David Vanagt

My passion for service is translated in the implication for the well being of all stakeholders. As a hands-on manager I lead by example. My flexible, sociable attitude and linguistic skills makes me a solid team player with a commercial attitude and decent analytical skills.

I have confirmed experience in amongst others :

• hotel pre-opening and opening
• general hotel management
• employee and management training and coaching
• quality management
• revenue analysis
• yield management
• cost control management

Professional Experience:

 Thon Hotel Brussels City Center

Qualification: 4 star

# rooms: 454

F&B: 1 restaurant, 1 bars, 11 meeting rooms with cap. of 300 pax

Place de l’Indépendance, B.P. 1017 / Libreville / Gabon

Function – Operations Manager

Period: 06/2023 – 12/2023

Achievements:

• Daily operational supervision of housekeeping department, front office department, MICE department, F&B department and duty manager
• Succesfully coaching of newly appointed managers for F&B deparment, FO department and housekeeping department
• Actively participating in a new human ressources project aimed at increasing the well being of all employees
• Succesfully coordinating residential conferences for up to 300 pax
• Assisting the general manager in the completion of the anual budget
• Assisting the general manager in setting up and presiding regular HOD meetings
• Assisting the General Manager in setting up and presiding regular meetings with union representatives
• Supervising the implementation of new interactive televisions for all rooms
• Preparation of creation of live coocking stand together with F&B manager and head chef
• Finetuning cost control structure allowing efficient controll over all invoices related to different department under my supervision 
• Improving and supervising overall hygiene conditions as per industry standards
• Hotel results:
• Average occupancy of 83%
• Average annual Food Cost of Sales of 32%
• Average annual Beverage Cost of Sales of 25%
• Reaching top position of guest review platform for the area
• breaking monthly revenu records

Hotel Le Cristal (opening of hotel)

Qualification: 4 star deluxe

# rooms: 46

F&B: 1 restaurant, 2 bars, 2 meeting room

Place de l’Indépendance, B.P. 1017 / Libreville / Gabon

Function – General Manager

Period: 06/2013 – 02/2022

Achievements:

• Operational setup of all departments of the hotel
• Adapting strategy and operations to the economically and politically challenging climate
• Optimizing the operational setup of the hotel and restaurant
• Supervising the conception and construction of and additional multifunctional meeting room of 50 pax
• Safeguarding margins by running the entity in a cost-effective way 
• Creating a comfortable working environment in cooperation with union representatives, resulting in minimal turnover
• Supervising and improving timely financial reporting
• Improving and supervising overall hygiene conditions as per industry standards
• Updating the quality and diversity of food & beverage offering
• Maintaining the property in a pristine condition
• Defending the interests of the management company, the owner, the employees and clients with integrity and success 
• Establishing and maintaining excellent relations with governmental institutions
• Achieving budget objectives for 8 years
• Maintaining the number 1 ranking on tripadvisor for 8 years
• Hotel results:
• Average annual occupancy of 97%
• Average annual GOP of 20%
• Average annual Food Cost of Sales of 34%
• Average annual Beverage Cost of Sales of 28%
• Achieved guest satisfaction of 95% year on year
• Putting in place a successful strategy to face the recent COVID pandemic

Hotel Grand Karavia (opening of hotel)

Qualification: 5 star

# rooms: 197

F&B: 1 restaurant, 3 bars, 3 conference rooms (cap. 300 pax)

5, Route du Golf / Quartier Golf / Lubumbashi / Democratic Republic of Congo

Function – Deputy General Manager in charge of the Rooms Division

Period: 09/2009 – 01/2013

Achievements:

• Setup of rooms division department
• Established and maintained excellent relationships with local and national business society and government
• Managed the changeover of the Property Management System
• Conception and implementation of appraisal system 
• Assisted the General Manager in the day-to-day operations of the hotel
• Managed the hotel in absence of the General Manager
• Hotel results:
• Increased occupancy by 15% year on year
• Increased rooms revenue by 18% year on year
• Increased conference revenue by 35% year on year
• Achieved guest satisfaction goal of 85% year on year

Memling Hotel 

Qualification: 5 star

# rooms: 180

F&B: 2 restaurants, 2 bars, 2 conference rooms (cap. 250 pax)

Avenue de la Gombe / Kinshasa / Democratic Republic of Congo

Function– Rooms Division Manager

Period: 01/2009 – 06/2009

Mission: Upgrading the quality of service by analysing and improving procedures / Managing the changeover of the Property Management System

Achievements:

• Managed the changeover of the Property Management System
• Restructured the rooms division department 
• Upgraded the existing procedures to a 5 star level
• Setup of sales channels 
• Guaranteed an occupancy of 85%
• Managed rooms refurbishment with minimum impact on guest discomfort

Campanile Hotel Bruges

Qualification: 3 star

# rooms: 56

F&B: 1 restaurant, 1 bar, 1 conference room (cap. 50 pax)

Rue du Chasseur 20 / 8200 Bruges / Belgium

Function – General Manager

Period: 01/2008 – 12/2008

Achievements:

• Managed the changeover of the Property Management System
• Restructured the housekeeping department
• Setup of sales channels
• Implemented a yield management strategy
• Established and maintained relationships with national and international travel agents and tour operators 
• Increased occupancy by 6%
• Increased overall revenue by 9%

Campanile Hotel Vilvoorde

Qualification: 3 star

# rooms: 100

F&B: 1 restaurant, 1 bar, 1 conference room (cap. 50 pax)

Luchthavenlaan 2 / 1800 Vilvoorde / Belgium

Function - Assistant General Manager

Period: 03/2006 – 01/2008

Achievements:

• Trained and coached employees of the Front & Back Office and F&B department
• Managed the changeover of the Property Management System
• Upgraded the existing procedures 
• Managed the hotel in absence of the General Manager within a challenging business environment
• Guaranteed an annual occupancy of 85%
• Achieved guest satisfaction goal of 90%

Education:

Master in Hospitality Management

University of Erasmus Rotterdam / The Hague Hotel School

Period: 2004 - 2005

College

Graduate in Company Management Option Accounting

Charles Magne College / Antwerp, Belgium

Period: 1996 – 1999