Donte Gaffney
Chicago,IL
Summary
Intend to build a career at a leading, corporate, hi-tech environment with committed, dedicated people, which will help to explore myself and realize potential. Willing to work as a key player in a challenging & creative environment. Serviced-focused General Manager dedicated to delivering positive customer experiences to promote loyalty and repeat business. Orchestrates optimal resource utilization to handle expected operational needs. Sales leader with sound judgment, good planning abilities and interpersonal communication strengths.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Corporate General Manager
312 Hospitality Group / HUE Chicago
01.2022 - Current
- Accommodate and anticipate guests needs
- Implement and provide recommendations on operating standards, policies, and procedures to be followed by line level managers and staff
- Maintain highest standards of food and beverage quality, guest service, cost control, and consistency in accordance with company's expectations
- Responsible for hiring, training, management, coaching, counselling, and evaluation of all members of the team
- Consistently monitor sales and expenses, approving all purchase orders before they are executed
- Assist in the development of the budget; manage P&L and ensure managers’ report all variances on a timely basis (minimally, once a month)
- Assist in timely and accurate completion of all periodend financial statements and reports, and provide controls to ensure proper handling and accounting for all venue receipts
- Manage weekly forecasting of cost expenditures and staffing vs
- Sales
- Maintain frequent communication with the Executive Team and ensure they are aware of all major occurrences at the venue
- Operate with an open-door policy, listen to and understand requests of the team, respond with appropriate actions, and provide accurate information
- Interact with all department personnel and venue staff as needed
- Ensure inventory levels are maintained for facilitating proper venue operations, enforce strict inventory controls, and participate in monthly inventory reconciliations in conjunction with purchasing and finance teams
- Ensure that no members of staff are permitted to work if they are not suitably dressed or groomed
- Monitor guest satisfaction on all levels, including social media platforms
- Ensure health, safety, and sanitation requirements follow the Department of Health, OSHA, Gaming, and any city or state agencies rules and laws such as the Department of Buildings and the Fire Department, and ensure all managers are kept abreast of any changes in the law
- Participate in community events and ensure corporate social responsibility goals of the company are met
- Work in conjunction with the ownership and Public Relations team on a marketing plan that results in optimum recognition and maximum number of covers for the venue
- Monitor market trends, research consumer markets and competitor’s activities to identify opportunities and key issues
- Work in conjunction with the ownership to oversee marketing and advertising activities to ensure consistency with product line strategy
- Execute sales goals
- Accurately forecast staffing needs to ensure optimum customer service
- Work in conjunction with the Sales team to ensure all private events, catering, and banquets are successfully executed
- Control cash and other receipts by adhering to cash handling procedures
- Assist in preparation of all required paperwork, including forms, reports and schedules
- Ensure that all equipment is kept clean and in excellent working condition through personal inspection and by following the venues preventative maintenance programs
- Ensure that all products are received in accordance with the venues receiving policies and procedures
- Assists and conducts conflict resolution, corrective actions and coaching
- Oversee and ensure that employee performance appraisals are completed in a timely manner
- Ensure that talent and technical production are working smoothly at the venues; create special mood for the guests
- Assists and/ or completes additional tasks as assigned.
Brand Ambassador
Duo Vodka
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Serve as the human face of the brand and embody the brand’s essence and values
- Engage with various stakeholders, including customers, bartenders, merchants, journalists, and salespeople
- Promote enthusiasm for the brand through tastings, events, and interactions
- Educate consumers about the brand, its history, production process, and unique features
- Conduct tastings at liquor stores, bars, and events to showcase the brand’s products
- Build relationships with industry professionals, influencers, and potential customers
- Use social media platforms to promote the brand and engage with followers
- Attend and organize events, trade shows, and festivals
- Train staff at bars and restaurants on the brand’s offerings.
- Increased positive word-of-mouth referrals through genuine, personalized customer interactions and excellent product knowledge.
- Increased brand awareness through event marketing, demonstrations, sales, and brand promotion.
