Carlos Portobanco
Rockford,IL
Summary
Highly Accomplished Hospitality Leader who makes decisions to reflect positively on multimillion-dollar, multi-site operations in alignment with a company’s vision, value, and goals and who works to attain a competitive advantage and generate robust hospitality growth while seeing the “big picture” across evolving markets. Visionary Professional who rises above challenges to improve the bottom line, including quickly adapting to diverse scenarios to optimize labor resources and reach high profit and productivity levels and implementing multi-brand property strategies. Proactive and Bilingual Communicator (Spanish / English) who develops synergistic relationships with cross-geographical decision-makers, hospitality staff, unions, vendors, and guests, and who leads peers by example and with integrity to inspire confidence and forge strong teamwork to meet objectives.
Overview
34
34
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant General Manager
Embassy Suites by Hilton
08.2023 - 01.2024
- Played a crucial role in supporting the General Manager in all hotel operations, focusing on guest satisfaction, employee development, and financial performance
- Monitored and analyzed financial reports, multi-million-dollar budgets, and forecasts to identify areas for improvement and cost-saving opportunities
- Selected Achievements:
- Ensured exceptional guest service by maintaining high standards of quality and cleanliness, contributing to a 4.8 rating
- Managed and mentored six department heads with 100+ staff, ensuring operational efficiency and guest experiences
- Assist in developing and implementing strategies to achieve revenue goals and maximize profitability, including conceptualizing a program to drive 7,000 guests for “The Marketplace” event
- Ensured 100% compliance with Hilton brand standards, company policies, and legal regulations
- Contributed to property earning “Hilton Award of Excellence.”
Hotel Night Auditor
DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral
01.2021 - 01.2022
- Assisted in the operation of the front desk and guest services
- Balanced and audited for accuracy in room revenue, taxes, cashier reports, and guest accounts
- Selected Achievements:
- Assisted in preparing reports relevant to daily room division revenues of ~$150K
- Completed and transmitted daily management and accounting reports and supporting documents
- Prepared customer tracking reports, market segmentation reports, and F&B revenue reporting
- Contributed to a 4.5-star guest satisfaction rating
Assistant Director of Conference and Banquet
DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport
01.2020 - 01.2021
- Directed conference and banquet operations for 42 meeting rooms with 138,198 sq
- Ft
- Of total event space, accommodating 30-2500 guests/attendees
- Accountabilities included managing efficacy operations to reduce labor costs, inventory allocation, waste reduction and cost controls, hiring/training/developing staff, and payroll/budgeting
- Personnel: 50+ FTE, PTE, On-Call Employees
- Budget: $7M
- Selected Achievements:
- Drove a sustainable growth of 5% in F&B revenue YoY
- Implemented effective organization, financial management, and inventory controls that greatly impacted the bottom line
- 10% inventory reduction, 15% employee retention, 40% operating margin
Director of Food & Beverage
Mama’s Jennies Italian Restaurant
01.2017 - 01.2020
- Optimized financial performance and drove revenue gains through effective financial and budget management, talent management, SOP development and implementation, and supply chain management
- Personnel: 28+ FTE & PTE
- Budget: $1M
- Selected Achievements:
- Overachieved budgeting goals and operation cost controls, consistently delivering under budget
- Food: Actual 25.5% vs
- 28% goal | Beverage: Actual 21.1% vs
- 24% goal
- Labor: Actual 60% vs
- 64% goal | Operation Costs: Actual 24.3% vs 30.6% goal
- Developed and deployed financial management and customer experience strategies that grew revenue by 20% YoY
- Consolidated vendor contracts, negotiated 12% in savings, and created win-win relationships
- Drove 100% quality and 16% overall cost reduction
Operations Manager | Real Estate Property Manager
Portobanco Family Rental Property
01.2012 - 01.2020
- Instrumental in concurrently managing a family-owned rental property with full-time employment
- Managed a $65K annual CAPEX budget for four (4) fully equipped/furnished rental houses, including vendor invoicing, account balancing, and payroll
- Selected Achievements:
- Captured $180K in annual revenues with a 65.7% ROI
- Managed basic check and balance account process using Excel for three vendors and four contractors on 45-day cycles
Assistant Director – Food & Beverage
Miami Seaquarium (Palace Entertainment)
01.2015 - 01.2017
- Capitalized on the opportunity to lead forward-thinking F&B operations, including directing daily functions of 11 on-site stands and food service facilities
- Championed purchasing, inventory management, expense controls, and vendor relations initiatives while complying with local, state, and federal regulations
- Personnel: 74+ FTE
- Budget: $1.8M
