CAREER SUMMARY

2015 - PRESENT - GENERAL MANAGER
Casino Thraki (Vivere – Theros Group):24 Gaming Tables / 186 Slot Machines

• Appointment by invitation: by the owner of three of the nine licensed Casinos in Greece aiming to raise the managerial and operational standards of the company

2014 - 2015 -  GENERAL MANAGER
PALMS FINIX CASINO: 11 GAMING TABLES / 222 SLOT MACHINES

• Appointment by invitation: by Casino Technology – the largest slots machines manufactory in Bulgaria, operator of three Casinos in Bulgaria, three Casinos in Kenya and more than 60 Slots Halls internationally.

• Scope of position:

• To manage the largest and highest earning all-year casino in Bulgaria 3,200 sq.m Gaming Area with a boutique hotel operation
• To introduce a professional approach to the casino management, achieving an appropriate power balance between owners (and casino licensees) and executive officers (Casino Technology)
• To implement European operating standards
• To manage the budget, clear old debts, minimize running costs, and increase customer visits and profit
• To update the marketing strategy and increase competitiveness
• To upgrade security systems and strategy
• To raise the quality of F&B services and manage related costs
• To act as a mediator for cultural differences between different professional and social groups: to manage Greek customer expectations (95% of Palms Finix Casino customers), to motivate Bulgarian staff and to facilitate positive relationships with the local community.

• Key achievements:

• Clear boundaries established between owners and operational management  with full support from the owners, from Casino Technology and from the CEO of the company
• Change of customers’ attitude inside and outside of the Casino,  change of staff mentality and work attitude,  change of the Casino reputation within its local community
• Implementation of European operating standards
• Change of marketing strategy and cost of entertainment shows by introducing higher gains and more lotteries for Casino customers
• Clearance of old debts
• Increase of staff by 20% and decrease of staff costs by 5%
• Increase of competitiveness: decrease of competitors’ visitation by 80% and increase of our visitation by 25%
• Decrease of F&B costs by 25% and increase of F&B profits by 50%
• Introduction of 24-hour CCTV Room operation
• Increase of Table Games income by 30% (2 additional tables ) and Slots operation (25 additional slots)   

2013 - PRESENT OWNER
SUNOBEL WWW.CCASINOC.COM

• Founder of the first and only Cyprus Casino Consultancy Company

• Scope of business:

• Cyprus-based professional training for a wide range of Casino Departments (Table Games, Slots Technicians & Slots Attendants , Casino Security & Casino Surveillance ), directly linked to the newly-introduced casino industry in Cyprus (forthcoming).
• Consultancy and partnership services to future investors in the forthcoming casino licenses in Cyprus and to leading international Casino Equipment companies seeking new business in Cyprus.

• Key Achievements:

• The first company to obtain European certification and approval of our training programmes from the strictest European agency: the Bavarian Association for the Security in the Economy r.A (BVSW) in Germany.
• We have secured a strategic agreement in the field of education with the University of Nicosia (Intercollege) the biggest and more respectful private University in Cyprus, by implementing the highest standards in training.

2009–2013 - TABLE GAMES MANAGER
Regency Casino Mont Parnes, 69 Gaming Tables / 910 Slot Machines

• Appointment by invitation by Regency Casinos to manage Table Games operations at one of the largest and most prestigious Casinos in Greece.

• Main duties:

• Development and management of a team of 4 Shift Managers, 26 Pit Boss and more than 500 employees, implementation of a customer-service culture and introduction of electronic management systems
• Introduction of professional standards and industry best practice, dealing with entrenched attitudes of previous casino management teams and a historically powerful employees’ union.

• Key Achievements:

• Effectively managed casino operations through a period of economic crisis, for the first time overtaking the rival Athens casino as the highest earning casino in Greece.
• Establishing the country’s top player-rated Poker Room, and achieving 1st position among Greek casinos at the European Casino Dealer competitions of 2010 and 2011.
• Dramatically increasing efficiency through the creation of electronic systems for pit management and HR incidents, both of which were later also implemented in the group’s Casino in Thessaloniki.

2008–2009 - CASINO MANAGER
Casino Rio (Vivere–Theros Group), 40 Gaming Tables / 311 Slot Machines

• Main duties:

• Promoted to manage the group’s largest casino, directly responsible for strategic and tactical planning, budget preparation and P&L
• Leadership of all departments in efficiency improvements: operating costs reduction whilst maintaining guest satisfaction at highest levels

• Key Achievements:

• Initiated and oversaw development of in-house system for electronic tracking of table games players
• Reformed marketing strategy focus from visitation to deliver impact directly on player action at table games and slots.

