Hospitality Industry and Public Relations Firm Concept Group USA Adds Renowned Professionals to National Team
Rachel Forrest brings fresh approach to restaurant consulting operations strategies; Fisher and Divine join as counselors to the firm.
Wells/Kennebunk, ME (PRWEB) January 25, 2005 -- Adding further branding and
hospitality operations consulting capabilities to its areas of expertise,
Concept Group USA (www.conceptgroupusa.com) today announced that Rachel Forrest
has joined the firm as Partner. Forrest will operate out of the firm’s New
England headquarters. A former San Francisco Bay Area restaurateur and
AOL/Netscape executive in California, she brings 20 years of experience in the
restaurant industry to the table, including management, service operations,
customer relations, marketing, and menu development. She is also a food
columnist and restaurant critic in New England.
“Concept Group USA is a natural fit for my eclectic experiences in
restaurants and other industries,” says Forrest. “I’ve spent ten years in
Internet companies helping partners like The Gap and Barnes & Noble become
more successful in cyberspace. Now I can combine those branding skills with my
front and back of the house experiences in restaurants, and with the skills I
gained from building out and running my own restaurant. In my role as a
restaurant critic, I have the opportunity to help restaurants create better
experiences for their guests. Now I can help them before the critic comes-- and
help them keep guests coming back again and again.”
Tom Kelley, Managing
Partner commented: “In the next few weeks we’ll be rolling out a fresh new
concept in operations strategies for the retail hospitality industry. We’re
excited to have Rachel on board to lead this part of our many offerings to the
industry.”
Concept Group USA is also pleased to announce the "of counsel”
affiliation of Bill Fisher and Andy Divine to the firm. "Bill Fisher is one of
the most distinguished names in the hospitality industry. Andy Divine's personal
and professional commitment to this industry is monumental. The firm and our
clients are thrilled and honored to be able to call on Bill’s and Andy’s vast
knowledge-base and wisdom," Kelley noted. Prior to his current position as
Darden Eminent Scholar in Restaurant Management at the Rosen School of
Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, Fisher was the
President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Hotel & Lodging
Association (AH&LA) as well as the chief staff officer of the National
Restaurant Association (NRA). Divine's career began at UCLA and has led him to
posts at Penn State and, currently, at the Daniels Business School of Hotel,
Restaurant/Tourism Management at the University of Denver. Throughout it all,
Divine has been an exemplary ambassador for the promise of bright careers in
foodservice and hospitality.
Concept Group USA is a strategic industry and
public relations consulting firm headquartered in New England. The firm
specializes in developing brand and operational growth platforms for small
businesses, hospitality operators and suppliers, retail operations, and trade
groups, both regionally and nationally.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb200724.htm