Radu Ionescu
@raduionescu
I build analytics, pricing, and AI systems that drive measurable growth.
United StatesWhat I'm looking for
At Restaurant Brands International, I lead operations analytics for Popeyes, translating restaurant-level data into prescriptive risk frameworks, guest-experience improvements, and measurable field interventions. My work has helped drive a 10% traffic boost and supported a digital guest survey rollout across 3,500 restaurants in the US and Canada.
Previously, I led Popeyes pricing, increasing franchisee adoption from 50% to more than 95% and helping generate $90M+ in yearly sales. I replaced static Excel recommendations with governed, automated pricing insights that accelerated adoption by three weeks and saved franchisees more than 40 hours per pricing round.
At Ultimate Medical Academy, I built and led analytics and business intelligence teams, deploying machine learning models that improved student lifecycle value by $25M annually and delivered a $15M balance-sheet impact through a new Bad Debt Model. I also improved an Early Student Retention Model from a two-hour run time to two minutes with 95% accuracy.
I'm focused on building scalable analytics centers of excellence, data governance frameworks, and AI-enabled decision systems that turn complex data into clear operational and financial outcomes.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Partnered with Operations leadership to enhance metrics that drove a 10% Traffic boost and built a data culture that transformed one-time analysis into automated, action-driven insight. Established standards for LLM-assisted analytics engineering using Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, compressing development cycles and expanding delivery capacity.
Orchestrated an optimal pricing architecture, boosting pricing adoption from 50% to over 95% of the Popeyes system, leading to $90M+ in yearly sales. Transformed pricing recommendations from static Excel outputs to a dynamic, narrative-driven approach, improving data governance and automating processes.
Director, Analytics and Business Intelligence
Jul 2021 - Aug 2022 (1 year 1 month)
Owned company-wide analytical structure to deliver data-driven insights and influence executive decisions. Built scalable analytics, managed predictive models, and optimized student life cycle value by $25M per year through machine learning model deployment.
Led a team of 4 direct reports, establishing best practices and transforming data usage through documentation process management. Spearheaded 200+ analytical initiatives and created 5+ machine learning models that improved financial planning and accuracy.
Managed a 3-member analyst team, leading production of predictive analytics, reporting, and statistical modeling to mitigate student attrition and improve post-graduation placement outcomes. Introduced a strategic planning tool for $20M+ in annual staffing costs.
Built the foundation for the company's data culture in a start-up environment, automating SQL-based reporting and Power BI dashboards that improved cash flow visibility by $5M+.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
Tulane University
Master of Business Administration, International Business
MBA with a concentration in International Business from Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business.
Nicholls State University
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Nicholls State University.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
United StatesAuthorized to work in
Job categories
Skills
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