ELIZABETH KER
Washington,DC
Summary
Senior hospitality technology leader specializing in point-of-sale strategy, strategic vendor partnership ownership, and enterprise-scale execution. Brings deep food and beverage operations experience, translating frontline needs into scalable technology enhancements that improve performance and guest experience. Owns and manages critical vendor relationships, influencing product roadmaps, and driving innovative system capabilities to enable operational excellence across complex environments. Leads global training strategy, reporting and insights, stakeholder communications, and cross-functional initiatives that strengthen adoption, and deliver measurable business outcomes.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Manager, Global Point of Sale
Marriott International, Inc.
Bethesda, Maryland
06.2024 - Current
- Serve as the business owner for Marriott’s Toast POS relationship, managing the strategic vendor partnership, and driving the product roadmap forward to enable enterprise-scale operations.
- Drove successful Toast adoption across 600+ properties in the U.S., partnering with hotels and cross-functional stakeholders to support onboarding, readiness, and execution at scale.
- Lead enterprise POS roadmap planning and stakeholder alignment by developing a multi-year strategy and documentation for product deployment, enhancements, and innovation priorities.
- Built and scaled enterprise enablement programs, including Toast webinars, office hours, surveys, and structured onboarding improvements, to strengthen adoption and operational readiness.
- Developed high-impact learning content and support materials, including 30+ Marriott-specific Toast training videos, 40+ knowledge-based articles, and property-facing job aids to improve usability and self-service.
- Managed enterprise Toast POS user permissions and access controls, ensuring security compliance while enabling on-property leaders with the right level of system access; partnered with Toast to expand permission granularity to meet enterprise needs.
- Owned third-party integration partner management across all POS platforms, including new vendor intake, security review kickoff, API specification review, and global communications to support integration availability and property adoption.
- Led cross-brand pilot programs across diverse property types to validate product functionality, capture field feedback, and build enterprise rollout plans—including onboarding materials, user guides, support models, and communication strategies.
- Led innovation initiatives across guest experience and restaurant technology, including kiosk strategy, deployment enablement, and field readiness support for adoption at scale.
- Partnered with internal engineering, payments, and vendor teams to advance handheld strategy and device enablement, including discovery and pilot planning, improving operational scalability, and frontline efficiency.
- Implemented and operationalized Toast onboarding enhancements, including Professional Services rollout, and conversion support models to improve onboarding outcomes across property segments.
- Delivered enterprise feature enablement and communications for new Toast enhancements (e.g., reporting, analytics, device management, digital signature), aligning capabilities to operational needs and rollout readiness.
MANAGER, GLOBAL POINT OF SALE
Marriott International
06.2023 - 06.2024
- Owned global point of sale support intake and resolution, partnering with hotels and internal stakeholders to address vendor requests, software enhancements, third-party integrations, and operational change needs.
- Led the development and continuous improvement of Marriott/Toast POS enablement materials for manager and associate audiences, ensuring HR-aligned content and Marriott-specific operational guidance.
- Managed enterprise POS communications, delivering targeted updates on outages, upgrades, new capabilities, and critical changes to drive adoption, and reduce operational disruption.
- Maintained and enhanced Marriott Global Source POS content, publishing advancements, downtime notifications, and system improvements to keep property teams informed and compliant.
- Delivered training and enablement for Operations and Training teams on Toast, partnering with the vendor to incorporate best practices, and improve readiness for new hotel openings.
- Partnered with Digital and Brand teams to support mobile dining initiatives, contributing to scalable implementation, and revenue-driving guest experiences.
- Collaborated with Program Evaluation to produce global workstation reporting, and maintain live hotel lists used for billing accuracy across GPOS-supported properties.
- Partnered with IT and engineering teams to certify PMS exports for Toast, enabling expanded deployment opportunities, and improved integration reliability.
- Managed centralized Courtyard Bistro menu programming in partnership with F&B, maintaining items, modifiers, beverage/alcohol updates, and pricing tiers.
- Created knowledge-base articles and property support documentation focused on Toast enhancements, permissions, and security standards to strengthen self-service, and governance.
- Utilized Smartsheet and Oasis to support project planning, stakeholder communication, and execution tracking across cross-functional initiatives.
- Supported rollout and enhancements for third-party integrations, partnering with digital teams to coordinate readiness and change communications.
- Partnered with property leadership on go-live planning, including finance, accounting workflows, implementation equipment, integration requirements, digital products, and post-launch support steps.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Sunnyside Restaurant Group
01.2021 - 06.2023
- Directed multi-unit operational strategy across owned and franchised assets, supporting performance, consistency, and scalability across diverse markets.
- Led monthly, quarterly, and annual P&L reviews for each concept, partnering with store leaders to identify performance trends, cost opportunities, and growth levers.
- Managed a team of 60+ salaried and hourly employees across DC-based locations, including Good Stuff Eatery, We The Pizza, and Santa Rosa Taqueria.
- Developed and launched enterprise operations guides and training materials, including COVID-era SOPs, to standardize execution across both owned and franchised locations.
- Owned U.S. Reopening strategy following COVID closures, building, and leading a task force to hire, train, and relaunch operations efficiently.