- Selected Achievements:
- Implemented effective strategies to increase sales and reduce costs, including staff participation, introducing KPIs, creating daily stand-up meetings, and daily inventory tracking
- Food: Actual 26.3% vs
- 28% goal | Beverage: Actual 23.4% vs
- 25% goal
- Labor: Actual 62% vs
- 64% goal | Operation Costs: Actual 26% vs
- 32% goal
- Initiated and gained approval from General Manager to implement an employee appreciation program, which increased employee satisfaction and retention by 10%
- Fostered and improved relationship with a critical vendor, which boosted sales by 70%, generating an additional $10-$25K weekly, and led to the opening of a new daily outlet that captured another $25K in weekly revenue
- Grew revenue by 25% over the previous year through targeted cross-sales and promotions
- Reduced expenses by 20% by coordinating seamless daily inventory and product ordering processes
Operations Manager | F&B Director | Purchasing Director | Assistant Director of Engineering
The Alexander Hotel (Luxury Residentials)
01.1990 - 01.2012
- We strategically steered fast-paced hotel operations, directing guest services-focused front- and back-end initiatives
- Personnel: 100+ FTE
- Budget: $22M
- Selected Achievements:
- Reduced labor effort, just-on-time service, and increased revenue by 25%
- Consistently delivered under budget at 23.9% vs
- 36% goal
- Successfully coordinated large-scale inventory checks ($760K value) with multiple departments monthly
- Liaised among producers from Travel Channel’s Man vs
- Food during the on-site filming of an episode
- Improved new avenues of income and participated in business development endeavors to capture $195K in new YoY revenue
- Reduced expenses by 40% by monitoring costs, consolidating contracts, and managing vendor relations
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Literature
Colegio Salesiano Don Bosco
Nicaragua12-1982
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Business Administration, Finance Specialization
St. Thomas University
Miami, FL01.2021
Skills
- Team management
- Budget management
- Cost management strategies
- Strategic financial planning
- Effective communication skills
- Food and beverage management
- Occupancy management
- Hotel financial analysis
- Team leadership
- Understanding of GAAP standards
- Process optimization
- Brand consistency management
- Effective time management
- Hotel management
- Experienced in Microsoft Office applications
- Team leadership
- Inventory management
- Operational efficiency oversight
- Team skill enhancement
- Experienced team leader
- Workplace relationship management
- Health and safety standards adherence
- Development experience
- Shift allocation planning
- CRM expertise
- Operational management
- Financial oversight
- Strategic business development
- Talent acquisition and development
- Experience in strategic planning initiatives
- Efficiency optimization
- Strategic vendor partnerships
- Financial data analysis
- Customer loyalty management
- Project workflow management
- Innovative menu planning
- Operational efficiency enhancement
- Effective resource distribution
- Program management
- Expertise in budget management
- Supplier negotiation
- Strategic marketing initiatives
- Operational management
- Strategic financial oversight
- Strong team management skills
- Skill enhancement coordination
- Background in operational management
- Effective promotions strategy
- Leadership in financial operations
- Cost optimization
- Effective team collaboration
- Client relations
- Talent acquisition
- Skilled team leader
- Customer service leadership
- Team development
- Calendar management
- Staff engagement strategies
- Recruitment and employee integration
- Effective schedule coordination
- Analytical decision-making
- Collaborative team management
- Inventory oversight experience
- Customer engagement expertise
- Inventory management
- Business strategy formulation
- Training development management
- Strategic relationship development
- Team building leadership
- Quality management
- Talent acquisition
- Team member coaching
- Operations management
- Team workload management
- Compliance and policy oversight
- Financial efficiency assessment
- Financial performance management
- Performance assessment
- Budget management
- Operational improvements
- Efficiency improvement
- Conducting performance evaluations
- Financial planning
- Record organization
- Employee appraisal analysis
- Procurement and strategy
- Departmental leadership
- Financial management
- Organizational design
- Statistical analysis
- Results-oriented goal planning
- Business expansion strategies
- Effective sales strategies
- Operational management
- Strategic delegation abilities
- Financial efficiency
- Market expansion efforts
- Experience with desktops, laptops, and mobile technology
- Comprehensive financial planning
- Integrated marketing strategies
- Profitability improvement
- Analytical thinking
Accomplishments
- Showcase the Alexander Hotel (Luxury Residential) while liaised among producers from Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food during the on-site filming of an episode.
