Work Journey
Alex Cenem
2022 - 2023
THE CASTLE CLIMBING CENTRE
Cafe Manager
Managed the redevelopment of the centre's main food area, including reorganising the kitchen team, new equipment, recruitment and training over 17 staff members.. Also involved in new business plans and financial restructures.
2020 - 2021
INTEGRATED BODY DYNAMICS
Clinic Receptionist
Helping administrative work for a local clinic reception during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2012-Present
ENTREPRENEUR
FREELANCER & VOLUNTEER
Child-Developmental Psychologist
Coach, Mentor, Tutor, Facilitator & Speaker
Personal Development Consultant
Learning, Development & Training Specialist
Project manager
Online Course Creator, Video-Web Designer & Editor
I have volunteered my expertise and freelanced for over ten years while studying and working on my DNA programme. Since April 2022, I have officially become a self-employed entrepreneur and now developing my consultancy business and projects.
I have been contributing to developing individual and organisational projects and strategies and supporting all necessary help to improve personal, professional or social development.
I am committed and up-to-date with HR procedures, legal regulations, research and studies and the psychologist's codes of ethical conduct to support any range of clients in their development journey (personal, professional and social).
I advocate diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIBs) and can support all administrative work necessary to make any project successful.
I offer guidance for empowerment and improvement of functional, hard and soft skills, including emotional intelligence mindfulness, life & business management, career progression and life-span development training and workshop programmes (UK and Brazil).
I use various techniques and structures during my consultancy, training and workshop programmes. Still, I base them on my methodology, the DNA programme (the Dynamic Natural Assessment programme©). I am currently writing a book on this programme. I am also developing online courses on personal, professional and social development subjects.
2010-2012
BCOM
British College of Osteopathic Medicine
Clinic Manager
Managing the day-to-day operational running of the osteopathic college teaching clinic. Reported directly to the board of directors and the college Principal.
Duties included designing and following up business development plans, budget (£50K), marketing strategies, action plans, and team PDPs (personal development programmes). Planning rotas for receptionists (6), tutors (15) and students (80). Managing patients’ private medical records/notes (over 2K per month) and students requests and complaints. Generated weekly, monthly, and yearly students reports and clinic financial statistics/reports and directly presenting and defending results to my superiors
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MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS include,
• Restructured and updated all clinics’ databases and medical archives within three months (over 70k files). Resulting in accuracy and no loss of medical records.
• Redeveloped and updated over five years of clinic wrong statistics and reports.
• Introduced the PCT programme; association with NHS services and the BCOM clinic.
• Reduced 35% expenses within the six first moth of managing clinic.
• Restructured clinic team, resulting in service improvement and reducing complaints (from patients and students) to zero during the last 12 months in the clinic.
• Updated the clinic 10-year-old computer operational programme (Clinic Sage System programme format 2000). Organised all database and team training in new applications.
2008
CARPHONE WAREHOUSE
Store Manager trainee
2006-2008
CRISIS UK - Skylight Cafe
Project Development Manager
Responsible for the employability-enterprise training programme-project for young adult homeless and ex-offenders and the business development of the Skylight Café (opened to the public and base for Crisis Skylight training programme in East London). Reported directly to the Client Director and CEO.
Duties included the production of business plans, budgets, business and project strategies, managing the financial and operational running of the café, health & safety procedures, liaisons with food suppliers and business contractors, food menus, staff development, organisation of external and internal catering events, including music, receptions and parties’ events at Crisis UK organisation for sponsors and investors. Directly responsible for £200k budget funds and the café business revenue of £170K, managing four business coordinators and an average of 20 trainees per month.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS include,
• Increased over 60% of business sales in the first six months of managing the café.
• Budget costs were reduced by 57% within year one of managing the café.
• Achieved for the first time since the project started (2004) budget targets.
• Introduced training structure leading to City & Guild level 3 Catering & Hospitality accreditation programme, Functional skills entry Levels 1,2,3 and levels 1 & 2, the NCFE levels 1,2 and 3.
