MichaelRutherford.com

INTRODUCTION

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Michael Rutherford started his career in the hospitality industry washing dishes at a restaurant at the age of sixteen. While the next year as a Junior in high school, he studied in a career technical program as an Apprentice in the Correspondence Course offered through the American Culinary Federation Educational Institute. Two years later, Michael was awarded with the honor as an Apprentice of the year.

As a Senior at Washburne Trade School/ Culinary Institute, Michael was chosen to represent his classmates, along with six other students at the National Restaurant Association/American Culinary Federation Culinary Classics. Where each Team member earned a gold medal & a Team first place trophy on the national platform. The following year, Michael was honored to open up the National Restaurant Show as an Ice Sculptor.

As a working learner Michael Rutherford attended major universities for specific course work and certifications. Michael has been fortunate to work for successful companies that provided excellent leadership and learning academies.

Michael served on the management teams opening new restaurant concepts, development committees, industry associations, and software development board of advisors. He served his way as a director operating more than 30 different concepts ranging from very large well branded & high volume venues, retail stores, hotels, clubs and restaurants responsible for all profit centers and renovations.

“Michael’s restaurant operating experience with financial responsibility ranged between $1MM to $28MM with the average business location of $5.5MM.”

Michael opened the first King’s Seafood Restaurant that earned the Nation’s Restaurant News “Hot Concepts Award”, along with West Coast Ventures of Orange County, California earning the #1 Restaurant & Nightclub list for 4 years in a row.

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Michael expanded his career into Technology selling Management Information Systems at the turn of the century. His job was building a team of sales consultants who met with owners and operators of independent restaurants, mid-size properties and large restaurant chains for system automation investments. The company partnered with many industry leaders [i.e. Red Robin, Tilted Kilt, Yard House, Peet’s Coffee and Jamba Juice, and many hundreds of more independent operators].

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As a sales, operations & marketing engagement leader, he was responsible for performance improvement training leading professional teams in as many as five west coast offices. While his division supported over 5,800 business accounts with “professional services” across the country, he was able to excel in managing successful relationships, implementing strategic business plans, best practices, partnerships, acquisitions & mergers, and change management.

Highly Skilled, Motivated, Seasoned and Experienced Professional who will get things done!

Over 25+ years of successful and productive public, private and non-profit work.

Highly Accomplished Self-Starter

As evidenced by 25 plus years of outstanding work related accomplishments.
Efficient, effective and confident self-starter who values honest, direct and open discussions and prompt professional action.
Proven Record of Success as a leader, laborer, technician, servant, supervisor, trainer, manager, vendor, and consultant.

Highly Innovative and Creative

As evidenced by the quality and variety my past projects and products.

Highly Successful Team Player

As evidence by the wide variety of interaction at all levels of the businesses, Michael has been involved with both internally with co-workers and externally with clients and customers.
Steady, easy-going, team player who listens to others and shares his ideas without reservation.

A Highly Skilled and Action Oriented Achiever.

Developed a multi-million dollar catering company
As a general manager of a Hotel property – changed the use to a room & board housing for Southern University and turned it into a multi-million dollar business.
As Director of Operations with financial responsible for operations and renovating 8 properties.
Opened an Award Winning Nation’s Restaurant News “Hot Concepts” restaurant King’s Fish House & King Crab Lounge in Long Beach California.
General Manager of the largest business (B2B – over 1MM sq. ft.) account for Sodexo USA.
Renovated and improved 4 large sports club company venues.
Asyia101, a 52,000 sq. ft Newport Beach, Ca property classified as the #1 Restaurant, Nightclub and Entertainment complex in Southern California for 4 years in a row.
Served as a founding adviser to the OC Restaurant Association in Orange County, California.
Serving as Co-founding member of the Local Merchant Solutions Consortium in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Innovative Creative Thinker. Early Adopter and Life-Long Learner.

Worked on one of the first designs for automating data-bases for user groups (appraisers, agents, banks, affiliates) computer information systems for the real estate industry.
One of the first to register domain names and consult, sell and develop merchant web pages.
Served on the team of managers who released one of the first Enterprise Solutions for the point-of-sale industry for above store software and is still today the #1 technology platform for restaurants.
Advised, sold and installed one of the first cloud-based tablet systems.
Advanced in replicating web 2.0 white labled private social networks.
Currently seeking new relationships to contribute to self-sustaining eco-systems.

Strong Planner… Organizer… and Administrator.

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Honors & Awards

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 – International Sales Awards Aloha POS/Radiant Systems Inc.
Gold Medalist, American Culinary Federation (ACF)
National Restaurant Association Culinary Arts Salon Gold Medalist

Education

“Michael Rutherford has been a significant mentor to me in the field of restaurant POS technology and Operations and I recommend him as a valuable asset to any company. He is one of the most task-oriented and focused people I have ever worked with, and excels in doing all due diligence in order to effectively and successfully reach goals and win sales. Michael understands the nuances of doing business and combines that with his years in the field to bring a unique and acute perspective to every process. His inherent drive and competitive nature means that a solution is always possible, the answer is always yes, and he will always see things through to the very end.” – Cristal Ghitman

PROFESSIONAL RESUME, REFERENCES, AND MORE…

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