a proven track record of driving financial performance, including surpassing profitability targets, maintaining EBITDA levels above forecasts, and generating additional revenue through strategic initiatives like launching new concepts. My leadership skills include supervising large teams of over 350 employees, overseeing budgets, and ensuring compliance with labor laws and safety standards. I excel at building strategic partnerships with landlords, brand partners, and stakeholders while fostering employee engagement through recognition programs and career development strategies. I hold extensive expertise in operational controls, employee training programs, cost optimization strategies, and strategic planning to enhance business outcomes.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Regional Director
Paradies Lagardere
01.2025 - Current
- Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for 21 airport locations with annual revenues exceeding $90 million.
- Develop and execute business strategies to drive sustainable growth, operational excellence, and financial performance across the platform.
- Oversaw recruitment, onboarding, training, and development of location managers and leadership teams to enhance operational capabilities.
- Direct sales performance and operational execution to ensure consistency, profitability, and exceptional guest experiences.
- Built and maintained strong relationships with airport authorities, franchise brand partners, and joint venture (JV) partners to support collaborative initiatives.
- Identify and implement opportunities to increase revenue, improve productivity, and reduce operating costs.
- Develop succession plans and leadership pipelines to ensure organizational continuity and long-term growth.
- Foster a culture of accountability, safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across all locations.
- Consistently delivered strong year-over-year sales growth while meeting or exceeding budget targets.
- Achieved and maintained the lowest Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) percentages throughout the year through disciplined operational controls and inventory management.
- Successfully maintained labor and controllable expenses at historically low levels while supporting operational excellence and service quality.
- Strengthened platform flow-through performance, delivering improved profitability and financial results under executive leadership.
- Established food safety and workplace safety as top organizational priorities, resulting in the lowest injury rates across the region and consistently high food safety audit scores throughout all 21 locations.
- Led initiatives that achieved the highest guest satisfaction scores in the region by developing, coaching, and empowering team members to consistently deliver exceptional service.
- Built a high-performing leadership culture focused on accountability, talent development, and operational excellence, creating a strong succession pipeline for future growth.
Director of Operation III
HMSHost
01.2024 - 01.2025
- Ensured compliance with food safety standards, inventory management, labor laws, and airport regulations through certifications and adherence to company policies.
- Supervised over 50 direct and indirect team members, managing an employee population exceeding 350 individuals, including oversight of HR Business Partner, HR Generalist, and Accounting Specialist roles.
- Achieved financial stability and exceeded results by implementing robust controls, standardized procedures, and achieving the lowest overtime (OT) rates in the region alongside the highest sales per labor hour (SPLH).
- Built strategic relationships with landlords, brand partners, and DBE partners while introducing strategic initiatives for career development; led operational readiness efforts during all hours of operation, ensuring successful onboarding/offboarding processes.
- Directed financial accountability measures in cooperation with operations controllers, overseeing budgets related to repairs, maintenance supplies, loss prevention strategies, marketing programs, and union-related activities.
- Led the launch of a Fresh Market Kiosk generating $1.4 million in additional revenue.
- Managed relocation projects such as opening a new Starbucks B West store; oversaw Cru Wine Bar remodel and reopening projects successfully.
- Directed seamless operational handling of the American Airlines Lounge closure without disruption.
- Consistently surpassed profitability targets by maintaining EBITDAR levels above budget forecasts.
Assistant Director of Operations
HMSHost
01.2021 - 09.2024
- Developed and executed financial forecasts, quarterly bonus metrics, and business goals, driving revenue growth from $23 million to $39 million.
- Fostered and sustained relationships with landlords, brands, and DBE partners while implementing strategic initiatives focused on employee career advancement.
- Facilitated JV Partner quarterly meetings as well as annual and monthly Airport meetings to ensure adherence to operational objectives.
- Oversaw unit operations to maintain first-class service standards across all locations.
- Managed Brand partner relationships to secure strong partnerships and ensure branded locations maintained positive operational status.
- Implemented a feedback loop, coaching mechanisms, and development strategies to enhance operational effectiveness, earning recognition as Coach of the Quarter in 2023.
- Assisted in the daily operations of the branch. With 30+ Managers reporting in to me.
- Ensured that all State, Local and Federal laws and company policies were followed.
General Manager
Taste on the Fly
04.2019 - 09.2020
- Oversaw recruitment, hiring processes, orientation, and comprehensive training programs for new employees to ensure effective onboarding.
- Coordinated ongoing employee training and conducted evaluations, including 30-day and 90-day reviews for hourly staff, as well as annual performance reviews.
- Executed informal reviews at the 3-month and 6-month marks for new managers; conducted annual and midyear performance assessments for management personnel.
- Ensured adherence to company attendance policies while maintaining compliance with corporate standards.
- Managed operational budgets by controlling cost of goods within target percentages, optimizing labor costs and overtime, and supervising both controllable and uncontrollable expenses in alignment with organizational guidelines; implemented revenue-enhancing initiatives aligned with company standards.
- Fostered a culture of trust and accountability through active employee engagement strategies, enhancing workplace morale and collaboration.
Sr. Food and Beverage Operations Manager
HMS Host
Las Vegas
10.2008 - 03.2019
- Successfully managed the operations of 8 food and beverage units at McCarran Airport, Las Vegas, including brands such as California Pizza Kitchen, Baja Fresh, Sammy’s Wood Fired Pizza, Ruby’s Diner, Burger King, Great American Bagel, and 4 Starbucks locations, achieving a combined annual sales volume of $20.6 million.
- Achieved a 15% increase in overall sales in 2017 by implementing strategic initiatives that optimized staffing levels, elevated service standards, enhanced employee training programs, and incorporated regular performance evaluations across all units.
- Controlled food costs by maintaining variances below target thresholds through weekly inventory analysis and monitored hourly staffing levels to optimize labor costs and improve scheduling efficiencies.
- Achieved high operational standards with consistent inspection scores, averaging 90% on Steritech audits for food safety and cleanliness, over 95% on NSF sanitation inspections, and customer satisfaction ratings averaging 4.5 out of 5 based on Voice of Customer surveys.
- Oversaw compliance initiatives by managing daily checklist completions for rush readiness and food safety logs while assisting managers in par level adjustments to minimize waste and ensure accurate documentation for internal and external audits.
- Progressed through multiple leadership roles between 2013–2015, advancing from Starbucks Supervisor to Multi-Unit Manager (2013), Multi-Unit Assistant Manager (2014), and Sr. Food and Beverage Operations Manager (2015), ultimately managing an annual sales volume of $20.6 million during tenure progression.
Education
Sr. Food and Beverage Operations Manager -
HMS Host
Las VegasAssistant Director of Operations -
HMSHost
Addis Ababa , 09.1994 - 05.1998
Associate of Science - Political Science And Government
Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 09.1994 - 05.1998
Skills
- Union Experienced
- P/L and Profitability Management
- Communication
- Employee Engagement
- Employee Development
- Leadership Flexibility
- Multi-Unit Operations
- Business Acumen
- Talent Development
Timeline
Regional Director
Paradies Lagardere
01.2025 - Current
Director of Operation III
HMSHost
01.2024 - 01.2025
Assistant Director of Operations
HMSHost
01.2021 - 09.2024
General Manager
Taste on the Fly
04.2019 - 09.2020
Sr. Food and Beverage Operations Manager
HMS Host
10.2008 - 03.2019
Assistant Director of Operations -
HMSHost
09.1994 - 05.1998
Associate of Science - Political Science And Government
Addis Ababa University
09.1994 - 05.1998
Sr. Food and Beverage Operations Manager -
HMS Host