Experience

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  BLUM Enterprises

  • Winter Park, FL

  • Founder & Owner

    • Sep 2005 - Present
    • Winter Park, FL

    The mission of BLUM Enterprises is to provide Good Food for the Planet. To work with people dedicated to providing food that is: Exceptionally GOOD Tasting; Remarkably GOOD for You; plus You Feel GOOD After Eating; it’s a GOOD Everyday Value; and GOOD for the Environment.

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  LEON Restaurants

  • London, England

  • Board Director, Strategic Partner, Investor

    • Jan 2012 - Sep 2021
    • London, England

    A fast growing brand based in London that is pioneering 'Naturally Fast Food' and expanding globally. It is a strong brand that does a beautiful job of providing food to its guests that is quite good tasting as well as being good for you. The food is served fast by friendly people in an e...

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  FoodFirst Global Restaurants, Inc.

  • Orlando, Florida

  • Founder, Owner-Partner, Chairman & CEO

    • May 2018 - Apr 2020
    • Orlando, Florida

    A new restaurant company - FoodFirst Global Restaurants, Inc. - was formed on May 24, 2018. Blum invested in the company as part-owner and served as its Chairman & CEO. Two brands - BRIO Tuscan Grille and BRAVO Cucina Italiana - were acquired with the intention of their sales & profits be...

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  Boundary Waters Brands

  • Minneapolis, MN

  • Executive Chairman, Board Director, Investor

    • May 2011 - Apr 2018
    • Minneapolis, MN

    Maker of a new, unique and delicious line of convenient all-natural craft cocktails named JOIA Spirit. After strong acceptance in its first markets, the company was sold to a major distributor in April 2018 to begin aggressively rolling out the products nationally throughout the United States.

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  Darden

  • Orlando, FL

  • Board Director

    • Oct 2014 - Mar 2018
    • Orlando, FL

    Hired as lead advisor by Starboard Value in February 2014 and elected by shareholders to the Board of Directors at Darden Restaurants in October 2014. He served until March 2018 at which time he started a new venture. The company's market cap shareholder value at Darden doubled during Blum&#3...

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  AmRest

  • Wroclaw, Poland

  • Board Director

    • Jul 2013 - Sep 2015
    • Wroclaw, Poland

    A global, publicly traded restaurant company that was started in Central Europe by an American entrepreneur/founder. A fascinating time serving on the board and traveling the globe, including China. The company's market cap shareholder value has grown by over three times since Blum joined and...

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  Romano's Macaroni Grill

  • Dallas, TX

  • CEO

    • Dec 2008 - Jul 2010
    • Dallas, TX

    Led a significant turnaround in the same-restaurant sales trend due to increased guest satisfaction. Revamped the menu using a 'Quality Up. Cost Down' approach. It resulted in fresher, much better tasting food that also had significantly less calories, less unhealthy fats and less sodium....

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  Burger King Corporation

  • Miami, FL

  • CEO

    • Dec 2002 - Aug 2004
    • Miami, FL

    Blum led a dramatic turnaround of the second largest fast food restaurant company in the world. During Blum's brief tenure, his leadership resulted in a significant financial improvement. Same-restaurant sales went from -7% to +4% vs. previous year. Blum got Burger King out of the deep discou...

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  Olive Garden

  • Orlando, FL

  • President

    • Dec 1994 - Mar 2002
    • Orlando, FL

    When Blum was appointed President of Olive Garden, the company was beginning to lose money, same-restaurant sales were down -12% vs. previous year, and the enterprise was at risk of going out of business. His team quickly got sales and profits to be positive. Under his leadership as chief executi...

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  Cereal Partners Worldwide

  • Morges, Switzerland

  • Chief Marketing Officer

    • May 1990 - May 1994
    • Morges, Switzerland

    Blum was a key member of the original start-up executive team in Switzerland for this 50/50 joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills. It was a fascinating 4-year experience in which a very strong and successful business was built with a unique culture. Besides global marketing responsibilit...

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  General Mills

  • Minneapolis, MN

  • Various Marketing & General Management Positions

    • Aug 1978 - May 1990
    • Minneapolis, MN

    Blum invented Cinnamon Toast Crunch, put the first female athlete (Mary Lou Retton) and the first African-American athlete (Walter Payton) on the front of the Wheaties box, and helped turn around a variety of General Mills' consumer brands (e.g. Cheerios, Total, Kix, Betty Crocker Frostings) ...