- Identified key high-traffic, consumer-centric locations and built rapport with prospective customers and vendors.
- Educated consumers about product benefits, leading to increased interest and sales conversions.
- Developed lasting connections with industry professionals through networking at conferences, workshops, and other relevant gatherings.
- Planned future sampling opportunities and special events.
- Achieved targeted marketing goals by collaborating closely with team members to develop effective strategies for each campaign.
- Maintained detailed records of promotional activities, results achieved, and areas for improvement to inform future campaigns.
- Designed, filled, and arranged eye-catching product floorsets to increase sales.
- Developed recap reports to communicate competition trends, product introductions and new promotions.
- Managed inventory levels at promotional events to ensure adequate product supply while minimizing waste or shortages.
- Increased social media presence for various brands by generating quality content during marketing events and sharing it on multiple platforms.
- Reviewed and implemented new company initiatives and executed product activations.
- Developed creative displays and signage to draw customers to products.
- Planned and organized sampling events by working hand-in-hand with retail store managers and leaders.
- Developed and executed promotional campaigns to drive brand awareness and sales.
- Demonstrated products to customers to illustrate features, advantages and benefits.
- Increased sales by effectively communicating product benefits.
- Established and maintained positive relationships with customers.
- Maintained clean, organized and professional work environment.
Manager
Deuces/ Santa Baby/Casey Moran’s
01.2020 - 01.2022
- Spend busy nights glad-handing customers to ensure their dining experience is the best
- Excellent people skills – both staff and customers – Positive energy, leadership qualities, sets the right tone for the company at the top
- A strong foundation in beer, wine and spirit knowledge and inventory controls
- Very comfortable with technology and willingness to use technology to improve the business and open-mindedness to legacy operations including shared/remote systems, inventory systems, marketing/promo systems
- Knowledge or and familiarity with the brand and diverse clientele
- An ability to balance the cool, fun, relaxed vibe with tight business controls
- Great ability to manage staff and customer issues with positivity
- Understanding of and ability to interface with marketing and creatives
- An ability to feel the room and make sure that we are setting the right atmosphere including sensibilities for music, lighting, video and other atmospheric elements
- Compliance with all rules and regulation for the business and licenses
- Set a positive, happy, professional, fun, cool, tone for the staff
- Recruit, interview and hire team members
- Staff motivation and morale programs
- Familiarity with labor laws and best practices
- Familiarity with anti-harassment in the workplace
- Oversee disciplinary action and firing
- Manage staff and training
- Staff scheduling
- Performance Reviews and ongoing staff improvement and motivation
- Payroll budgeting and labor costing
- Oversee staff schedules and payroll target
- Inventory control
- Oversee pricing and COGS targets
- Deal and promo management
- Work with beverage directors
- Ensure menus and product meets market needs and COGS targets
- POS and technology abilities
- Inventory oversight of alcohol and supplies
- Managing budgets
- Improving Revenue
- Improving Operating margins and profitability
- Evaluating performance
- Interface with bookkeepers and accountants
- Ensure sales tax and other taxes are collected and remitted properly
- Generating reports and P&L review and oversight.