2007–2008
2004–2007

CASINO MANAGER
TABLE GAMES MANAGER / ASSISTANT CASINO MANAGER

Casino Xanthi (Vivere–Theros Group), 24 Gaming Tables / 178 Slot Machines

• Appointment by invitation to manage Table Games operation and serve as Assistant Casino Manager for all other departments

• Oversaw 33% increase in casino revenue and completion of 4-star hotel operation, leading to highly profitable sale of business in 2006/2007

• Promoted by new owner to position of Casino Manager, formulating and driving business strategy and managing all casino departmental operations

• Key Achievements:

• Tightly controlled staffing levels (increase <13%) while substantially increasing casino revenues, expanding operating hours and introducing hotel operation
• Maintained average drop-to-win hold of 23% on table game operations throughout entire period of tenure
• Initiated and produced the Greek Casino Report, a monthly report collating and analyzing data from all Greek casinos, and distributed to senior stakeholders across the Greek gaming industry

2003–2004 -  GENERAL MANAGER
Hotel Casino Atlantic, 17 Gaming Tables / 150 Slot Machines

•  Requested by group of 10 businessmen to turn up stalled EUR 3m investment into half-constructed casino project on FYROM/Greece border

• Engaged on 1-year contract to secure funding for and oversee completion of construction, obtain casino license, design floor plans, recruit and train staff, and create all operating procedures

• Additionally tasked with tightly controlling budgetary spend to ensure continued support for project among fractious business partners

• Key Achievements:

Oversaw completion of construction works on time, to full specification and within budgetary constraints
Designed all front-of-house and back-of-house floor plans, including gaming areas, VIP room, cash desk, surveillance, restaurant, bars, kitchen, offices and parking
Secured license agreement, recruited and trained management and staff across all levels, and delivered casino fully prepared and equipped for operation

2001–2003
1999–2001
1998–1999

SALON PRIVÉ  MANAGER / TRAINING MANAGER
PIT BOSS / TRAINING MANAGER
PIT BOSS TRAINING TEAM (CASINO OPENING)
Casino Rodos, 34 Gaming Tables / 300 Slot Machines

• Initially recruited by former VIP Manager of Hyatt Regency Casino as one of a 6-member team to train staff for the casino’s opening in the following year

• Upon commencement of casino operations, promoted to dual role of Pit Boss and Casino Trainer, creating and implementing training programmes for both Dealers and Trainers

• Subsequently personally selected by the Director of Gaming to establish a Salon Privé and assigned direct responsibility for the planning, day-to-day operation, and player development of the area

• Key Achievements:

• Created a unique training programme enabling Dealers to learn American Roulette, Blackjack and Casino Stud Poker within a month – still the only programme of its kind
• Produced a supporting ‘Train the Trainer’ manual with detailed explanations of each stage of the dealer training programme and a lesson-by-lesson work plan
• Established a Salon Privé within the casino, developed action through personal player contacts and PR initiatives to generate EUR 2.4m in revenues during first year of operation (7 months)

1997–1998
1996–1997 - ASSISTANT PIT BOSS

SENIOR INSPECTOR (SALON PRIVÉ)
Hyatt Regency Casino Thessaloniki, 60 Gaming Tables / 600 Slot Machines

• Spotted by the General Manager of the new Hyatt Regency Casino in Thessaloniki, the only non-expatriate to be offered the position of Senior Inspector

• Subsequently promoted to the position of Assistant Pit Boss, becoming their only Assistant Pit Boss to be entrusted with the unsupervised running of pits

1996 -1997
1995–1996

INSPECTOR (SALON PRIVÉ)
DEALER (SALON PRIVÉ)
Club Hotel Casino Loutraki, 65 Gaming Tables / 700 Slot Machines

• Initially engaged as Salon Privé Dealer, but subsequently selected as one of the casino’s first five promotions to Inspector, becoming the only one to progress immediately to inspecting in the Salon Privé.

1994 – 1994 - DEALER Horizon Sea Lines Casino, 4 Gaming Tables / 25 Slot Machines

• Dealing American Roulette, Blackjack and Casino Stud Poker on cruise ship operations between Italy, Greece and Turkey, with additional responsibility for all shipboard Slot Machines

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Management Development Program (Hay Group)

• We Enjoy Entertaining Our Guests (Signature)

• Effective Management (JMK)

• Meeting Guest Expectations; Exceeding Guest Expectations; Communications Skills for Leaders; Motivation Skills for Leaders; Train the Trainer; Presentation Skills; Conducting Meetings; Conducting Selection Interviews (Hyatt)

• Neuro-Linguistic Programming (Synolic NLP) ( NLP Greece )

KEY COMPUTER SKILLS

• MS Office Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook

• Windows Operating Systems

PERSONAL DETAILS    

Languages: Greek , English
Driving License: Full/Clean

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