EXECUTIVE hospitality LEADERSHIP

Summary

Phil Del Giudice
Please stop waiting for a map.  We reward those who DRAW maps, not those who follow them."  Seth Godin
Thanks for visiting my webpage! Scroll down to see some of my career highlights & check out my latest blog post. Use the contact button to share comments & suggestions.

Earlier this year I founded EHL Consulting to help facilitate the retraining, reopening & re-ENERGIZING of client food & beverage programs around the country. The industry is still in a very tenuous position so I've taken the leap to share my skills & experiences to KICK START the next wave of growth.   

I wake up every day thinking about clients & consumers! Understanding CLIENT needs and developing PEOPLE to exceed their expectations drives my passion. I love building food & beverage concepts, driving revenue & margin growth, inspiring teams and adding value for my clients.

Why foodservice & hospitality?
The business is in my blood! I grew up in New Haven CT, the birthplace of the hamburger and home to the best Neapolitan style pizza in the western world! My passion for great food & service started with family & was forged in the fires of the local bakeries, commissaries & restaurants that I apprenticed in.

  • I’ve traveled across North America & Europe servicing clients, consumers & those I’ve been fortunate enough to work with.

  • I leverage my skills & experiences to brighten people’s day through the power of food and GREAT service experiences!

Achievements

  • Six Sigma, Certified Executive Chef, TiPS- Responsible Alcohol, Certified Food Safety Manager
  • Food & Beverage Consulting, Business Partner Odeen's Catered Events.
  • I started EHL Consulting to support f&b operators recover & reopen from covid19 closures
  • Toastmasters, NYC Restaurant Show, Guest Lecturer FCCLA.
  • Friends of Ridgefield Restaurants, Meals on Wheels, MS Society, High School F&B Program Mentor

Timeline

  1. Vice President Operational Excellence, Oak View Group

    Client engagement, standards & process, new business integration & event execution with some of the industry's most talented operational leaders!

    300 + venues across the US, Canada & UK

    New venue development projects:

    • EnMarket Arena- Savannah GA
    • Moody Center- Austin TX
    • Mullett Arena- Tempe AZ
    • Acrisure Arena- Palm Desert CA
    • CFG Arena- Baltimore MD
    • CoOp Live Arena- Manchester England

     

  2. Founder, EHL Consulting

    I founded Executive Hospitality Leadership consulting to help organizations implement business processes, grow their people & expand their services.

  3. -
    Global Account Director, Compass Group International Clients

    Account integration across 5 countries in the Americas.  

    • $+26M in budgeted food and beverage revenue.  
  4. -
    VP Operations & Implementation (Business Needs), Compass Group, Foodbuy

    Leading client engagement, sourcing and supply chain optimization for the largest group purchasing organization in North America. 

  5. -
    Corporate Executive Chef, Compass Group, Chartwells

    Food & Beverage program development, marketing & implementation across 200+ restaurant operations in 4 time zones.  

Skills

  • food & beverage consultation
  • Project Management
  • menu engineering
  • concept / brand DEVELOPMENT
  • public Speaking/presentation
  • group FACILITATION
  • partner selection/optimization
  • spend analytics
  • program implementation
  • research & development
  • LEAN Six Sigma
  • Consulting

i help operators deliver great Results...

  • 1
    one focus, delivering Exceptional F&B results
  • 5
    countries I've supported business in
  • $26M
    budgeted revenue i've managed

Questions & Answers

What's the biggest opportunity you typically identify for your clients?
#1- An opportunity to communicate goals in a clearer & more effective way. Everyone on the team has to understand the mission, how we're going to measure success, and why it's important.
#2- Turning common sense into common practice.  I'm amazed at how often this simple advice is overlooked.
Why did you choose your profession?
I grew up in a food town as part of a large family that did a lot of home cooking. In many ways the industry found me! The passion to serve others was there from the start.  

my Proudest Accomplishments

Leading high performance teams supporting some of the industry’s most successful companies.

Experience Highlights

  • OVG Hospitality
    opened 6 arenas in 14 months across the Us & northern England.
  • EHL Consulting
    started a targeted F&B consultancy to support the industry rebuild post covid 19!
  • CT Restaurant Relief
    Co-founder, Friends of Ridgefield Restaurants, a targeted 501c3  (https://www.dineridgefield.com)
  • Have Passport will Travel!
    New business deployments in MX, CAN, Arg & the US
  • Leading New Program Innovation
    implemented 3 industry disrupting, plant-based product lines (+$40M) across national distribution
  • Napa Valley in June
    training chefs and managers at GREYSTONE cellars at the culinary institute in st. helena

Education Highlights

  • Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park NY & Napa Valley CA
    learning with the industry's best, retail brand training & concept development
  • Aveta Business Institute
    LEAN Six Sigma (White)
  • American Management Association, Facilitating for Results
    There is a process, and it works!
  • Ty Boyd Executive Communications & Coaching
    a game changer for me.(tyboyd.com)

Causes

  • Friends of Ridgefield Restaurants & Small Businesses
    https://www.dineridgefield.com/
  • Food for the Poor
    www.foodforthepoor.org
  • (Bike MS) supporting Multiple Sclerosis Research
    the most widespread disabling neurological condition of young adults around the world
  • Highlight Title

Interests

  • Sustainable Oceans
    support our fishermen & chefs- get involved, know where your dinner came from and how it was caught.
  • FCCLA-FAMILY, CAREER & COMMUNITY LEADERS OF AMERICA-
    a nonprofit organization for high school students interested in hospitality careers