- Led new store openings end-to-end, including staffing, onboarding, training, purchasing, and operational readiness.
- Negotiated third-party delivery contracts and rollout strategy, driving a 25% sales lift at We The Pizza and a 12% lift at Good Stuff Eatery; positioned We The Pizza in the top 5% of DC restaurants on Uber Eats.
- Created and led philanthropic initiatives (“We The Troops” and “Hospital Heroes”), enabling the donation of over 50,000 pizzas to National Guard units and frontline hospital teams.
- Led concept development and project management for new locations (We The Pizza Express and Santa Rosa Taqueria), coordinating cross-functional workstreams across design, construction, marketing, and operations.
- Partnered with the social media team to strengthen digital presence, increasing the collective follower count by 20% and driving engagement to 2% in six months.
- Oversaw online reputation management and guest feedback response strategy, ensuring service recovery accountability across leadership teams.
- Led e-commerce improvements through website revamps, and implemented loyalty programs and branded apps across concepts to strengthen retention and repeat visits.
BAR MANAGER
Blacks Restaurant Group
03.2016 - 12.2020
- Head bartender for a three-concept restaurant and bar, including a 65-seat dining room and a 250-seat lounge/cocktail bar; supported operations in a high-volume environment, generating over $6 million in annual sales.
- Organized standardized recipes and production schedules for a COVID-era cocktail batching program to support efficient execution and consistency.
- Led marketing development for bar programming, including limited-time offerings (LTOs), happy hours, and special events through social media and email marketing.
- Managed weekly inventory and purchasing for beer, wine, spirits, and bar supplies to maintain service readiness, and support cost control.
- Built and maintained strategic brand and vendor partnerships to support large-scale bar programming, sponsored activations, and high-traffic seasonal events.
- Coordinated monthly vendor R&D sessions to evaluate new products and introduce updated offerings into bar programming.
- Led seasonal cocktail menu changes and managed liquor cost performance through inventory controls, financial review, and monthly analysis.
- Customized POS configuration to support profitability, reporting accuracy, and inventory optimization.
- Led training, cocktail development, and bar SOPs in support of the opening of TILT Side Bar, ensuring operational readiness and consistent execution.
- Developed quarterly seasonal cocktail menus across each concept, including recipe documentation and guidelines for team circulation.
GENERAL MANAGER
BEARNAISE
04.2015 - 03.2016
- Led full-service restaurant operations for an 85-seat French brasserie, driving daily execution, team performance, and guest experience across lunch and dinner service.
- Directed private events program averaging 4 events per week, owning end-to-end planning, pricing, bookings, and staffing to maximize revenue and operational flow.
- Partnered with the Executive Chef to design diverse, cost-conscious menus aligned to guest demand and budget targets.
- Spearheaded a full overhaul of SOPs, operations guides, onboarding materials, training programs, and inventory strategy to strengthen consistency and scalability.
- Owned monthly, quarterly, and annual P&L reviews, identifying performance trends and improvement opportunities for ownership.
- Implemented a new POS system and led team training, enabling smoother service execution, improved accuracy, and stronger reporting visibility.
- Led e-commerce and brand growth efforts, including a website refresh and the launch of a social media presence to increase visibility and engagement.
- Developed marketing initiatives and brand identity work streams, expanding digital discoverability through restaurant platforms and Google Business Profile setup.
BAR MANAGER
BEARNAISE
01.2014 - 04.2015
- Managed bar operations for a 20-seat bistro bar, ensuring consistent execution, service quality, and guest satisfaction.
- Led all bar training, onboarding, and performance coaching to strengthen team readiness and service consistency.
- Developed seasonal cocktail and wine menus to drive variety, elevate brand experience, and support revenue opportunities.
- Coordinated monthly vendor R&D tastings to test product innovation and identify new additions for menu rotation.
- Controlled weekly purchasing and inventory management for beer, wine, liquor, and bar supplies to support optimal product availability, and cost management.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administrations, Marketing and Management, Communications and Media Studies
Fordham University
Bronx, NY05-2013
Skills
- Vendor Management
- Strategic Partnerships
- Stakeholder Management
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Operational Excellence
- Process Improvement
- Change Management
- Training Development
- Systems Implementation
- Microsoft Office tools (Jira, Salesforce, Smartsheet, Oasis)
Awards
- Michelin's Bib Gourmand, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, 2016, 2017, 2018
- 'Favorite Gathering Place', Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) RAMMY AWARDS - 2017
- ZAGAT 30 under 30 DC Winner, Leadership in Hospitality, 2015
Websites
Affiliations
Women of Food & Beverage - Les Dames DC Member, 2024 - present
Timeline
Senior Manager, Global Point of Sale
Marriott International, Inc.
06.2024 - Current
MANAGER, GLOBAL POINT OF SALE
Marriott International
06.2023 - 06.2024
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Sunnyside Restaurant Group
01.2021 - 06.2023
BAR MANAGER
Blacks Restaurant Group
03.2016 - 12.2020
GENERAL MANAGER
BEARNAISE
04.2015 - 03.2016
BAR MANAGER
BEARNAISE
01.2014 - 04.2015
Bachelor of Science - Business Administrations, Marketing and Management, Communications and Media Studies
Fordham University