- Spearheaded the initiative to franchise the renowned Shula’s Steak House within the Alexander Hotel, a project that aligned premium brand recognition with our strategic vision for enhancing guest experience and maximizing financial performance.
- The Embassy Suites by Hilton:
- Assist in developing and implementing strategies to achieve revenue goals and maximize profitability, including conceptualizing a program to drive 7,000 guests for “The Marketplace” event.
- Ensured 100% compliance with Hilton brand standards, company policies, and legal regulations.
- Contributed to property earning "Hilton Award of Excellence.”
Training
- F&B Management Development Program
- Leadership Training
- Purchasing & Procurement
- Wine Tasting
Hilton Award of Excellence
Hilton Award of Excellence – Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford, IL
As Assistant General Manager, I was proud to be part of the leadership team that led our property to earn the Hilton Award of Excellence, one of Hilton’s highest honors recognizing top-performing hotels for exceptional service, operational excellence, and guest satisfaction.
This achievement was the result of collaborative leadership and a unified team culture. From front desk to housekeeping, engineering to food & beverage, every department played a key role in delivering consistent quality and exceeding brand standards. Together, we built a service-driven environment where guests felt truly welcomed and cared for.
Key factors contributing to this recognition:
- Sustained guest satisfaction scores well above brand average
- Strong team engagement and retention in a highly competitive market
- Seamless coordination across departments to maintain operational excellence
- Proactive leadership during periods of high demand and staffing challenges
I’m incredibly proud of the entire team at Embassy Suites Rockford for their dedication and resilience. This award stands as a testament to our shared commitment to excellence and creating memorable experiences for every guest.
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeWork Location
On-SiteHybridRemoteImportant To Me
Career advancementWork-life balanceCompany CultureFlexible work hoursPersonal development programsHealthcare benefitsWork from home optionPaid time offTeam Building / Company RetreatsPaid sick leave401k matchStock Options / Equity / Profit SharingTimeline
Assistant General Manager
Embassy Suites by Hilton
08.2023 - 01.2024
Hotel Night Auditor
DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral
01.2021 - 01.2022
Assistant Director of Conference and Banquet
DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport
01.2020 - 01.2021
Director of Food & Beverage
Mama’s Jennies Italian Restaurant
01.2017 - 01.2020
Assistant Director – Food & Beverage
Miami Seaquarium (Palace Entertainment)
01.2015 - 01.2017
Operations Manager | Real Estate Property Manager
Portobanco Family Rental Property
01.2012 - 01.2020
Operations Manager | F&B Director | Purchasing Director | Assistant Director of Engineering
The Alexander Hotel (Luxury Residentials)
01.1990 - 01.2012
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Literature
Colegio Salesiano Don Bosco
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Business Administration, Finance Specialization
St. Thomas University
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