Decision Makers
Board of Directors
Mr. Stockinger joined the Board of Benihana Inc. in 2006 following a 25-year tenure at The Patina Restaurant Group, LLC and its predecessor Restaurant Associates, Inc. during which he served in various senior capacities, including from 2003 to 2008, as President. During that tenure, he played a significant role in the sales, acquisition and turnaround at California Pizza Kitchen, El Torito and Au Bon Pain. Mr. Stockinger also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Kidney Foundation of Greater New York.
Juan Garcia serves as President and Chief Operating Officer for Benihana Inc. and is responsible for executing Benihana's continued growth strategy and overseeing existing operations for all three brands.
Mr. Garcia joined Benihana as a staff accountant in 1982 and has since developed exceptional operational expertise and familiarity with all facets of Benihana's business. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Garcia has carried responsibility for all aspects of business development, real estate, restaurant design and construction, license and permit issues, human resources, franchising, information technology, risk management, and financial management, as well as strategic and business planning.
Mr. Garcia has been actively involved in Benihana's steady program of expansion and acquisition. In addition to overseeing the conversion of several accounting software programs and centralizing payroll in-house, which generated substantial savings for Benihana, Mr. Garcia was also integral to the inclusion of Benihana's acquired concepts, Haru and RA Sushi, along with Rudy's Restaurant Group, into its accounting and operational structure.
Highly regarded as a team-oriented player with strong leadership skills, a results-oriented attitude, and the personal qualities of integrity and honesty, Mr. Garcia is entrusted to build effective relationships both within Benihana and with its external partners.
A registered CPA in Florida, Mr. Garcia received his undergraduate and masters degrees in accounting from Florida International University. He is currently a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Married, and the father of two children, Mr. Garcia's hobbies include tennis, skiing and spending time with his family.
Jose I. Ortega is Benihana's Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Previously, Mr. Ortega served as the Company's Controller. Since joining the Company, Mr. Ortega has led the budgeting, financial reporting and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance areas. Mr. Ortega has also been responsible for the deployment of Benihana's new Point of Sale and cash management systems. Prior to joining Benihana, Mr. Ortega was the director of financial reporting at Burger King Corporation.
Mr. Ortega is a resident of South Florida.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Benihana Inc. |
Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief |
Current |
| New York University |
Mba In Finance and International Business |
Former |
| University of Miami |
Bba Degree In Accounting |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Benihana Inc. |
Executive Vice President, Restaurant Operations |
Current |
| Benihana Inc. |
Executive Vice, President Restaurant, Operations, Director |
Current |
| Benihana Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| Benihana Inc. |
Management Instructor |
Former |
| International Christian University |
Masters Degree of Business Administration |
Former |
| Louisiana State University |
Master of Science Degree In Finance |
Former |
| International Christian University |
Bachelor of Arts |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Benihana Inc. |
Vice President, Operations |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Ram Venture Holdings Corp |
President |
Current |
| Proguard Acquisition Corp |
Officer |
Current |
| Benihana Inc. |
Chairman |
Current |
| Bluegreen Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Ram Venture Holdings Corp |
Director |
Current |
| Benihana Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| Touche Ross & Co. |
Partner |
Former |
| Ram Venture Holdings Corp |
Officer |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Benihana Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
John E. Abdo has been the Vice Chairman of Woodbridge Holdings Corporation and its predecessors since its inception and of BFC Financial Corporation since 1993, while serving as a BFC board member since 1988. He has been the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Executive Committee of BankAtlantic Bancorp, Inc. since 1987. He is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bluegreen Corporation, and a member of the Board of Directors of Benihana, Inc.
A successful real estate investor and developer in his own right, Mr. Abdo has made a career of developing residential communities as well as commercial structures throughout South Florida for more than 25 years. His company has built over 5,000 residences, which for a time made it one of the largest residential builders in Florida’s Broward County. Mr. Abdo has a wide range of contacts and experience in diverse industries.
Mr. Abdo is the President of the Broward Performing Arts Foundation, a $60 million theater for the Performing Arts that serves all of South Florida and a member of the Board of Directors of PACA (Performing Arts Authority). He is a graduate of Florida State University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Woodbridge Holdings Corporation |
Vice Chairman |
Current |
| BFC Financial Corporation |
Vice Chairman |
Current |
| Woodbridge Holdings Corporation |
Vice Chairman |
Current |
| Bluegreen Corporation |
Vice Chairman |
Current |
| Benihana Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Paca, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Benihana Inc. |
Co-Chairman, Vice Chairman |
Current |
| Bankatlantic Bancorp, Inc. |
Vice Chairman |
Current |
| Performing Arts Limited |
President |
Former |
| Woodbridge Holdings Corporation |
President |
Former |
| Woodbridge Holdings Corporation |
Director |
Former |
| Bluegreen Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Bankatlantic |
Vice Chairman |
Former |
| Bankatlantic Bancorp, Inc. |
Director |
Former |
| Florida State University |
|
Former |
| Benihana Inc. |
member |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Benihana Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
Lewis Jaffe President and CEO. Mr Jaffe joined Oxford Media Inc. (OXMI:OTCBB) in Feburary 2006 as CEO. Oxford is in the video-on-demand business delivering content to captive audiences such as those in hotels, on airplanes or in automobiles. Prior to that he was the President and COO of Verso Technologies Inc. (VRSO:NASDAQ), a leader in VoIP applications. He is a sought after public speaker on various topics, including Leadership, Management, Strategic Planning and Problem Solving, Convergence in Telecommunications and Corporate Renewal. Mr. Jaffe sits on the board of Benihana Inc. (BNHN:NASDAQ), the nation's largest chain of Japanese teppanyaki and sushi themed restaurants. He serves on the audit and corporate governance committees and is involved with the Company's strategic planning process.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Oxfordsvi |
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director |
Current |
| Benihana Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| ACT Teleconferencing, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Verso Technologies, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Verso Technologies, Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Svi Media, Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| PictureTel |
President |
Former |
| GlowPoint, Inc. |
Interim President |
Former |
| Svi Media, Inc. |
President |
Former |
| C) Systems, LLC |
President |
Former |
| Verso Technologies, Inc. |
President |
Former |
| PictureTel |
Chief Operating Officer |
Former |
| Verso Technologies, Inc. |
Coo |
Former |
| Svi Media, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Benihana Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Benihana Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
Executive News
-
BNHN: Management Comments on Q1 Results and Comprehensive Renewal Program
TradingMarkets - 9/01/09 - View Story
-
Benihana Q1 income cut in half
Biz Journals - 8/31/09 - View Story
-
Benihana restaurants' profit falls 50 pct in 1Q
CNBC - 8/31/09 - View Story
-
Benihana Inc. Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2010 Results
NewsBlaze - 8/31/09 - View Story
-
Benihana Inc. Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2010 Results
Yahoo! Canada - 8/31/09 - View Story
-
Benihana Inc. Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2010 Results
Globe Investor - 8/31/09 - View Story
-
Benihana Inc. Formally Announces Benihana Teppanyaki Renewal Program
Restaurant News Resource - 8/31/09 - View Story
-
Benihana Inc. Formally Announces Benihana Teppanyaki Renewal Program
Business Wire - 8/20/09 - View Story