Alison Guy
Jersey City,NJ
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director Operations Innovation
Shake Shack
05.2021 - 11.2024
- Established multi disciplinary Operations Innovation Team to drive proof of concept testing through to go-to-market strategy & drive impact across the enterprise
- Led development and execution of the Ops Innovation Roadmap to drive new relevance and maximize business performance
- Launched & scaled the Drive Thru Business to 39 locations today
- Developed (3) new Kitchen designs to drive efficiency; reduce costs & maximize profitability
- Delivered new formats to grow addressable market and build accessibility
- Championed continuous improvement initiatives to drive operational excellence and efficiency
- Led strategic, cross-disciplinary efforts to ensure seamless execution and market success
Director Innovation + Disruption
Salad And Go
02.2021 - 04.2021
- Explore new platforms for growth and development - Ghost Kitchen; Automation of Salad Lines; Special points of Distribution
- Improve guest engagement through the testing of Digital Menuboards for Drive Thru
Construction Project Manager
Sevan Multi Site Solutions
06.2019 - 02.2021
- Responsible for project management of New Store builds and remodels for McDonald's West Division
- Coordinated with cross-functional teams to resolve project issues and mitigate risks.
- Tracked project progress and updates, monitored deliverables, milestones, and issues for accurate monthly reporting
- Managed key stakeholder relationships; Vendor Management - including assignment of contracts, and Executive level reporting
- Strengthened client relationships through proactive communication about project status updates, milestones achieved, or changes needed
- Delivered projects on time and on budget
Senior Director Retail Experience
Krispy Kreme
04.2016 - 03.2018
- Led concept design, development, and delivery of the future restaurant design and experience
- Launched and scaled Delivery Platform Nationally with key Delivery providers
- Instrumental in defining the vision and restaurant concept for the NY Flagship location in Times Square
- Opened February 2020
Open Innovation
McDonald Australia
03.2015 - 03.2016
- Developed and brought to market the Burger Bar concept that offered 'fresh to you, customizable' burger offering
- Developed Retail Framework to bring new relevance to High Street + Mall locations
- Led innovation co-creation sessions; Focus Group & Ethnography to garner customer insights and frame opportunities to extend and enhance to guest experience
- Extended in-store McCafé Platform to Drive Thru focused on converging the in-store experience with the convenience of Drive Thru -This resulted in the re-design of the Drive Thru to enable separate pickup window and guest experience
Senior Director Retail Brand
McDonald's USA
01.2007 - 12.2014
- Developed & scaled McCafé Platform and Business Model - 14,000 locations
- Led urban renewal of the NY Metro Market - 25 locations resulting in 15-20% increased revenue over 3-years
- Instrumental in developing McDonald's Design portfolio to drive an elevated and consistent Brand experience across all markets while connecting the consumer to the brand in new and meaningful ways - Scaling across 14,000 restaurants, this contributed to 15-20% sales lift nationally and increased guest satisfaction scores through new relevance
- Guest Speaker Stanford University - Innovation by Design
- Finalist for the Fast Company 2014 Innovation by Design Award
Global Innovation Manager
McDonald's Global
01.2005 - 12.2007
- Championed a customer-centric approach to innovation, incorporating user feedback into every stage of product development
- Enhanced collaboration between cross-functional teams for stronger ideation and faster product development
- Led the design and development of Fast Forward Drive Thru Design - Fast Company Honoree 2014
- Set up and ran Kitchen Operational flow tests for US and International markets to support their marketing plan
- Rapid Prototyping to fast fail concepts and deliver MVP
Education
Mastering Design Thinking -
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA05.2021
Certificate - Innovation
IDEOU
Chicago, IL04.2015
Business - Business Administration
Victoria University
01-1990
Skills
- Innovation
- Cross Functional Project Management
- Cross functional Team Leadership
- Go to Market Strategy and Roll outs
- People Development & Training
- New Concept Development
- Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
- Strategy & Business Analysis
- Kitchen Design, Plan Reviews
- Multi Unit Operations Management
Accomplishments
- Designed and scaled Shake Shacks Drive Thru - 39 locations today
- Fast Company Award winner 2023 - Hospitality category *Drive Thru Operations
- Led the standardization and redesign of Shake Shacks kitchen series enabling scalability across all formats while reducing average order time by over a minute
- Led the concept test of *Burger Bar for McDonald's Australia
- Launched and scaled Delivery for Krispy Kreme
- Developed and Scaled McDonald's McCafe concept across 14000 US locations
- Led the high impact reimaging of the NY metro McDonald's market resulting in 20% comp increase
- Developed McDonald's Fast Forward DT Design - (2) Patents issued; current design standard today
Summary
Alison Guy is a proven leader with over 25 years of global experience in Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) and Fast Casual industries, renowned for driving operational excellence, revenue growth, and innovation. Alison excels at translating strategic vision into actionable outcomes through process improvement, concept development, and the establishment of high-performing teams. Her tenure across industry giants like McDonald's, Krispy Kreme, and Shake Shack illustrates a consistent track record of leading transformative projects from concept to scale.
Timeline
Senior Director Operations Innovation
Shake Shack
05.2021 - 11.2024
Director Innovation + Disruption
Salad And Go
02.2021 - 04.2021
Construction Project Manager
Sevan Multi Site Solutions
06.2019 - 02.2021
Senior Director Retail Experience
Krispy Kreme
04.2016 - 03.2018
Open Innovation
McDonald Australia
03.2015 - 03.2016
Senior Director Retail Brand
McDonald's USA
01.2007 - 12.2014
Global Innovation Manager
McDonald's Global
01.2005 - 12.2007
Mastering Design Thinking -
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Certificate - Innovation
IDEOU
Business - Business Administration
Victoria University
Awards
- US Patents (2) Drive Thru, 05/01/19
- Fast Company 2023 Award Winner - Category Hospitality *Drive Thru Experience
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