Kerry Oldroyd

Name: Kerry Oldroyd

Date of birth: 17 February 1975

Jobtitle: Events manager, Yo! Sushi

Location: Farringdon, London

First job in hospitality?
As a restaurant and bar manager at Vineyards at Hurstpierpoint in Sussex. I was barely 17 and had started there doing hourly paid shifts but after three months I was promoted to manager. I stayed there for more than two years.

How did you get from there to your current job?
After that, I got the job of picnic manager at Glyndebourne opera house, near Lewes, Sussex. I was responsible for the equivalent of a 120-seat restaurant but it all had to be served in picnic hampers in the grounds. And the picnics are more than sandwiches and crisp. You provide absolutely everything for a four-course meal. It includes all the crockery, cutlery, chairs and tables. I also had the job of Long Bar manager at the opera house. It was a fantastic job and I stayed there for four-and-a-half years and if Glynebourne had been in London I would probably still be there. But I wanted to come up to town and I got a job with Leith's catering as conference and banqueting manager at Dartmouth House. I was there for a year before being offered the job of events manager at Yo! Sushi. I've been doing this for two-and-a-half years.

What are your main responsibilities? I run Yo! Sushi's events business. That means that I spend a lot of time increasing sales of our outside catering service and generally promoting our business. I'll also visit clients who want to book the Yo!Sushi conveyor belt and all the food that goes with it. I go through the menu and the logistics with them and I always check out the venue to make sure that setting up the conveyor belt etc will be possible. I'll discuss prices and menus too. I always go out on site and help unload the conveyor belt, carry it in and help assemble it.

What do you most enjoy about your job?
The buzz comes every time it's a success and the client comes up and thanks me and then sends in a letter of compliments about me and my staff to the bosses. And, touch wood, I haven't ever had a complaint.

What do you dislike about the job? The physical side with all the carrying that is involved. I really don't want to lift any more heavy conveyor belts!

What attributes do you need to do your job? The ability to plan, to have foresight and lots of patience. You really do have to be a good planner but also you must be able to think on the spot and make quick decisions. I also think it's important not to over-sell oneself at the risk of under-delivering.

What would be your next move?
I've become really interested in the whole production side of big events, so maybe something in that area.

What would be your ultimate career move? I've learnt a lot from working with different events management companies and feel that I could one day start my own company in this field. I'd love to get involved in the other aspects such as the PR as well as the catering.