Luke Jones
Yateley,Hampshire
Summary
I am a dynamic, results-oriented Operations Director with over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. I have a proven track record of driving revenue growth, enhancing operational efficiency, risk management, delivering exceptional guest experiences and leading teams through large organisational change. I am skilled in strategic planning, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration to achieve business objectives. I am adept at analysing market trends, identifying opportunities for expansion, and implementing innovative solutions to maximize profitability. My strengths include leading a culture of excellence, Inclusivity, accountability, and continuous improvement, leveraging expertise in business development and operational management to drive a successful forward-thinking hospitality organisation.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
27
27
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Operations Director
Stonegate Group
08.2018 - Current
- I became Operations Director for South division in June 2022
- I am responsible for 162 sites and run Chapter Collection (fresh food), Pub & Dining & Proper Pub formats
- I have 9 Area managers, HRBP, finance analysist and Ops admin report into myself
- I am overall responsible for circa 3600 employees
- My division takes circa £3.1 million per week, £158 million yearly nett sales
- In FY 2023 my division achieved 4.7 million sales growth, highest in managed with also 2.4 million profit growth
- I lead numerous projects across Stonegate managed estate from pricing and strategy to commercial planning
- I am fully accountable for my division's financial performance and KPIs across the board including team turnover & 90-day retention
- Vast experience in capex and investment, overseeing over 40 L&T sites being refurbished and transferred into managed division and leading them to success and achieving overall PAR for these businesses
- In October 2021 I was promoted to Operations Manager for South Division
- I had 5 Area managers' report into myself, and I was responsible for 72 pubs
- I reported directly into the Managing Director
- Within 7 months I was promoted to Operations director
- I achieved great results through people and achieved the highest engagement scores from my GMs in 2019, 2020, 2021 out of the whole of Stonegate's managed division which i am very proud of
- I took over worst performing area in Stonegate in August 2018 as area manager and within 2 months had changed our Sales from 8% decline to 15% growth YTD
- By the end of the financial year, I was £478,000 above budget and 16% growth, with 21% post 8pm sales, and top of the financial leader board
- I have built productive working relationships to inspire and guide personnel at multiple business levels
- Cultivated culture of continuous improvement, clearly outlining objectives and ideal processes whilst always living the values of the company
Business Development Manager & Holding Operations Manager
Green king PLC
08.2014 - 09.2018
- In 2014 I took on a full-time role as Business Development Manager for Old English Inns Hotels, East Anglia Area
- It was at the time worst performing area in the division, within 5 months I and the team had changed this to being the top performing area in the Division which we carried on doing until I moved to a different brand within Greene king
- I won BDM of the year in 2015 & 2016 for Old English Inns
- I had 16 sites and did an annual yearly turnover of £21,000,000
- Profit was best in division for 2015 & 2016 with 30.6% BTP
- In 2016 I went to a food led format called Flaming grill who we acquired through Spirit
- The format was mainly High-street also with strong wet trade
- It was fantastic experience and gave we a wealth of diversity in my management style also
- I turned around an underperforming area to being on top across the board of all KPIs and received BDM of the year award for 2017
- I also had the highest team survey scores within my brand which I am very proud of
- Flaming grill then merged in to Locals sector of Greene king in 2017 were I gained my late-night experience and had 5 different menus across my 22 pubs
- I was lead Business Development Manager on the investment of Flaming Grill brand, I trialed 2 large investments in my area which were successful and then carried on running the rollout program for the brand
- In this time, I deputized for my operations Director and was a “buddy” to two other BDM's who reported into myself
- Reported to senior leadership on latest research on market insights, industry trends and expansion opportunities
General Manager
Greene king PLC
Yateley, Hampshire
01.2011 - 05.2015
- Managed this business through a function room extension and in 4.5 years had grown the business from taking 1.1 million annually to 2.2 million annually
- The Ely was the highest taking Old English Inn and most profitable out of 129 business when i left this business
- We achieved £680 BTP annually which again was the highest in Old English Inn's
- I had a team of 45 staff who achieve an average Mystery guest of 93% and are very service focused
- The Ely maintained highest room occupancy with an average of 95% annually
