Maxwell Wayman

Godiva Chocolatier is a manufacturer and retailer of premium fine chocolates and related products. Godiva, founded in Belgium in 1926, was purchased by the Turkish Yıldız Holding, owner of the Ülker Group in 2008.

• Conducts regular training needs analysis in order to determine the most relevant and cost
effective training solutions for boutique & cafe teams, Regional Managers and support function staff that will improve individual, team knowledge, skills and business performance.
• Works with the Regional HR Manager/ Heads of Operations / Regional Managers to identify the training requirements tailored to the business needs and individual PDPs; determines the priorities and plans a 12 month rolling cycle to create a company-wide training calendar.
• Leads the design, development and production of training materials, documents and
manuals to ensure consistency and quality of content and delivery to meet the specific needs of the retail training programme.
• Designs and develops a planned and ongoing training programme for managers and provides shop managers with the learning resources and tools to improve performance and optimise on the potential of their teams.
• Develop programs and practices to address professional development needs, including increasing effectiveness in present assignments and preparing employees for advanced positions.
• Assists with the induction and training for new shop openings; works with the Regional Manager to ensure quality standards are met; follows through on post shop openings to identify any immediate training needs and provides the appropriate training.
• Evaluates and reviews training materials and tools utilised on the regions, updates as
appropriate to ensure maximum effectiveness.
• Actively participates in two way communication, sharing and exchanging relevant and timely information with Retail Teams, Support Function personnel and all external providers.

The Al-Jaidah Brothers Group based in Qatar has a regional office in Dubai that
operates the franchisee partnership for 2 international retail brands; Build-A-Bear
Workshop - USA based toy retailer with 10 stores in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and
Qatar, and LUMAS - a German retail concept for limited edition photographic art
with 2 stores in the UAE.
• Responsible for a headcount of 100+ employees.
• Manage complete recruitment cycle, onboarding, induction/training, through to
exiting and off boarding.
• Develop training material, implement training logs and deliver training topics to
head office & retail staff.
• Work alongside the Finance Manager to budget for the HR department.
• Assist in developing organizational structure; manage succession planning and people development.
• Payroll
• Manpower planning, creating personal development training plans, managing all
disciplinary matters, compiling job descriptions and planning the employee appraisal cycle.
• Work alongside the 3rd party PRO companies for the entire region.

A freelance consultant specialising in human resources, people & brand management and franchise advice for established and start-up companies across the Middle East, UK & Ireland. Previous projects have included recruitment, learning & development strategies for a new hospitality concept in the UAE, business development for a Qatari brand and business consultant for Kandee Limited, Kandee Indonesia & Kandee Lifestyle Limited (UK&I).

• Oversee the training and development of all employees in the United Arab
Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia (200+ employees).
• Providing best practice advice on Recruitment and People Development in
four franchise countries: Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia (Riyadh).
• Establishing Lush Cosmetics as an ‘employer of choice’ in the region.
• Leading recruitment from senior management to Sales Associates.
• Develop and execute the company structure to help support the business on
all levels.
• Internal communication
• Responsible for bi-yearly reviews/performance appraisals of the store
management teams including salary reviews.
• Assist with the delivery of the Manager Training Programme.
• Set the standard and demonstrate 5 Star Customer Experience on shop
floors across the UAE and Oman.
• Coordinate and report on Mystery Shops across the UAE and Oman.
• Assist with New Shop Openings - supporting the team for opening/relocation
of their shop.

• Daily management of the business (Reporting to the Director) including the
recruitment and development within the core disciplines including PR,
Customer Care, E-Commerce, Marketing and Design.
• Launching the new website (www.kandeeshoes.com) alongside with a strong
social media strategy.
• Ensuring the flow of process from the start of service through to the product
delivery whilst making sure the process is seamless.
• Senior complaint handling to ensure both company and customer
expectations are met.
• PR strategy
• Working closely with the teams to ensure correct brand image was portrayed
to the public and media.
• Remote management of a manufacturing site based in Guangzhou, China.
• Development and implementation of a franchise system with the first retail
store opening in Singapore (2012).