Gavin Harvard-Walls
Nationality: British
Born: 23.12.69
Marital Status: Divorced
E-mail: gavin@ghwworld.com
Capabilities
- Experience provides flexibility to work across a broad range of catering sectors – corporate, hotels, bars and restaurants
- Ability to manage high volume operations, drive sales and control costs
- Create positive and communicative relationships with customers, management & staff
- Committed to developing effective training systems, increasing staff retention and job performance
- A good organiser
- An effective team player
- Always looks to the future with a clear strategic vision
- Responds to change in a positive manner
- A good listener
- Seeks ways to eliminate bureaucracy that enhances team productivity
- Handles long working hours and stress without annoyance
Achievements
- Year 2006 voted best UK South-West gastro pub restaurant – The Wheatsheaf Inn
- Year 2003 oversee a business start up – The Wheatsheaf Inn
- Year 2001 net profit growth of 20% – Itsu Restaurant
- Awarded ‘Best European Hong Kong Restaurant 1998’ – Jimmy’s Kitchen
- Member of restaurant team awarded One Star Michelin status – Chewton Glen Hotel 1994
- Awarded ‘Best Performing Hospitality Student 1992’ – Thames Valley University
Work Experience
- May 2009 – present
Head of Department, Food Division, IKEA, Tokyo, Japan
USD 15 million annual turnover operation
Responsibilities extending to country and store commercial projects - February 2008 – April 2009
Head of Executive Dining & Meeting Services, Asia-Pacific, Nomura Securities (formerly Lehman Brothers), Tokyo, Japan
Regional responsibility for all food & beverage and meeting room operations - May 2007 – Jan 2008
General Manager, Roti, Tokyo, Japan
Californian style brasserie, 85 seats, private functions, extensive wine menu - Jan 2003 – Jan 2007
Proprietor, The Wheatsheaf Inn, Northleach, Gloucestershire, UK
Destination food led boutique hotel
8 bedrooms, 80 seat restaurant, 30 seat private dining room, weddings & conferences - Apr 2002 – Nov 2002
General Manager, Mash Restaurant, Bar & Deli, London, UK
£3.5 million annual turnover operation, responsible for 75 employees - Jan 2000 – Apr 2002
General Manager, Itsu Bar & Restaurant, London, UK
£3.5 million annual turnover – 50 employees - Jun 1999 – Dec 1999
General Manager, Chez Gérard, London, UK
120 seat restaurant, bar & café – 50 employees - Jun 1997 – Jun 1999
General Manager, Jimmy’s Kitchen, Hong Kong
120 seat casual fine dining European restaurant & bar - Apr 1996 – Jun 1997
Front Office Executive, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Hong Kong
Hotel Reservations, front desk with management experience - Mar 1993 – Mar 1996
Graduate Management Trainee, Chewton Glen Hotel, Hampshire, UK
Comprehensive training in rooms division, food & beverage departments - Sept 1990 – Sept 1991
Trainee Manager, SchlossHotel Kronberg, Frankfurt, Germany
One year industrial placement training in food & beverage management
Education
- 1989 – 1993
B.A. (Hons) Hotel Management 2:1
Thames Valley University, Ealing, London - Member of Institute of Hospitality (UK)
Languages
- March 2008 – present
Weekly private Japanese lessons – intermediate level
Interests
- Food & Drink
- Reading
- Walking
- Theatre
- Football
