Hawksmoor

Joe brings nearly 20 years of recruiting and consulting experience to E|H, having managed key accounts at Randstad and having led large scale consulting projects at Alvarez & Marsal, Acquis Consulting Group and EY-Parthenon. As a business traveler, Joe has curated a deep and personal love of hospitality over the years, connecting with people around the world through shared and memorable culinary experiences. At home in NYC, Joe enjoys the city's diverse restaurant scene, and especially enjoys visiting Empowered's clients with the team. Joe earned a BSc in mechanical engineering from Boston University and an MBA in strategy, with honors, from the University of Notre Dame. In addition, Joe is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) and an ISM Certified Professional Supply Manager (CPSM®).

Ideal Restaurant Experience

The Danish term, hygge, describes my ideal experience well - warm, cozy, and inviting. There's nothing I love more in a restaurant. A comfortable, quiet place - with soft lighting, warm colors, and well-designed acoustics - has a tremendous impact on an evening out. The ambiance sets the stage for delicious drinks, tasty food, and great conversation.

What does creating workplaces where people thrive mean to you?

To thrive at work, people must feel included, supported, capable, and challenged - in a workplace where the camaraderie of a team and the collective pursuit of an ambitious goal are prioritized. When a company offers these opportunities, the business takes care of itself.

Since working in hospitality in high school, Samin has had a profound appreciation for workers in the service industry and is happy to support them through her role at Empowered. Samin began her human resources career as a college intern with a Swedish construction company, where an initial three-month internship turned into a two-year HR journey that inspired her to focus her career there. Later earning a master’s in human resource management from Rutgers, she then began a people operations role at Unilever, finding her passion in HR technology, operations, and employee experience. While working in corporate environment was a tremendous learning experience, Samin's compulsion to rejoin the hospitality industry was strong (and fortunate). Samin’s strengths lie not only in HR generalist expertise, but also in HR technology, process improvement and making HR operations simple, automated, and efficient.

Ideal Restaurant Experience

My ideal restaurant experience is a place where the lights are dimmed, the noise level is low with a bit of light background music, and the atmosphere is warm and cozy; almost as if the restaurant wants to romance you while you dine. The more intimate the experience, the more I can focus my attention on my meal and my company.

What does creating workplaces where people thrive mean to you?

Creating a workplace where people can thrive means building a place of trust, support and safety. We spend majority of our time at work, and I believe it should be a place where you can be your authentic self. Where you can rely on your team and where you feel safe, physically, and psychologically. A place where you feel safe and supported to be your true self is the best place for you to be challenged, expressive and successful.