Areas Of Expertise
Implementing & Refining Processes I Social Media Management I Customer Entertainment I Coaching & Mentoring I Driving Sales I Disciplinaries & Grievances I Stakeholder Engagement I Marketing Management I Events Management I Negotiation I Profit & Loss Management I Operations Management I Planning & Coordination I Stock Management I Presenting
Key Competencies
• Communication: First point of contact for customers’ requirements, takes ownership of their individual needs, and delivers an exceptional customer experience
• Organization: Prioritizes tasks, highly organized and detail oriented
• Problem Solving: Operational thinker and problem solver with excellent analytical and reporting skills
• Leadership: Leads and inspires teams across functions to support business outcomes and enable execution of customer success
• Author: Written an autobiography about the good and not so good of owning a business and life leading up to this point
• Commercial Acumen: Proposes and implements process improvements to significantly simplify procedures whilst improving efficiency and controls
• Adaptability: Adapts work and prioritizes to ensure a responsive service is achieved
• Interpersonal Skills: Collaborative approach to working with the ability to adapt engagements to different situations
Selected Career Accomplishments
• Opened and successfully operated a profitable business for 20 years in the City of London
• Kept Steam Bar & Restaurant at the top through a Recession, Brexit and Covid
• ‘Stephen’s style as a leader and person puts everyone at ease which is shown in the respect customers and staff shown him’
• Believing in overall ability and belief to establish a business against the personal risk that came with it.
• Took Bluebird Restaurant into the top 10 London restaurants in 1997, maintaining this in 1998, serving some 3000 guests per week.
• Host and act as MC and interviewed over 200 Sports Speakers at various venues.
• Was Ken Bates right hand man at Chelsea Football Club during turbulent times and management changes.
• Author of ‘A Can Full of Steam’.
Career Summary
Founder, Owner & General Manager
October 2005 – Present
Steam Bar & Restaurant, London, EC3 (steamwinebar.com)
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Opened and operated a successful business since 2005 which has thrived for 19 years
• Our motto ‘Come as Customer, leave as a Friend’, fashioned us and created a vast following
• Maintained profitability for 19 years
• High retention of all levels of staff, working with them and understanding how to get the best out of them
• Strong Social Media Presence
• Created the ‘Sporting Lunch’ in the city with high profile guest speakers having done over 200
• Established Steam as the No 1 place for Quiz Events in the City with lead time of 6 months for a reservation
• Landlord negotiations including 2 revised leases
• Adapted the business twice with makeovers as demands and tastes changed
Sports MC & Event Host
2003 – Present
stephenchenery.com
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Over 20 years’ experience interviewing high profile Sports & Entertainment people
• Acting as MC, interviewer and host for Surrey Cricket Club, Client Dinners, Private Schools, Event Companies, Restaurants/Bars
• Numerous positive testimonials from former and current players about my style, interview technique, their trust in me, and in-depth knowledge of their careers
• Wealth of high-profile sports contacts
General Manager
November 2001 – October 2005
Balls Brothers of London, London, EC3
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Reported to the Board of Directors
• General Manager of three of their venues, including Restaurants, Bars & Function Rooms
• Managed several layers of management
• Established Marketing department for all 17 venues with new staff and direction
• Selected to go on Wine buying trips
• All aspects of Health & Safety Management and First Aider
• Staff of over 75 / Staff Recruitment / Appraisals / Personal issues
• Responsibility for writing budgets, monthly Profit & Loss, stock control, capital expenditure
Operations Manager
1999 – October 2001
Chelsea Football Club & Hotels, London, SW6
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Head hunted to join Chelsea
• General Manager of 5 restaurants & bars, hotel food & beverage and conference facilities
• Reported to board of directors (Ken Bates) and attended monthly board meetings
• Brought in external Marketing company to create new campaign for Hotel, Bars & Restaurants
• Established new systems including Tronc
• Staffed of over 100/Staff Recruitment/Appraisals/Personal issues
• Responsibility for writing budgets, monthly Profit & Loss, stock control, capital expenditure
Restaurant Manager
March 1997 – October 1999
Bluebird Restaurant & Bar, London, SW3
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Restaurant Manager of Conran’s flagship Restaurant & Bar on the King’s Road
• Staff of over 100 / Staff Recruitment / Appraisals / Personal issues
• Oversaw turnover of £7 million per annum
• Opened the Restaurant & Bar in 1997
• 3000 weekly covers
• Took Bluebird into the Top 10 London restaurants in 1997 and 1998 reaching a peak of 8
• which is exceptional for a Gastrodome
• Responsibility for writing budgets, monthly Profit & Loss, stock control
Restaurant Manager
August 1994 – September 1996
Bix Restaurant, San Francisco, California, USA
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Restaurant manager at this renowned eatery in the heart of downtown San Francisco
• Reported to the owner
• 1500 covers per week
• General management duties / stock control / health & safety / relevant forms
• At table food production
• Expedited the pass
Catering Manager
March 1991 – July 1994
Cristina’s Restaurant & Bar, Sun Valley, Idaho, USA
Duties and Responsibilities:
Reported to the owner
• Serving the Hollywood elite and Industry leaders
• Private cook for high profile figures including Senators & Governor’s
• Managed events such as the Sun Valley Wine Auction for 3 years consecutively for 1000
• people each time
• Managed the yearly Herbert Allen conference for many of the World’s wealthiest individuals
• Managed the restaurant on daily basis