• Increased trainees’ retention and participation numbers from 3 (2006) to 25 (2007) and achieved a 50% trainees success rate. Placing seven trainees into employment and five into education (university studies).
• Participated in marketing campaigns and broadcast interviews including BBC 1 radio broadcast (2007), BBC 2 TV (2008 / special guest at the Ready Steady Cook show, ITV (2008 / Jeremy Kyle Special Episode- choose the best development projects for homeless in London).
2009-2010
CRUSSH-Fit food & Juice Bars
Store Learning & Development Manager - Auditor
Manage and deliver Company training and development activities following organisational requirements. Contribute to the strategic direction and development of training within the company. Coaching and assisting managers professional development. Reported directly to CEO.
Duties included teaching senior staff to create and develop store business plans and present reports to monthly director’s meetings. Worked directly with the five top stores (over 35 staff members, including ten store managers). Also performed weekly store audits to all 26 company stores in London and delivered Coffee training. Presented all audit reports in monthly and annual meetings to area managers and the operational director.
2005-2006
CAPITAL GROUP
Recruitment Excellence
Business & Development Manager
Setting up the catering recruitment division department for the company. Reporting to the Managing Director.
Duties included £100k budget management, creating the whole department structure from ground zero, including all marketing material, Job advertisements, clients and candidates’ database, candidates’ recruitment, management of HR practices, payroll of candidates, sales visits, and accounts management. Assigned one assistant.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS include,
• The catering department started trading after six months of the project first meeting with 15 active clients.
• £50K revenue in the first ten months of initiating the project, with 27% profit, ahead of the initial business plan’s one-year deadline.
• Interviewed over 200 people and created a 5000-database list of possible catering employees candidates
1993-2005
PIRLIMPIMPIM
Children's workshops
Founder-Managing Director
Voluntary and freelance - Creating, designing, organising, and running children’s workshops and entertainment for private events/parties. Tailored-made programmes within developmental structures and psychological guidelines for children-adolescents between 4 and 16 years old.
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MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS include,
• Production of the theatrical play “Dream” by Alex Cenem, presented at the Barbican Centre Library, Great Osmond Hospital for Children, over 27 schools around London, and the Wakefield Tricycle Company Theatre (reviewed at the TimeOut magazine 1993, pg. 122).
• Gained monthly contract with Bramley’s Big Adventure children’s Centre – Latimer Rd, (1994/1995).
• Gained Contract with Kensington Sports Centre (1995).
2001
CABLE & WIRELESS plc
Customer Service Representative
Part of the nationwide callcenter to resolve clients' complaints - Brighton - UK
2000-2001
GOOD BEAN COFFEE
Store & Training Manager
Responsable for the running of the main store in Brighton - UK
2001-2003
UNION COFFEE ROASTERS
Training & Development Customer Services Manager
Setting up the training and customer support services department for the company. Reporting to the CEO- Executive Managing Directors.
Duties included offering nationwide barista training, coffee equipment maintenance and business advice consultancy and support to the company’s clients.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS include,
• Received professional training and tutoring from two of the top best coffee roaster in the world (Steven Macatonia and Jeremy Torz).
• Trained over 70 managers and 500 baristas nationwide.
• Guest Judge of the 2003 UK International Barista championship.
• Personally trained staff members of Fortnum & Mason, House of Fraser stores, Jaimie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurants and Searcy’s restaurants, including at the Gherkin tower.
• Presented coffee seminar live broadcast for BBC channel at BBC Good Food Show and participated in restaurant shows and in the Houses of Parliament events.
1998-2000
STARBUCKS UK
Training & Business Development Store Manager
Supporting-managing the opening of the first six Starbucks in Europe, responsible for the training and the conversions of the Seattle Coffee Company stores into Starbucks. Managed the two top stores in the company, responsible for £1.4M revenue, 25 staff at Kings Road – first London store and Villiers Street £1.5M, 20 staff. Reported to the area manager and the training director.
