Vladimir Salazar
Denver,United States
Summary
Director of Operations | Airline Catering | 12+ Years of Experience
Dynamic and results-oriented Director of Operations with over 12 years of progressive leadership in the airline catering industry. Proven track record of managing end-to-end operations, optimizing processes, and driving performance across safety, quality, ownership, and results (SQOR) metrics. Expertise in overseeing large teams, coordinating cross-functional departments, and ensuring seamless food preparation and delivery to meet airline standards. Adept at streamlining operations, reducing costs, and enhancing efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of customer satisfaction and regulatory compliance. Skilled in strategic planning, team leadership, and implementing continuous improvement initiatives to achieve business goals.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Dir, Assembly Process
Hub DEN
04.2023 - Current
- Responsible for leading daily activities to ensure the achievement of labor targets, manpower allocation and space utilization
- Responsible for coordinating flight delivery assignments and ensuring Kitchen departure times are being met
- In partnership with the Transportation Management and General Manager, prepares and plans against monthly projections
- Effectively interfaces and coordinates between customers and employees
- Ensures that all Corporate, customer, Federal, State and local policies and procedures are followed
- Responsible for fleet maintenance and ensures compliance to all company, DOT, or associated regulations
- Actively promotes special projects and other duties as assigned by the General Manager
- Supervises and supports lower-level managers/supervisors on daily operations including:
- Supports and assists Lean initiatives, and Quality initiatives to achieve OPEX targets
Sr Customer Service Ops
DEN
01.2022 - 03.2023
- In charge of establishing relationships between UA Station and Gate for start up
- Helped in restructuring our Den kitchen from UA to Gate, production flow lines, new packing process, diagram process, repack processes
- In charge of all communications between Gate and UA for start up
- In charge of keeping track of all customer performance goals, root causes, action plans
- In charge of communicating all UA schedule changes, service increases, Cycle changes, new flight start ups
- In charge of keeping Gate in good standing with customer, regarding on time performance goals such as opportunities, comments audit goals, accidents etc
- Completing weekly safety ramp SQORS, food audits and internal self-audit assessments
Assistant Account Manager
UA
10.2021 - 01.2022
- Keeping all UA customer relations in good standing
- In charge of delay reports, delay disputes, route causes and corrective actions
- In charge of keeping accurate inventory and equipment reports and orders
- In charge of all UA charters
- In charge of all UA changes, Cycle changes and or any food or equipment requirements
- Maintaining daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly UA related calls
- Completing weekly safety ramp SQORS
- Knowledgeable in all aircraft loading and overall catering
Manager, Ops, Cust Service and Sanitation Manager
05.2017 - 10.2021
- Following up on customer requirements on all special food items from all vendors
- Keeping accurate monthly or weekly inventories with all accounts
- Ensure the timely and successful delivery of catering, according to customer needs and expectations
- Keeping track of important deadlines of all client requests, making sure all were completed in a timely manner
- Ensuring day to day, weekly and monthly sanitation cleaning tasks
- Establishing procedures to control bacteria concerns, improving sanitation procedures
- Established effective on hand training with employees, established yearly re training
- Reduced OT and manpower through Labor and Planning
- Control of all sanitation records monthly, weekly and day to day logs
- Works with all departments and maintenance to ensure proper cleaning of equipment and areas
- Performs pre-operational inspections - walk through and visual inspection of entire facility, hoods, ceiling, drains, sinks, and all other moving equipment, also recorded the findings with supporting corrective actions
Catering Lead
Gourmet
09.2013 - 05.2017
- Company Overview: Catering lead at Gate for Scandinavian, KLM, and LATAM airlines
- In charge of 3 accounts making sure everything is up-to-date with the customer
- Making sure all the equipment and food specs are accurate
- Maintaining a good clean and professional working environment
- Handles catering handover and issues with the crew while ensuring correct and accurate billing
- Insuring that all drivers and helpers do their jobs in a well working manner and appearance
- Catering lead at Gate for Scandinavian, KLM, and LATAM airlines
Manager
Burger King
01.2012 - 03.2013
- Managed the operation of opening and closing of restaurant
- Managed cash registers and employees, food waste, labor consumption
- Experienced in resolving customer issues in any work environment
- Finalizing day via database entry of daily consumption, employee schedules and hours
- As part of continuous improvement helped identify best practices such as deep cleaning of all areas
- Performed pre-operational inspections - walk through and visual inspection of entire facility, hoods, ceiling, drains, sinks, and all other moving equipment, also recorded the findings with supporting corrective actions
- Helped establish a cleaning schedule, swabbing of floors and drains while establishing the safe use of PPE when performing deep cleaning
Education
A.A.S. - Cybersecurity
Nova Community College
03.2023
business management, project management and personal development
Learn.Forbs.com
09.2020
High School Diploma -
Manassas Park High School
Manassas Park, VA01.2012
Skills
- Detail Oriented and process driven
- Ability to interact effectively with multiple departments and customers
- Knowledge in developing and implementation of continual improvement OPEX systems and Lean Manufacturing
- Knowledge in policies and procedures
- Operations Management
- Project Management
- Ability to adapt in any environment or situation
- 12 years in airline catering experience
- Strategic Planning
Accomplishments
Interim Director of Transportation | Airline Catering
Appointed as Interim Director of Transportation for a two-month period from Mid July 2024 to Oct 1st, 2024 to stabilize the department and drive operational improvements. Focused on ensuring proper scheduling, improving on-time performance (OTP), and refining processes to create efficiency. Led efforts to reverse a downward trend in KPIs by developing a clear path toward sustainable achievement. Successfully reduced overtime from 21% to 12%, contributing to a more streamlined and cost-effective operation. Delivered tangible results by enhancing departmental stability and setting the stage for long-term success.
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Dir, Assembly Process
Hub DEN
04.2023 - Current
Sr Customer Service Ops
DEN
01.2022 - 03.2023
Assistant Account Manager
UA
10.2021 - 01.2022
Manager, Ops, Cust Service and Sanitation Manager
05.2017 - 10.2021
Catering Lead
Gourmet
09.2013 - 05.2017
Manager
Burger King
01.2012 - 03.2013
High School Diploma -
Manassas Park High School
A.A.S. - Cybersecurity
Nova Community College
business management, project management and personal development
Learn.Forbs.com
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