As a founding executive of M.H. Alshaya's Food & Beverage division, Stephen O'Connor led the creation and expansion of a high-performing, multi-brand portfolio across fast casual, casual dining, upscale, and fine dining sectors. Operating across 9 countries — including Kuwait, UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, and the UK — he was responsible for developing over 155 restaurant units and an annual turnover of $365M.
Stephen drove the successful onboarding of globally celebrated concepts such as Texas Road House, IHOP, Shake Shack, Raising Cane’s, Katsuya, and Babel — transforming them into top- performing international units for their respective brands.
Curating and launching a diverse portfolio of global brands in new, culturally distinct markets
Integrating brand identities while maintaining local operational effectiveness
Developing a scalable infrastructure to support regional growth
Curated a strategic mix of concepts tailored to market demand and regional trends.
Established systems for food safety, quality assurance, and brand execution across all units.
Built a strong talent development strategy to ensure sustainable growth and consistent performance.
Onboarded and launched 4 iconic brands across the GCC and MENA
Grew portfolio revenue to over $365M annually
Standardised operating procedures and safety protocols across all markets
Developed a leadership bench to support aggressive unit growth
Built one of the strongest regional F&B brand portfolios in the industry
Achieved top global performance rankings for multiple international concepts
Created an enduring platform for scalable regional expansion
The insights, frameworks, and operational discipline that Stephen applied at M.H. Alshaya are the same principles that now guide HIS Business Solutions’ client engagements.
While the achievements belong to Stephen’s executive career, they directly influence the value and expertise HIS brings to businesses today.