As President & Chief Operating Officer of Merrill Lynch & Co. and an accomplished executive on Wall Street, Ahmass Fakahany was ready for change. After 20 years in the finance industry and at the helm of one of the most esteemed global financial institutions where he was responsible for over 60,000 employees in 40 different countries, Fakahany decided to take on a new challenge: the hospitality and restaurant industry.
When Fakahany met Chef Michael White, they immediately felt a unique chemistry, a mutual respect and a mutual vision on how to build an extraordinary hospitality group. The goal was to build different client experiences and brands around high quality Italian food as well as some French but all with their trademark convivial restaurants. They turned the traditional business model upside down, going from kitchen to client to client view to kitchen.
Altamarea Group was formed to organize and build a world-class team of culinary and business professionals. Led by Ahmass, Altamarea began its journey building distinct brands, all joined around quality in a comfortable, convivial setting, regardless of the price point.
Ahmass Fakahany leverages his business acumen and global leadership experience to set the strategy and drive the highest level of quality, consistency and performance on every level throughout the Altamarea Group. He works hand-in-hand with the culinary and service teams to develop the concepts and brands and create the proper client experience at Altamarea.