October 21, 2024 – Most Influential CEO in the Country Jim Mazany and Portal CFO Consulting Manny Skevofilax

Jim Mazany – CEO of Rosa Mexicano, and Operating Partner at Trispan Private Equity Group and President & CEO of Strategic Restaurant Solutions

Jim Mazany is a seasoned restaurant CEO and influential executive in the hospitality industry with over 30 years’ experience in both public and private sectors. Throughout his career has held leadership positions at several highly esteemed restaurant companies, including TGIFridays, Joe’s Crab Shack, and SPB Hospitality. Jim is an award-winning executive in the casual, fast casual and quick service dining earning him the prestigious honor of the 2021 & 2022 Nation’s Restaurant News “Most Influential CEO’s in the Country.” Currently, Jim is an Operating Partner at Trispan private equity group and serves as CEO and Board Member for Yard Bird, Rosa Mexicano and Shell Shack. Prior to Trispan, Jim served as CEO of SPB Hospitality, Jim led the successful acquisition of J. Alexanders (JAX) for $250M, setting the standard for M&A targets in 2022. Under his leadership, the organization significantly improved its performance and now operates over 300 restaurants, as well as 500 national virtual and ghost restaurant concepts, generating over $1B in revenue annually. Prior to SPB Hospitality, Jim successfully worked as Chief Operating Officer for TGI Fridays strengthening the operations platform and successfully integrating over 125 franchise units back into the corporate system. In 2020 under his leadership and during the global pandemic, Fridays emerged as an industry leader in menu optimization, systematic operations, and innovative organizational collaboration. As President and Chief Operating Officer of Joe’s Crab Shack, Jim established himself as a revolutionary force in the industry growing average unit volumes by 50% from $2.3M to $3.3M during the recession in 2008. During his tenure, the organization transformed into a powerhouse of the restaurant industry leading to explosive unit growth and an IPO in 2012 trading under the NASDAQ clicker (IRG). Jim and the Joe’s Crab Shack organization received several critically acclaimed accolades including the “Technomic Consumer Choice Award” in 2014 and the “Golden Chain Operator of the Year” in 2013. His visionary perspective and track record of driving organizational transformation has earned him opportunities to work with top industry professionals as well as led to partnerships with nationally respected organizations including NCR technology, UKG workforce management, Ecolab solutions, Sysco, PFG, and Coca Cola. He has also worked with industry pioneers such as OLO online ordering, Toast software, Crunchtime back office, Daily Pay, Wisely and more. Jim attended the Culinary Institute of America and the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He is the founder of Strategic Restaurant Solutions, a consulting firm where he creates strategic partnerships to increase enterprise value, stabilize performance, advise, and offers insights on the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry. Jim is an inspirational leader who empowers others to make their mark on the industry. He accredits his successful career to his unwavering dedication to diversity of thought, embracing exceptional people and holding steadfast to his personal and organizational core values. Throughout his career, he has advocated and raised over $10 million for various charitable causes and believes this to be his greatest achievement.





Manny Skevofilax – Principal at PORTAL CFO Consulting

Manny Skevofilax is a consultant, speaker, and author that helps business owners maximize profits and overcome growth challenges. An expert in strategic planning, financial statement analysis, business operations, and organizational development, he’s been achieving extraordinary outcomes for his clients since 2003.A Baltimore, Maryland native, Manny earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and a Master of Science in Finance from the Merrick School of Business at The University of Baltimore. Prior to starting his career as a consultant, Manny’s background includes formal bank credit training and service as a Vice President with Comerica Bank, a U.S.-based commercial lending institution. He has corporate lending experience in the U.S. and continental European markets, with specialties in commercial business finance, real estate finance, and large corporate syndicated lending for mergers and acquisitions. Manny grew up in the restaurant business and made a career change to corporate banking at age 29. When he’s not helping business owners, Manny can be found exploring the ancient ruins on the island of Karpathos where his parents were born.