Charles Abraham
Age: 28
Position: Regional general manager, Sodexho Prestige
Career to date...
Since joining Sodexho Prestige three years ago, Abraham has progressed to the position of regional general manager. He now looks after two sites in London − the Cabinet War Rooms and HMS Belfast − that deliver a combined annual turnover of about £3m, and is responsible for up to 50 staff at any one time.
Why is he a winner?
In his time at the Cabinet War Rooms and HMS Belfast, Abraham proved himself to be something of an all-rounder, developing a wide range of core skills in areas such as conference and banqueting delivery, staff development and sales and marketing.
Under Abraham the profit across the two businesses has grown by more than 30% for the past two years and he has made excellent inroads in other key areas, such as man-management and training and development. He has received numerous plaudits from his employer in the process, including its Talent Development Award and Business of the Year Award, which he received on behalf of his team at the Cabinet War Rooms.
One area that Abraham is particularly proud of is the development of catering graduates, which he has taken personal responsibility for over the past two years.
Abraham's excellent interpersonal skills have also helped the company build strong relationships with its client base and he now increasingly finds himself taking an active role in business development, as well as helping his colleagues achieve their business objectives.