Commercial Bankruptcy/Foreclosure Timeline Coordinator/Asset Manager/Compliance Analyst
Ocwen Loan Servicing/Goldman Sachs
01.2012 - 01.2020
- Monitor Chapter 11, Total Debts, Cram Downs, Adversaries, and Litigation
- Support Legal Department and bankruptcy vendor(s) with escalated matters
- Monitor loans for cash flow and refer to attorney for appropriate legal action
- Complete detail research/account auditing as necessary
- Assist management in quality assurance with vendor relationships to ensure quality of service and to ensure departmental goals are met
- Prepare written responses to customer correspondence and web-mail
- Prepare written responses to presidential complaints on bankruptcy related disputes
- Handle customer service related issues for borrowers (Escrow Analysis, Coupons, Taxes, Insurance and Loss Drafts)
- Provide monthly status reports to Investor/Insurer
- Answer inbound customer calls via bankruptcy queue
- Monitor and process CAR-FORM report
- Other duties as assigned
- Refer loans to foreclosure
- Contact foreclosure attorneys on loans in foreclosure
- Maintain foreclosure timeline and monitor overdue timeline events
- Review daily/weekly reports for exceptions and timeline discrepancies
- Confirm sale dates and ensure the attorney has bidding instructions
- Approve re-projections and issues raised by the Vendor
- Escalate document processing delays to Management
- Communicate with the attorneys as to ensure the current status of the loan is reflected at all times
- Identify and refer contested loans to Sr Fc Specialist for resolution/settlement
- Other duties as assigned
- Supervise a staff of 8+ Foreclosure Specialists and/or Administrators
- Identify areas for process improvement and help implement new processes as necessary
- Training of new hires on all systems of record, investor guidelines and industry standards
- Training of team on new processes as implemented
- Use reporting to manage the team and make changes to reporting as necessary
- All aspects of personnel management including coaching and annual reviews
- Act as the Foreclosure point of contact for other departments within the Company as well as attorney firms on escalated issues
- Track and analyze departmental data and report on the activities of the team
- Assist with attorney billing and invoice approval
- Accept special tasks as necessary and assume responsibility for successfully achieving objectives
- Review, research and respond timely to departmental audits both internal and external for default departments
- Work closely with the Operations management team and their staff to determine root causes for issues and provide recommended solutions
- Work with Compliance Department to assist with coordination of rebuttals and remediation activities within the operational teams
- Manage call model process including attending monthly call calibration sessions with supervisors and call audit team
- Act as mediator for call dispute resolutions/escalations & send reminders to Supervisors to manage call disputes.
- Entered data, generated reports, and produced tracking documents.
- Improved team productivity with regular communication and progress updates, fostering a collaborative work environment.
- Enhanced operational workflows by maintaining well-organized documentation systems and updating records accurately as needed.
- Gathered and organized materials to support operations.
- Managed project timelines for successful completion, ensuring milestones were met and deadlines were adhered to.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by responding promptly to inquiries and addressing concerns professionally.
- Tracked records, filed documents and maintained communication between clients to manage office activities.
- Coached employees through day-to-day work and complex problems.
- Collaborated with department heads to develop strategic plans aligning with overall company objectives, fostering a unified approach toward shared goals.
- Used job-related software to draft and finalize written correspondence and documentation.
- Participated in workshops and in-service meetings to enhance personal growth and professional development.
- Set priorities and problem-solved workflow issues to maintain rapport with customers and managers.
- Coordinated cross-functional teams, resulting in seamless project execution and enhanced outcomes.
- Increased efficiency by streamlining coordination processes and implementing new organizational systems.
- Developed comprehensive reports for senior management, enabling informed decision-making based on data-driven insights.
- Contributed to business growth by identifying opportunities for process improvement and recommending actionable solutions.
- Oversaw scheduling tasks efficiently, ensuring optimal staff coverage during peak times without sacrificing quality of service delivery or exceeding budget constraints.
- Monitored performance metrics consistently and implemented corrective actions when needed, contributing to continuous improvement initiatives.
- Managed budgets skillfully by tracking expenses diligently and allocating resources appropriately based on priority needs.
- Assisted in recruitment efforts, coordinating interviews and managing onboarding activities for new hires effectively.
- Handled incoming and outgoing shipping and receiving activities.
- Evaluated operational practices and identified improvement opportunities to develop revisions for systems and procedures.
- Resolved conflicts swiftly among team members through effective mediation techniques, fostering an amicable working environment conducive to collaboration.
- Collected and analyzed business data from various departments to prepare reports and presentations for management.
- Inventoried and ordered office supplies to maintain availability of products.
- Organized company-wide events that boosted employee morale and cultivated team spirit within the organization.
- Reduced logistical errors through meticulous planning of transportation schedules and inventory management practices.
- Negotiated contracts successfully with vendors securing favorable terms while upholding high-quality standards.
