Nicola Abbatescianni

– Architected a company-wide onboarding and training system, cutting time-to-productivity by 40% and eliminating inconsistent knowledge transfer across sites.

– Designed a structured recruitment funnel — integrating Tally forms, Airtable pipelines, and n8n automation —

reducing manual hiring admin by over 60%.

– Achieved 90% staff retention over 12 months in a sector averaging 70%+ annual turnover, through structured progression frameworks and performance review cycles.

– Built and deployed competency matrices and role-level frameworks, enabling consistent performance evaluation across 40+ employees without reliance on subjective manager judgement.

– Owned HR compliance, payroll coordination, and workforce reporting, ensuring zero compliance incidents across a 3-year period of rapid headcount growth.

– Led strategic planning and execution for new site openings, including full operational design, systems setup, recruitment, and team ramp-up from zero to fully staffed.

– Designed and launched operational infrastructure for a new high-traffic corporate site — from physical build out through to systems, staffing, and service standards.

– Delivered structured training programmes aligned to competency standards, creating repeatable, scalable learning experiences across a growing team.

– Managed multi-supplier relationships, rota planning, and stock systems, achieving consistent waste reduction and margin improvement quarter-on-quarter.

– Acted as operational second-in-command, bridging frontline team management and founder-level strategic decisions during a high-growth expansion phase.

– Led daily operations and managed a high-volume barista team in one of London's most fast-paced hospitality environments during a period of rapid brand scaling.

– Maintained service quality, throughput, and brand consistency at scale — a foundational experience in managing performance under pressure with minimal margin for error.