Duties included supervising refurbishment of stores, providing business and operational support to new Starbucks venues and old Seattle store’s. Delivering training sessions and inductions, business strategy, action planning, and HR practices, including recruitment, personal development planning, and performance appraisal and disciplinary actions. The operational business includes retail and coffee sales, banking procedures, staff rota’s, staff meetings and motivation schemes, ordering and suppliers liaisons, and training assessments needs.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS include,
• Awarded first international Starbucks STAR (Strategic Training & Advancement of Retail) manager.
• Trained over 1000 baristas and 100 managers during my time in the company.
• Developed over ten baristas to management positions within 18 months.
• Increased business of Villiers Street store, initially ranking number 18 in company sales but step up to number one within the first three months of managing the store.
• Organised the TV and Radio Broadcast interview in Villiers Street Store with the former prime minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown (publicised on the first page of all major UK newspapers, TV and radios report programmes).
• Awarded two consecutive years staff of the year and five times manager of the month.
• Organised several regional recruitment Fairs throughout London, including initiating an employment scheme with the Jobcentres in different London areas.
• Participated and supported Human Resources and the training department in establishing procedures throughout the company.
1998
BOLEN -Security Services
Building Security Officer
Responsible for opening, closing and morning reception of a business building in Oxford Street.
1996-1997
MASSARELLA CATERING GROUP
Head of Catering at Regents Street
Hamleys Toy Store
Responsible for the running of the restaurant and events at Hamleys retail store in London. Hamleys is known as the finest toy store in the world and a British multinational retail company. The store offered a 120-seat restaurant on its basement floor, with over 1000 clients visiting the restaurant daily in 1997. The restaurant also provided catering functions to private organisations during its closing hours.
Duties included budgeting control, liaisons with Hamleys store director (client) and food suppliers and contractors. Recruitment, staff management (15, including two kitchen managers) and preparation of staff rotas, food menus and running the restaurant’s operations.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS include,
• Catered for over 100 people for the blockbuster movie Eyes Wide Shut, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The event happened for 15 days during the nights while I also managed the restaurant’s daily operations.
1990-1996
DIGBY TROUT RESTAURANTS
Restaurant, Catering and Event Manager
Managing several catering sites, including the Barbican Centre, where I was directly responsible for running the main restaurant of the Centre, the Waterside restaurant. I was also accountable for the health and safety of all catering facilities in the Centre. I also managed the Orangery at Kensington Palace and many events, including The Kensington Palace (the royal residence), The English National Opera House (ENO), The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum, The British Museum, The Imperial War Museum and The Nottingham Castle.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS include,
• Managed private functions, including with the Royal members, Princess Anne, Princess Diana, The Duchess of Kent, and Her Majesty the Queen. international celebrities, including Dame Jackie Collins, Sir Mick Jagger, and Ivana Trump, among many others, and multinational corporations (IBM, Saatchi-Saatchi)
• Managed over 100 staff members and 300 guests in some of the events.
• Coordinated all aspects of investor in people initiative at the Barbican Centre restaurants.
1987-1990
AMERICAN EXPRESS BRAZIL
Assistant Manager Corporate Communication & Marketing
Main achievements included; supervised nationwide promotional events to over 1500 merchants. Created and presented several presentations to directors and International CEOs, including the Amex-Brazil presidency.
1985-1987
CREDICARD VISA &
DINNERS CLUB
International customer liaison officer
Main achievements include; designed the first statics report for the telephone customer service’s department, trained and supervised 15 new staff for new branch in Brasilia / Brazil's capital.
1985-1990
ARCO IRIS para crianças
Founder-Managing Director
Voluntary and freelance - Creating, designing, organising, and running children’s workshops, entertainment and decoration for private events/parties and orphanages. Tailored-made programmes within developmental structures and psychological guidelines for children-adolescents between 4 and 16 years old.
1982-1985
BANCO BRADESCO
Human Resource Officer Administrator for the Bank Security department
Responsible for the payroll of over 300 security staff members and all administrative work for 210 Avenida Ipiranga-Copan's Bradesco (one of the busiest and most historical bank buildings in Sao Paulo)
1980-1982
BOOK ASSESSORIA CONTABIL
Office Boy
Working for my father's accountancy business, helping with all office needs, including delivering documents to clients and governmental departments.