Catherine Kehoe, Regional Operations Manager

Catherine Kehoe

Regional Operations Manager

Spearhead Training

Location
United Arab Emirates - Dubai
Education
Bachelor's degree, Business & Computing
Experience
20 years, 10 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :20 years, 10 Months

Regional Operations Manager at Spearhead Training
  • My current job since May 2015
Real Estate Operations Manager at Dubai Sports City
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • July 2010 to May 2015

Dubai Sports City, Dubai, UAE- Master Developer
Real Estate Operations Manager July 2010 - April 2015
Dubai Sports City is a 50 million sq ft master development, based in Dubai, UAE. It encompasses over 200 Residential & Commercial towers, and over 1200 villas along with many sporting facilities, such as the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, The ICC head quarters and Cricket Academy and The Els Golf Club. 15, 000 people reside in Dubai Sports City.
Accomplishments & Highlights
• Restructured the entire real estate division and complementary departments and created the change management process required during the transition.
• Developed and delivered business and marketing plans, as well as SOPs for a 50 Million Sqft Development, and developed the division strategy in line with the business objectives.
• Created an overall marketing strategy for DSC using various tools with periodic reviews and updates to meet changing market dynamics.
• Developed and implemented a creative sales model assuring achievement of targeted sales and revenues within the budgeted cost of sales.
• Implemented strategies to maximize revenues including identifying opportunities in programs like Tayseer & Tanmia of Dubai Land Department to maximize the Company’s benefits and minimise losses.
• Sourced AED 2+ billion verifiable business opportunities and business plans - Land and Retail sales & Leasing for Residential & Commercial land development.
• Implemented and managed SOPs and Sub Departments across the entire Real Estate Division including but not limited to Asset Management & Sales, Business Development, Handovers (over 1200 units), Collections, Operations, Strategic Management, JV, Mergers & Acquisitions, Marketing, Communications, Complaints and Customer Service.
• Identified opportunities within each department and highlighted areas for improvement on a continuous basis.
• Determined all resources required for each division.
• Project Manager for Microsoft AX implementation, inclusive of CRM elements and highlighted the necessary change elements.
• Set up a leasing department and managed all DSC owned assets including projects within Dubai Sports City, as well as external Projects.
• Met and managed all Real Estate vendors, created contracts and negotiated all terms.

Responsibilities:

• Manager of all general operations across the various departments as listed above.
• Utilised regular gap analysis to identify and mitigate risks within the Real estate department as well other departments with DSC, such as the IT & Construction departments.
• Responsible for managing all Real Estate within Dubai Sports City and their associated investments as well as their asset management.
• Managing the Team (10 people) ensuring cohesive performance and delivery of corporate goals.
• Built and lead the team to manage all functions across B2B & B2C segments, supervise workflows to achieve KPI & dashboard objectives.
• Preparing cash flow projections based on current and estimated sales and cash flow requirements for commercial management, architecture, marketing, projects, contracts and commissions.
• Ensured effective mapping of CRM processes and optimum utilisation of data for maximizing market potential, designing marketing tools like mass mail shots and focused marketing to large scale investors, end users and potential cross sales as well as using the 5cs of marketing.
• Marketing and general communications within RE (Cross branding, SEO, Social media and cross & up selling included).
• Delivered all Business Development requirements, Sales training, and all Presentations
• Review of all legal documents, NOC’s, and preparation of all market research using various tools including Porters five forces & SWOT analysis.
• Created and managed the Budget inclusive of P&L accounts.

Head of Business Development at UK Capital Investments Group (UKCIG)
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • February 2009 to July 2010

UKCIG offered property, private equity and wealth management services to private and corporate investors. They were also property developers.

• Sourced over AED 50 billion in projects with verified potential business opportunity. Tapped high net worth investors and private equity & property funds to raise resources.
• Created proposals for various projects based on findings of feasibility studies/due diligence and presented them to project owners. Managed 40 projects through initial approval and to handover to the legal department for further process.
• Managed a portfolio of 360+ projects with a team of 4 & consulted on over 130 projects on matters of real estate, CRM and company structures.
• Created and managed a business development team structure & implemented strategies aligned to the organization’s mission statement and business goals.
• Established and managed a direct marketing team and ensured the staff met KPI’s and completed appraisals.
• Leveraged extensive network of contacts among developers to finalize joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and strategic alliances.
• Participated in meetings of the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity.
• Liaised with architects, consultants, contractors and various regulatory and municipal authorities to achieve project objectives.
• Created and managed new projects from conceptualization to handover.
• Developed and managed all SOPs.

