Ben Franco Email & Phone Number

My career did not have a clear linear path. Early in my career my focus was that of technical know-how. I was always good at 'fixing things', which led me to pursue a technical degree in Electronics. I thrived in an electro-mechanical environment because I was always a hands-on person. However, I soon realized that this career path had its limits in upward mobility, so I continued my education and found myself on an engineer track. My fellow co-workers, superiors, and mentors along the way noticed my work ethic and promotions came on that path along with more income. Along the way I was learning some very good critical thinking skills as well as honing my experience with Microsoft Office products such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint, as well as other products like Adobe, Agile and more. That on-the-job learning encouraged me to continue my formal education, and I went on to pursue a degree in Business. That early career in tech and engineering served me well when I decided to leave it and start my own business, a wine bar, back in 2008. The project management skills involved in engineering kept me on track to open my wine bar on time and on budget. My career path is now focused on the wine, spirits and hospitality industry in general. But my early career shaped my decision making and understanding of how to look at potential problems and or issues that arise in a normal day. I have earned many certifications along my journey in the wine & spirits industry including; the Certified Sommelier via the Court of Master Sommeliers and my Certified Specialist of Wine via The Society of Wine Educators. I have also sat for the Advanced Sommelier exam via the Court of Master Sommeliers, passing both the tasting and theory portions of the exam. Since building my own business back in 2008, I have been honing my craft as a wine & spirits professional. Including all the research and development that goes into starting a wine bar/restaurant, to all the wine, beer and spirits knowledge required to run a profitable establishment. Growing a business requires building a strong team and maintaining it with constant training and education. I was the educator and marketing force behind the business which was born in the 2008 economic crisis, and thrived until the 2020. I have always taken pride in being a healthy, energetic and ethical professional. I would like to put this real-world knowledge and experience to work as a brand ambassador, brand manager or lead educator within the wine, whiskey & spirits industry.

Listed skills include Wine, New Business Development, Team Building, Customer Service, and 40 others.