CEO MONTHLY / MOST INFLUENTIAL CEO AWARDS 2023 114 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 10 2023 18 ou can immediately see the appeal of ghost kitchens: all the focus on producing excellent food, without the costs and resources associated with dining areas and inhouse patrons. Still, despite these benefits, it’s still an industry ‘on the rise’ and relatively niche. Yousif, then, is someone who can recognise potential, and can capitalise on that potential through delivering best-in-class options for those that are after ghost kitchen services. “YourKitchen allows restaurateurs to open new locations without the high costs and risks typically associated with new restaurant locations. Instead of opening a traditional brick and mortar restaurant, our customers can simply rent a kitchen and begin cooking within weeks. We support our customers with the technology required to seamlessly integrate with food delivery platforms and other sales channels,” Yousif states in his opening comments. While YourKitchen has since found its feet – and flourished on the back of the team’s efforts – it was a rough road to begin with. Not least of all because of how novel the industry was and still is to this day. For Yousif, it presented a significant learning curve, both across his management team and in establishing his own leadership style to bring out the best in the company. “As the Founder and CEO, I had to learn the ins and outs of this business before hiring a management team. As the first mover, we worked hard to find our footing in this new business. Before making any external hires, it was critical that I did the work myself and understood all the requirements. Once that was clear, I put together the best-fit team based on the real requirements of the work.” While YourKitchen has recently been acquired by another well-established ghost kitchen business, the efforts of Yousif and the greater team should be acknowledged in relation to the challenges faced by those trying to enter this space, and many others like it. As testament to this, Yousif is quick to emphasise the role of the team in delivering the success that YourKitchen has experienced so far, especially in regard to constant improvement of his own leadership skills. “My leadership style is, and was, based on getting the team to perform at their A Distinguished Founder in an Emerging Market The trend of ‘ghost kitchens’ is not a particularly new trend, but in recent years it has exploded in popularity due to a plethora of motivators. In this industry, YourKitchen has become a true story of startup grit. We spoke with CEO and Founder, Yousif Kurdi following his dual recognition as the ‘Most Influential CEO 2023 - Netherlands (Real Estate Technology)’ and the ‘Distinguished Founder Award’. best. I see myself not as a coach, but as the team captain. I love being on the ground, working with my team members, solving problems and getting things done. I work to balance pressure and direction with freedom and flexibility. Some of the people I managed were 20 years older than me, so that was a great leadership learning experience. I am constantly evolving and reviewing team performance to guide me in my approach. Two key influencers are my father and my older brother.” Ultimately, it was this agile and flexible approach, and his willingness to “get into the trenches” of the work that led to YourKitchen overcoming many of the issues that had plagued its contemporaries. Here, Yousif explains those challenges, as well as the factors that led to the acquisition of the company. “We faced more challenges than there is space in this interview! But that is the nature of startups. We faced fundraising challenges, setbacks due to failed deals, unexpected decisions from the government, external headwinds like increased interest rates, a reduction in capital available for expansion, uncertainty about the European market due to war, an unstable food delivery industry, and many more. In addition, you always face internal challenges such as people management, and your own decision making as a leader. It’s not easy to lead a company from start to exit. I am so thankful to this team for working so hard to create something totally new for the restaurant industry.” “The most recent opportunity we faced was in partnering up with another ghost kitchen company and an investor. We reached an agreement to be acquired by them and this would ensure that the new entity could offer even more benefits to our customers. This also ensured that YourKitchen would have business continuity and that all our efforts would lead to greater results.” So, what does the future hold for Yousif now? Well, from next year he will be settling back into his home nation of Saudi Arabia and looking to establish business roots in the region. “Following the exit from YourKitchen, I wish to spend more time in growing markets like Saudi Arabia. As a Saudi national, I am inspired by the innovation taking place and can see many opportunities arising. I will either start a new company or join an existing one. So, if you would like to learn more about the opportunities in Saudi, please reach out!” Company: YourKitchen Name: Yousif Kurdi, Founder and CEO Email: [email protected] Web Address: your-kitchen.com Aug23234 Y
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