Resettlement Success: Vinnie Therisa – Regional Operations Manager, Whitbread

What I loved when I was serving was that no two days were the same, but, looking at different sectors, I struggled to find a role that really excited me. However, I completed several courses with the CTP and knew I wanted to go into a management role that best suited my skills. I considered what really motivated me – I knew I wanted to manage teams and support people within a fast-paced environment and I wanted daily challenges that could play to my strengths of making decisions quickly and effectively.

If I’m honest, I hadn’t really thought about hospitality as a career option. By chance, after completing a CTP course, I noticed an open day that was running close by and decided to see what was on offer. 

The first thing that struck me was the passion that everyone I met from Whitbread had about their restaurants. I spoke with several Managers on the day and got a real insight into how a restaurant was run and what it took to make it successful.

I was invited to apply for a General Manager (GM) role and decided to go for it. The more people I met, and the more research I did into the role and the business, I was more convinced than ever that this was the right place for me. A GM role took the skills and experience I had gained in the military and used them to lead a team and drive the business on to achieve even more.  

I was offered a role as a General Manager at a Beefeater Restaurant, The Brecks in Rotherham, where I lived above the restaurant. This also helped my transition into civilian life. Being honest, the role was a real baptism of fire and although I loved it, and was well supported, I had to learn a range of new skills. This included things like managing profit targets and weekly reports, but I soon adapted to these new requirements and loved running my restaurant.  

I was quickly promoted, after working in couple of GM positions, to the role of Regional Operations Manager. I currently look after 16 restaurants in the West Midlands which include Whitbread’s Table Table, Brewers Fayre and Beefeater brands. 

It’s extremely rewarding; you get to develop great teams and if you’re looking to progress there is the opportunity to pursue qualifications at every level.

At Whitbread, we aim to be the best budget hotel business in the world by delighting our guests with great quality at the best value for money. With Premier Inn, the UK’s most loved hotel, and our restaurant brands, Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Bar + Block we serve over five million customers every month.