CARLOS LLANOS

• Provide organizational leadership, strategy, and management for this live events production company with emphasis on driving revenues, controlling expenses and championing the brand
• Responsibilities include production, business development, operations, creative vision, artist relations, logistics, security, safety, legal issues, marketing, public relations, venue booking/permits, vendor management, ticket sales, contract negotiation, scheduling, and staff/volunteer management
• Administer a $1.2M budget and hold full P&L accountability
• Report directly to the SHs
• Key Management Initiatives
• Provide strategic direction and oversight of administrative, financial, operational, and programming activities for annual music festivals in
• Miami, Detroit, New York and Toronto
• Procure venues, determine staffing, assess related travel and lodging requirements, logistics, and VIP/artist/celebrity accommodations
• Developed a comprehensive sustainability plan; establish priorities, processes, and resources for new program development within budget, timeframes, and capacity while maintaining alignment with the organization’s mission
• Continue to build Rakastella’s brand through effective communications and media strategies that elevate the organization’s profile nationally and globally to maximize community presence and reach new audiences
• Finance & Accounting
• Maintain oversight of the organization’s finances to ensure fiscal and fiduciary accountability; develop and direct the short-and long-term budget process; meet revenue goals; and ensure it has the financial resources to realize its ambitions
• Oversee and manage accounting process including accounts payable/receivable, cash flow management, GL, journal entries, balancing accounts, bank reconciliations, collections, projections, payroll, W2s, expense control, and month-end financials
• Staff Management
• Lead and manage a staff of 300 seasonal employees and volunteers consistently communicating company vision, goals, performance, and standards to staff to ensure total event success
• Serve as a liaison with production creative teams and production personnel
• Foster an environment of accountability, excellence, and innovation among staff to inspire them to produce beyond their capabilities
• Select Accomplishments
• Implemented comprehensive revenue plans for ”Where are my Keys Festival” that progressively grew Admissions & Concessions from $220K (FY21) to $550K (FY22)
• Reduced event costs by 20% comparing to prior year, while increasing attendance by 30% to over 10k (FY22).

• Proactively recruited by this startup animal health supplier to establish warehouse and distribution center operations and shipping/receiving departments
• Simultaneously oversaw operations for 3 vet clinics including, P&L management, finance/accounting, marketing/website, compliance, policies/procedures, and staff management
• Worked directly with the CEO.
• Inventory Management.
• Strategically led the management team to drive a positive change in the workforce structure
• Analyzed positions and maximized productivity, profitability, and efficiency throughout all areas of operations
• (Cont
• P2), Established the warehouse including the design of shipping and receiving lanes to maximize the daily output and control the flow of inventory in and out of the building
• Strategically planned accurate ordering and inventory movements throughout the facility
• Opened new branches and designed the office space for maximum efficiency and productivity
• Incorporated best practices and industry standards into the new space
• Established strong relationships with key customers (Allivet, Chewy, 1-800-PetMeds) within the industry and strategically leveraged existing relationships to generate new sales and increase new business
• Worked closely with the CFO to provide financial overview and leadership for major operating considerations and business growth
• Reviewed monthly income statements for key indicators including return on investment, and made adjustments to ensure maximum profitability
• Integral part of the team to grow annual revenues $1MM - $3MM+ in 12 months.

• Promoted to the leadership team to guide the company through an accelerated growth phase
• Oversaw all operations including customer service, pharmacy, warehouse and purchasing
• Hired, trained and managed a staff of 80
• Reported directly to the CEO/Owner of the company

Senior Leadership

• Collaborated directly with the CEO/Owner as well as the Finance Manager to develop new business development and strategic operations plans
• Conducted analysis of consolidated and departmentalized financial data (P&Ls) and delivered recommendations and courses of action to the
• CEO, and Directors of each division
• Drove cost saving initiatives by analyzing expense data and other finance/accounting reports
• Drafted and negotiated all new business agreements with vendors and other business partners
• Identified opportunities for improvement
• Designed and launched new initiatives and projects to improve the function and efficiency of processes.

E-Commerce

• Designed, developed and oversaw a state-of-the-art ecommerce website; created bi-weekly interactive B2C email blasts to include new product releases and promotional items
• Managed each brand in the portfolio and worked extensively with senior leaders and brand partners, to identify growth opportunities and implement new plans
• Managed all aspects of supplier relationships including strategic direction and positioning, and tactics, channel strategy development, performance and overall profitability performance
• Identified and executed product category expansions and new strategic brand additions to the website.

Pharmacy Operations

• Given additional accountability for pharmacy operations encompassing monitoring KPIs, inventory management, purchasing, drug control and auditing, quality control, customer service, budget, scheduling, billing
• Successfully managed inventory within goal range, stayed within budget and maximized cost containment initiatives
• Maintained all computerized patient records to ensure a survey-ready status
• Ensured facility passed state and federal audits and in compliance with all state, federal HIPAA and OSHA regulations.

Customer Service

• Tasked with establishing the customer service department and call center assisting 1000+ customers per day
• Hired, scheduled, trained, developed, evaluated, and mentored service staff
• Worked closely with managers to focus on processes and identify best practices providing the best possible work environment and fostering growth
• Managed, coached and developed sales staff to improve performance
• Utilized data and analytical skills to drive excellence in customer service and other critical business decisions
• Mitigated risk and quickly resolved problems on a daily basis
• Improved employee and customer satisfaction by driving problems to resolution and eliminating recurrence.

• Promoted to create the purchasing department from scratch while continuing to oversee warehouse operations
• Responsibilities encompassed sourcing and supplying all products, pricing, vendor/supplier relations, shipping and distribution, an ecommerce website, and multiple other special projects
• Managed purchasing staff and a $3MM budget
• Continuously sourced and added new products to the catalog; determined purchase requirements; generated and rescheduled purchase orders for sourced goods based on the requirements of the business
• Conducted regular cycle counts of items in inventory to validate the system reports and to maintain inventory reporting integrity
• (Cont
• P3), Authored and wrote all purchasing SOPs and manuals and implemented new purchasing and distribution procedures giving the company the ability to expand their customer base, expand their service area, and offer faster, more efficient service
• Initiated problem resolution to several complex issues directly impacting production and ability to meet client delivery schedules
• Developed and maintained vendor/supplier evaluation program to ensure on-time delivery, quality, and responsiveness
• Identified alternate materials sources and renegotiated contracts, reducing material costs and increasing value-added logistical services
• Established and executed product strategy, and identified and on-boarded new partners with product/brand suppliers to drive growth
• Recognized as the #1 seller for Comfortis ( flea-only RX); and #1 reseller for Nutramax (joint health), 2010 & 2011

• Responsible for all warehouse functions including logistics, shipping/receiving, inventory control, pulling/packing and operational cost control for an 8,000 sq
• Ft
• Facility with 3000 SKUs
• Oversaw a staff of 7
• Developed production flow process and quality assurance check points throughout facility to achieve on-time production
• Reduced inventory requirements 30% by applying JIT techniques along with designing improved forecasting
• Conducted cross-training to enhance staff performance
• Substantially lowered employee turnover while elevating morale
• Oversaw the construction and build out of a new facility from the ground up including office space, production space, and maintenance space, as well as a warehouse and shipping and receiving dock
• Developed best practices for order picking accuracy resulting in reducing customer complaints by 22%
• Provided the highest quality services, while meeting/exceeding deadlines, schedules, budgets and performance requirements.