- I also received many extra roles to help my development into business development manager, such as HR Champion, Customer Service Champion and House Manager Trainer
- In this time, I have won special achievement awards including manager of the year award and team of the year
- Scheduled regular management and team meetings to discuss business updates, issues and recommendations
- Maintained agile, responsible organisation with sustained revenue growth by monitoring industry forecasts, honing budgets and adjusting marketing strategies
Designate Business Development Manager & General Manager Ely Hotel
Greene king PLC
01.2013 - 01.2014
- In 2013 I took on the additional role of Designate Business Development Manager, looking after 6 Greene king hotels while continuing to manage my own hotel
- 2 of the hotels were in the Cotswold and were 2 rosetted restaurants
- Within 4 months of taking on this role, I was given temporary responsibility for 7 more hotels and having record breaking results
- Additional duties include dealing with HR issues, grievances, budgets, P&L, wage targets and brand compliance
- Fully accountable for the P&L of 13 of the group's hotels
General Manager
Greene king PLC
Cardiff
01.2010 - 01.2011
- Transferred to Oystercatcher, where I successfully managed the business through a major development which was extremely successful
- The Oystercatcher was a flagship site for Hungry Horse after investment and was a large seasonality site which did 2.2 million annual turnover per year with a BTP of 34%, best in region
- We had to build a strong team of 34 to drive this business forwards and improve service scores to achieve the sales and profit which I did through engaging, empowering and giving clear objectives to the team
- I deputized for my Area Manager when he was on annual leave as support for the region and I was customer service champion for the division also reporting directly into the director for this role
General Manager
Greene king PLC
Hampshire
01.2007 - 01.2010
- Promoted to General Manager and in two years grew the business by £270,000 sales and nett profit by £150,000
- Introduced full table service, the first to do this in Old English Inns
- Then went on to help roll this out throughout the brand as part of a service project which was very successful
- Received Manager of the year award in 2008 and Customer service award in 2009 with Old English Inns
- Managed high-performing teams of up to 28 to deliver quality customer service and stable profits
- Scheduled regular team meetings to discuss business updates, issues, and recommendations
- Spearheaded strategic planning and decision-making processes aligning with mission and stakeholder interests
- Maintained agile, responsible organization with sustained revenue growth by monitoring industry forecasts, honing budgets and adjusting marketing strategies
Assistant Manager / Various
Greene king PLC
01.2002 - 01.2007
- Carefully managed and recorded cash and credit transactions, diminishing financial discrepancies
- Motivated management and staff teams to consistently deliver high quality, customer-focused service
- Enforced company policies and guidelines for all employees
- Trained staff on best practices to achieve optimal productivity
Education
Level 7 Diploma - Multi-Unit Leadership and Strategy
University of Birmingham
Birmingham, BIR 09.2019 - 11.2020
Level 5 - Multi site management
Birmingham City University
Birmingham, BIR 11.2015 - 04.2017
NVQ Level 4 - Leadership and Management
University of Luton
Luton, LUT 09.2014 - 06.2015
A-Levels - Sociology B, Law A & PE, A
Reading College And School of Arts And Design
Reading, RDG 09.2001 - 06.2003
GCSEs - Maths, English, Science, Travel & Tourism, PE & RE
Waingels College
Reading, RDG 09.1998 - 06.2020
Skills
- Project leading
- Leadership
- Integrity and ethics
- Profit and loss analysis
- Brand development
- Project opening
- Team creation
- Strategic planning
- Change management
- Decision making
- Active listening
- Mergers and acquisitions knowledge
- Risk Assessment
- Cross-functional leadership
- Proactive approach
Additional Information
Excellent references are available on request.
Affiliations
- Grass roots football management
- Gym, Weight lifting
Timeline
Level 7 Diploma - Multi-Unit Leadership and Strategy
University of Birmingham
09.2019 - 11.2020
Operations Director
Stonegate Group
08.2018 - Current
Level 5 - Multi site management
Birmingham City University
11.2015 - 04.2017
NVQ Level 4 - Leadership and Management
University of Luton
09.2014 - 06.2015
Business Development Manager & Holding Operations Manager
Green king PLC
08.2014 - 09.2018
Designate Business Development Manager & General Manager Ely Hotel
Greene king PLC
01.2013 - 01.2014
General Manager
Greene king PLC
01.2011 - 05.2015
General Manager
Greene king PLC
01.2010 - 01.2011
General Manager
Greene king PLC
01.2007 - 01.2010
Assistant Manager / Various
Greene king PLC
01.2002 - 01.2007
A-Levels - Sociology B, Law A & PE, A
Reading College And School of Arts And Design
09.2001 - 06.2003
GCSEs - Maths, English, Science, Travel & Tourism, PE & RE
Waingels College
09.1998 - 06.2020
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