General Manager at Profile/Larionovo
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • February 2005 to December 2008

Profile/Larionovo was a company specialising in Property Development, Sales & Consultancy.

• Managed projects and acted as Owner’s Representative for various property developments in Dubai Waterfront, Dubai Sports City and The World project.
• Provided consulting services including due diligence to clients like Savills International UK to source several international projects.
• Identified and analysed alternate development opportunities with income generation potential including leasing of residential and commercial retail (like gyms) across projects at various stages of completion.
• Supervised creation of new strategic business units and handed over to business unit managers after 1 to 12 months incubation.
• Prepared cash flow projections based on current and estimated sales and cash flow requirements for commercial management, architecture, marketing, projects, contracts and commissions.
• Conducted gap analysis of individual departments and produced reports for Directors with recommendations for cooperative and non-cooperative strategic business units.
• Developed new business opportunities and identified JV partners including direct approaches by parties and leveraging a network of contacts developed via organizations and events.
• Developed and implemented strategies to maximise profits and minimise outgoings of JVs.
• Obtained primary and secondary data from various sources including local information and research portals, statistics and international portals like Bloomberg & Reuters.
• Conducted macro and micro economic analysis of the data and identified trends, growth and competition using marketing and economic tools like SWOT analysis.
• Used tools like Porter’s Five Forces analysis and BCG Matrix and determined market segments, positions, targets and forecasts.
• Produced reports with required timelines, limited financial analysis and recommendations.

Key Achievements as Sales Manager / Business Development Manager:
• Established offices in Dublin, London, Spain & Morocco, including recruitment training and deployment of business development managers, sales agents, office administrators and receptionists.
• Developed contacts in Morocco, Bulgaria, UAE, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France for driving property sales and business.

Sales Executive/Product Development Technician at Halifax Bank of Scotland – Insurance Division
  • Ireland
  • June 2003 to February 2005

Responsibilities

Sales Executive
• Led and trained a team and sold HBOS insurance products to existing clients of the bank.
Product Development Technician
• Designed new products and modified existing products to meet requirements of clients in UK

Previous Assignments
• 4 months - Grant Thornton Accountants, Limerick Ireland - General Accounts & Administration

Education

Bachelor's degree, Business & Computing
  • at Limerick Institute of Technology
  • June 2003

Bachelors in Business & Computers Training • Man Management • Train the Trainer • Selling by Objectives • Strategic Selling • Key Account Management • Neuro-linguistic Selling

Specialties & Skills

Real Estate Management
International Marketing
Client Relations Management
B2B & B2C Marketing
Business Development
Strategic planning, implementation, review & updating
Business process development, implementation, upgrading
Business Development, Marketing, Sales, Cross selling, Upselling, B2B, B2C
Problem solving, decision making, planning, coordination, execution
Real Estate Management, Property Development
Marketing campaigns, promotions, new media, social media marketing, SEO
Team building, talent acquisition, retention and performance management
International Experience – UAE, UK, Morocco, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Poland, Portugal
End-to-end Project management – from concept to handover
Professional & social networking, HNI & key partner relations building
Joint Ventures, Mergers & Acquisitions, Due diligence

Languages

English
Expert
French
Beginner

Memberships

Irish Business Network, Dubai UAE
  • Member
  • March 2010
Dubai Irish Society, Dubai UAE
  • Member, ex Chairperson
  • January 2008
Dubai Celts
  • Member current Vice Chair
  • January 2007

Hobbies

  • Sports – Gaelic Football, Camogie; music, travel
    Enthusiastic sports person, active player with Dubai Celts, relish anything new with a challenge, current Vice Chair of Dubai Celts GAA Club, ex Chairperson of Dubai Irish Society.
  • Reading, writing, languages, socializing, swimming