Steve Finch
London,UK
Summary
Dynamic professional with a proven track record in developing innovative strategies that drive business growth. Expertise in health and safety management, financial forecasting, and project management. Strong leadership skills foster team collaboration and employee engagement, resulting in enhanced organizational performance. Committed to ethical leadership and continuous improvement in performance appraisal processes. I started my career with Whitbread Plc and my first appointment was the General manager of the Beefeater pub/restaurant where i gained valuable experience in food, restaurant, pub and rooms and i stayed here for 14 years until i was cherry picked by Whitbread plc to head up and open a brand new £10 million pound development the very first Hogshead Camden Town until i moved to Arsenal football club as the senior hospitality, event and training manager. I am an entrepreneurial General manager who believes in freedom and business vision. i am a creative & entrepreneurial General Manager and have a passion for delivering guest experience from " good " to "unforgettable " and recruit my team who show me passion
Overview
1
1
Certification
7
7
years of post-secondary education
43
43
years of professional experience
Work history
Senior Hospitality event and training manager
Arsenal Football Club
Islington, City of London
2010.01 - Current
- Delivered comprehensive daily training programmes to strengthen staff performance routines.
- Aligned training objectives with business goals to improve operational effectiveness.
- Partnered with department heads to design role-specific sessions for higher work efficiency.
- Built and delivered e-learning courses to develop employee skills.
- Reviewed employees' skill levels and applied new techniques to raise knowledge.
- Created testing and evaluation procedures to measure training effectiveness.
- Tracked training results via KPI data collection and participant feedback.
- Coordinated with HR to assess training needs and schedule onboarding sessions.
- Carried out quality control checks to maintain industry compliance standards.
- Mentored team members to progress within department and company.
- Promoted personal and professional growth to strengthen top-employer reputation.
General manager
Whitbread PLC
Camden, City of London
1997.02 - 2010.01
- Led weekly strategy planning and made rapid decisions to improve direction.
- Developed operational initiatives across business to drive steady growth.
- Opened a 10 million development project to accelerate project readiness.
- Identified new opportunities for upcoming periods to support market expansion.
- Introduced cost control routines across departments to reduce waste and spending.
- Established budgets using trusted data sources to strengthen financial planning.
- Sustained a high-performance culture across teams to lift productivity company-wide.
- Applied practical workplace culture improvements to boost retention and morale.
- Implemented robust HR policies and follow-up procedures to increase retention outcomes.
- Streamlined communication routines across teams to enhance collaboration and delivery.
- Collected customer insights through regular feedback sessions to improve customer outcomes.
- Conducted regular audits aligned with legislation to reduce compliance risk.
- Delivered required outcomes under tight pressure to meet strict deadlines.
General manager of Beefeater Charing Cross
Whitbread PLC
City of Westminster, City of London
1984.02 - 1997.03
- Launched food and drink concepts for customer-facing service.
- Introduced cost controls, resulting in reduced unnecessary expenditure across day-to-day spend.
- Enhanced staff retention through implementation of robust HR policies and procedures.
- Maintained compliance with industry regulations at all times.
- Achieved 100% audit benchmark across required checks.
- Maintained 100% minimum compliance across kitchen EHO, HACCP, and excellence.
- Managed key stakeholder relationships to keep project completion on track.
- Streamlined communication processes, facilitating improved team collaboration.
- Conducted training sessions on health and safety, fire safety, and COSHH protocols.
Education
Master's Degree - Applied Mathematics
London Metropolitan University
London 1990.09 - 1994.04
MBNA(hons) Decree - Luxury Hospitality Management
St Mary's University, Twickenham
Twickenham 2023.09 - 2025.09
Higher National Diploma - Food Safety
Food Safety
London 2016.03 - 2017.04
NVQ Level 7 - Strategic Health and Safety
NEBOSH Health and Safety
London 2023.07 - 2023.07
Personal Licence - Personal Licence
Islington Council
Islington 2010.01 -
Master of Science - Master of Cirerone
Cirerone Certification Programme
USABII - Level 1 in beer quality
Punch Taverns
Bourne End, BuckinghamshireFirst Aider - First Aider
St John's Ambulance
LondonSkills
- Event coordination
- Training and compliance
- Project management
- Financial forecasting
- P&L responsibility
- Growth strategies
- Planning and organization
- Analytical thinking
- Time management
- Team leadership and collaboration
- Employee engagement techniques
- Inspirational and motivational leadership
- Proactive approach
- Interpersonal skills
- Entrepreneurial mindset
Certification
- Personal License Holder
- First Aid Certificate
- Craft Trainer Award
- Health & Safety Certificate
- Master Cellar Man Award
- National Certificate of Licenses
- Fire Safety Certificate
- Whitbread Certificate in Public House Management
- BIIAB Beer & Cellar Quality
- BIIAB Licensed Retail Operations
- Mixologist – Cocktail Mixing
- Level 2 & 3 Food and Hygiene Certificate
- Level 3 Allergies Certificates
- Level 2 Health & Safety
- COSHH
Affiliations
British Institute of Innkeeper’s Association, Member
Timeline
MBNA(hons) Decree - Luxury Hospitality Management
St Mary's University, Twickenham
2023.09 - 2025.09
NVQ Level 7 - Strategic Health and Safety
NEBOSH Health and Safety
2023.07 - 2023.07
Higher National Diploma - Food Safety
Food Safety
2016.03 - 2017.04
Senior Hospitality event and training manager
Arsenal Football Club
2010.01 - Current
Personal Licence - Personal Licence
Islington Council
2010.01 -
General manager
Whitbread PLC
1997.02 - 2010.01
Master's Degree - Applied Mathematics
London Metropolitan University
1990.09 - 1994.04
General manager of Beefeater Charing Cross
Whitbread PLC
1984.02 - 1997.03
Master of Science - Master of Cirerone
Cirerone Certification Programme
BII - Level 1 in beer quality
Punch Taverns
First Aider - First Aider
St John's Ambulance