- Spearheaded volunteer programs that positively impacted local communities while showcasing the company''s commitment to social responsibility.
- Utilized proactive communication abilities to resolve employment-related disputes.
- Coordinated with human resources department to handle payroll and personnel databases.
- Managed company schedule to coordinate calendar and arrange travel.
- Streamlined vendor management processes, facilitating improved relationships and timely service deliveries.
- Studied processes, implemented cost reductions and developed reporting procedures to maintain administrative workflow.
- Implemented cost-saving measures through resource allocation optimization, leading to significant budget reductions.
- Resolved issues through active listening and open-ended questioning, escalating major problems to manager.
- Coordinated individual duties after careful evaluation of each employee's skill level and knowledge.
- Hired, managed, developed and trained staff, established and monitored goals, conducted performance reviews and administered salaries for staff.
- Oversaw appointment scheduling and itinerary coordination for both clients and personnel.
- Implemented project management techniques to overcome obstacles and increase team productivity.
- Organized spaces, materials and catering support for internal and client-focused meetings.
- Delegated tasks to administrative support staff to organize and improve office efficiency.
- Provided backup to front desk to step in to assist with various tasks whenever employee was absent or at lunch.
- Kept high average of performance evaluations.
- Organized meetings for executives and coordinated availability of conference rooms for participants.
- Improved office operations by automating client correspondence, record tracking and data communications.
- Improved customer satisfaction scores through application of superior conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
- Managed supervisor itinerary and appointments and streamlined scheduling procedures.
- Monitored front areas so that questions could be promptly addressed.
- Developed internal requirements and standards to minimize regulatory risks and liability across programs.
- Completed bi-weekly payroll for [Number] employees.
- Interceded between employees during arguments and diffused tense situations.
- Built highly-efficient administrative team through ongoing coaching and professional development opportunities.
- Trained team members on new hotel services and products to support promotional efforts.
- Conducted ongoing reviews of program financial systems to assess cost control measures.
- Optimized organizational systems for payment collections, AP/AR, deposits, and recordkeeping.
Mortgage Foreclosure Specialist
JP Morgan Chase
10.2009 - 12.2011
- Prepare mortgage files for foreclosure
- Responsible for reviewing loans for chain of title
- Completing the chain of title
- Review daily reports for vacancies, damages, inspections and estimates according to policies and procedures and investor guidelines
- Review foreclosure files and submit bidding packages to Portfolio Administration for review
- Manage foreclosure timelines and workflow processes on loans in foreclosure in accordance with established work rules, goals & objectives to improve timeline and attorney performance
- Refer loans to foreclosure
- Contact foreclosure attorneys on loans in foreclosure
- Approve re-projections and issues raised by the Vendor
- Escalate document processing delays to Management
- Communicate with the attorneys as to ensure the current status of the loan is reflected at all times
- Identify and refer contested loans to Sr Fc Specialist for resolution/settlement.
Education
Bachelor in Business Management -
University of Houston Downtown
Houston, TX05.2024
High School Diploma -
West Monroe High School
Monroe01.2005
Skills
- Branding, Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Business Strategy, Event Coordination, Etc
Community Liaison 1st District Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department 2022 – Present
Assistant Beverage Operations Partner for serval festival’s 5,000 Person Events 2022 – Present
References
Upon request
Timeline
Corporate General Manager
312 Hospitality Group / HUE Chicago
01.2022 - Current
Brand Ambassador
Duo Vodka
01.2022 - 01.2023
Manager
Deuces/ Santa Baby/Casey Moran’s
01.2020 - 01.2022
Commercial Bankruptcy/Foreclosure Timeline Coordinator/Asset Manager/Compliance Analyst
Ocwen Loan Servicing/Goldman Sachs
01.2012 - 01.2020
Mortgage Foreclosure Specialist
JP Morgan Chase
10.2009 - 12.2011
Bachelor in Business Management -
University of Houston Downtown
High School Diploma -
West Monroe High School