ORANGE BRANDS MANAGEMENT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Brand & Marketing
Joanna Cisowska spearheads Orange Brands Management's (OBM) global marketing strategy with an in-depth, hands-on approach. She brings over 15 years of experience in brand development, marketing and public relations strategy, creative direction and social media.
Joanna has been an integral part of SUSHI SAMBA and Duck & Waffle brands' international success. Her dedication and loyalty to the company earned her numerous promotions throughout her tenure and she quickly rose through the ranks overseeing marketing, public relations, and ultimately, brand management & development. With a deeply integrated understanding of the group's core brand values and mission, as well as the hospitality industry landscape, Joanna takes a highly strategic approach to growth - from creative campaigns to new market expansion.
While working in press relations she has secured a record-breaking number of media placements, including CNN, WSJ, New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, GQ and Esquire - among others. She has helped elevate the SUSHI SAMBA brand on a global level, overseeing the company's largest openings in Las Vegas' Venetian Resort, both of London's iconic Covent Garden and Heron Tower locations and most recently SUSHI SAMBA Dubai restaurant - the brand's Middle East debut. Harnessing the power of social media early, she developed hugely successful, industry-acclaimed campaigns to launch new restaurant concepts SUGARCANE raw bar grill and Duck & Waffle Local.
After several years focusing on marketing and public relations Joanna sought a a new challenge, which she found in full circle brand management, working alongside OBM Founder Shimon Bokovza. In her role she upholds the brands' values - while dynamically advancing their presence in key markets. The work is a curated union of her experience in business strategy and creative direction, and with it she has built several new concepts including internationally acclaimed Duck & Waffle, among London's first high-end 24/7 restaurants and more recently, SUSHI SAMBA Tree Bar in Las Vegas.
Today, Joanna manages global brand strategy, multimillion-dollar marketing budgets, licensing partnerships, and high-level communications plans for existing and upcoming locations including Doha, Riyadh and Edinburgh among others, ensuring brand quality and standardization across food, beverage, design, digital, reputation management, and events. She thrives on building successful brand collaborations (Cool Earth, Ritz Carlton HK, Paula Knorr) and conceptualizing groundbreaking campaigns including the 2018 Pride Amsterdam in partnership with Vogue, Glamour, Elle and Linda. She oversees the in-house creative and marketing team in addition to agency talent. Her ability to see the 360° impact of every marketing initiative makes her an invaluable member of the global team.
Joanna earned her Bachelor's Degree in Marketing at Georgia State University's School of Business Administration. Growing up in Poland, Joanna was inspired by strong women in her life, especially her entrepreneurial grandmother, who perpetuated her drive to achieve top results, and her curious spirit.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chief Executive Officer
Over the past two decades, Omar Gutierrez has overseen several of the most successful brands in the global restaurant and nightlife sectors. He has worked alongside the world's best chefs and restaurateurs, managed a series of world-class restaurants, and implemented the highest standards of operational excellence throughout a career stocked with professional achievements.
With a passion for hospitality that sparked early, Gutierrez graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration. He dove into his career head-first at the Rio Hotel and Casino as part of the team that relaunched the 162,000+ square foot location with great fanfare in 1999, revolutionizing Las Vegas entertainment with the city's first casino nightclub and luxury rooftop lounge.
After overseeing food and beverage operations at the hotel's Rio Secco, Gutierrez took on the General Manager role for Jean Louis Paladin's Napa, named by Bon Appétit Magazine as one of the nation's best restaurants. In 2003, he set his sights on operations for the multi-million dollar Voodoo Lounge and Restaurant, which included live entertainment, an ultra-lounge, and the hotel's 51st floor fine dining restaurant. The move segued his transition to General Manager the House of Blues Foundation Room and renowned Chef Rick Moonen's flagship restaurant RM Seafood.
In 2007, he accepted the position of Director of Food and Beverage at Mandalay Bay where he worked side-by-side with star chefs Charlie Palmer, Alain Ducasse, Hubert Keller, and Michael Mina. He opened several of the casino resort's new venues and oversaw the food and beverage operations for the country's biggest sporting events and concerts.
Prior to joining Orange Brands Management in 2016, Gutierrez was Vice President of Restaurants for the U.S. for Hakkasan Ltd., spearheading operational strategy and business development.
At Orange Brands Management Gutierrez oversees operations and growth of the SUSHI SAMBA and Duck & Waffle brands. During his tenure he brought the locations to record-breaking numbers, opened the iconic SUSHI SAMBA Covent Garden restaurant and most recent Dubai location - the brand's first in the Middle East, and negotiated upcoming openings in Doha, Edinburgh, Morocco and throughout KSA. Omar's accomplishments have culminated in his recent promotion from Chief Operating Officer to Co-Chief Executive Officer, where he is a driving force of the company's success as it continues to draw the world's eye with further expansion plans on the horizon.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chief Executive Officer
Patricia has been an integral part of SUSHI SAMBA's rise to international acclaim since its inception in 2000. Alongside the Managing Partners, she has been instrumental in growing the company from a single New York City location to a globally recognized brand with locations in the United States, United Kingdom, and Dubai.
Patricia graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology from Stony Brook University. Her passion for understanding people transferred seamlessly to her roles in the hospitality industry, as she understood the power of communication and emotional intelligence in effective operations. With the philosophy that a company is only as strong as its people, she's been focused on fostering strong professional and personal relationships throughout her career. This foundation propelled both the company's recruitment and retention efforts.
Throughout her career, Patricia has built the human resources and accounting departments, earning rising titles from Controller to Executive Director of HR and Chief Administrative Officer, where she managed a supervisory team of over a hundred and the global team of approximately 1,000+ employees. In her role of CAO, she managed the performance of the daily operations of finance, marketing, event sales, restaurant operations, and human resources, serving as a trusted advisor to each Head of Department.
As a result of her avid leadership for the SUSHI SAMBA and Duck & Waffle Brands, Patricia was promoted to Co-Chief Executive Officer in 2021. In this new role she is responsible for fostering growth and providing strategic, financial and operational decisions for the group, paving the way for SUSHI SAMBA's robust international expansion plans throughout Doha, KSA, Morocco, and Edinburgh and beyond.