Acorn winner 2007: Stacy Dennis
Age: 26
Position: Deputy general manager, Trowell Service Area, near Nottingham, for Moto Hospitality
Career to date
Dennis's career at motorway service area firm Moto began back in 1996 when, aged just 16, she started working part-time in the self-service restaurant at Trowell Service Area near Nottingham. Two years later, having completed her A Levels, she joined the company full-time as a customer services assistant, achieving the role of supervisor in 1999. After joining an internal fast-track programme in 2001, Dennis then moved on to various management roles at Moto's Donington Park Services, before returning to Trowell Service Area in 2003, where in 2006 she was promoted to the position of deputy general manager.
Why is she a winner?
Dennis's tireless energy and commitment to the Moto brand has seen her rise quickly through the ranks to a point where she is now responsible for 160 staff and 10 operating brands, including Fresh Express, Burger King and Little Chef, producing £7.5m of annual revenue exclusive of fuel sales.
Not only has she increased revenue through new ideas such as the introduction at Donington of a BK Breakfast offering (which also reduced the number of customer complaints), she has also introduced processes to improve operational efficiency. One such innovation, a process to reduce hot food holding times, has since been rolled out across the business.
In addition to being heavily involved in training and mentoring internally, Dennis has tirelessly promoted Moto at graduate recruitment fairs and at local schools and she actively supports a student work placement programme. She has also continued to grow her own skills base, most recently by taking a senior barista course and completing an NVQ level 3 course run by the Institute of Leadership and Management.
