Description
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS * Food & Beverage professional committed to excellence with over 20 years of success providing Executive oversight for special events up to 80,000 and budgets up to $500,000. * Successful in catering operations general management, large scale multi-vendor food and beverage program administration, daily operations, inventory control, front and back-of-house operations, customer services, vendor relations, improved buying including purveyor negotiations, complete staff training program development, and adherence to corporate and brand standards. * History of improving efficiencies and strong abilities in turning around under-performing programs. * Demonstrated expertise in improving the customer experience, staff retention, and developing program initiatives. * History of successfully identifying program deficiencies, developing remedies, improved processes, program best practices, program and process audit and analysis, and team performance management including setting of goals, providing team with tools and trainings to achieve objectives. * Excellent communication skills and the leadership, discipline and organization to foster relationships and develop and motivate team members. Strong sense or priorities, keen eye for detail and a valued reputation for integrity. PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS 1996 - Present Ranch Event Catering, San Diego, CA Catering Director * Provide leadership and guidance over both corporate and private events up to 80,000 and event budgets up to $500,000. * Exercise headship over events from initial client meeting, through proposal development including menu and event theme development, contract review and negotiations, vendor relations and coordination, event management and production, and post-event reporting. * Manage client relations, ensure integrated communications, manage client expectations, resolve on-site conflicts, and ensure brand standards. * Develop event budget, contract and direct specialty vendors and sub-contractors, ensure accurate scope-of-work, facilitate event change orders as required, and ensure compliance with all budget requirements. * Direct event operations, personnel administration for up to 200 employees, workload and scheduling administration, develop event theme and specialty decor, integrate kitchen and floor staff including on-site direction, and compliance assurance with corporate policies and all local, state and federal food-handling and safety policies and best practices. * Perform site surveys, develop event physical and process mapping guidelines, identify liabilities, and develop strategies to mitigate problems. * Manage and coordinate onsite event production including physical set-up and break-down, author event production schedule, facilitate consistent vendor communications, and ensure compliance with all contract and vendor negotiation requirements. * Coordinate and manage event entertainment including talent negotiations, and booking. Rhonda Wick page two dvddvdwck@aol.com PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS - continued * Facilitate event security including successful liaison with law enforcement as required. * Ensured correct permitting of site as required. * Manage team of up to 200 personnel, direct floor staff for both table and banquet services, ensure compliance with all service standards, and resolve any on-site issues. * Ensure positive flow of all guest traffic through strategic set-up of guest dining areas, food stations, bars, and entry and exit portals for both staff and guests. * Exercise strategic oversight of event personnel, ensure portion, and pour control, manage all event resources, and ensure optimized guest experience. Management highlights include: * Developed proposal and produced fund-raising event for President Barak Obama for 300 guests and $30,000 per plate at Hotel El Cortez in San Diego. * Reduced food costs by 5%, 3 point lower than corporate goals through improved training, portion, spoilage, and shrink controls. * Attained exceptional staff retention through creating a dynamic workplace, developing incentives, improved training, and flexible scheduling. * Efficiencies included food and beverage cost at 25% and labor cost at 22.5% 1993 - 1995 Grand Canyon University College, Phoenix, AZ Food Director * Provided leadership and guidance over operations of university's food program including 15 individual food outlets, main dining room, and concessions. * Managed the performance of up to 75 team members, identified deficiencies, developed remedies including retraining if required. * Provided financial oversight and accountability for all F&B operations, divisional forecasting, and annual budget development and adherence of up to $1.5M annual operating budget. * Collaborated with executive chefs, and kitchen managers on menu planning and special events. * Reviewed and provided analysis of F&B reporting and financial data, identified trends, and developed strategies to mitigate negative trends. * Manage and coordinate special events including physical set-up and break-down, authored event contracts, schedules, and on-site layouts, facilitated vendor communications, and ensured compliance with all contract and vendor negotiation requirements, food handling practices, and safety assurances. * Exercised strategic oversight of incentives, adherence to service standards, and comprehensive personnel training and retention efforts. Achievements: * Developed on-premise catering company for special events and directed all proceeds to ensure food security for all students. 1985 - 1993 Macayos, Phoenix, AZ Catering Director * Eight years of excellence providing leadership over the daily operations for multiple corporate-owned stores in the region. Accomplishments: * Managed, developed and promoted Tri-State civic events for eight cities with 80,000 participants and over 30 regional food vendors. * Provide leadership over cross-functional team tasked to identify, develop, research and close on strategic acquisition of Campbell's Soup canning division with a valuation of $100 million. * Direct all new acquisition synergy, compliance and integration activities including oversight of change management programs, consolidation, and performance metrics development and review.
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