Lisa Kaszubski
Crown Point,IN
Summary
Strategic General Manager with 17 years of experience focused on company growth, including increasing revenues, expanding margin and developing team members. Adaptive and innovative. Consistently executes and completes multiple projects in high-stress environments. Visionary and collaborative leader with comprehensive managerial acumen, offering intuitive foresight and guidance.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
General Manager
Meeting Achievements
05.2022 - Current
- Analyze market trends/data to identify potential opportunities for business growth.
- Increased company net revenue by over 500% due to sales efforts, since 2019.
- Created an Instructional Design division that yields an average 40% profit margin.
- Identify and qualify customer needs and negotiate and close profitable projects with a 80% close rate.
- Drive year-over-year business growth while leading operations, strategic vision, and long-range planning.
- Implement operational strategies and effectively build customer and employee loyalty.
- Supervise, train and guide management team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
Director of Events and Business Development
Meeting Achievements
01.2020 - 05.2022
- Responsible for the development and support of a team of Event Manager’s and Assistant Event Planners; ensure clients are being well managed and deadlines are being met
- Challenged team to be industry leaders and propel events forward.
- Held one-on-one meetings with each team member to identify areas they need assistance, their strengths and areas of training and growth.
- Fully managed two of the largest legacy client’s conferences
- Doubled company revenue and client portfolio due to sale efforts since joining Meeting Achievements.
- Diversified offerings and created departments for Instructional Design and Society/Association Management
- Held daily strategy meetings with company President to identify key opportunities and remain highly innovative.
- Identified opportunity to create virtual platforms and manage virtual events when faced with the pandemic to provide a solution to client’s conference needs.
Senior Event Manager
Meeting Achievements
03.2019 - 01.2020
- Provided complete project management for over 20 events annually ranging in size from 50-500 attendees.
- Designed events with clients, created budgets, developed timelines and call schedules to keep forward momentum.
- Responsible for ensuring compliance standards including CME, were met.
- Created targeted marketing plans to exceed client goals.
- Developed prospectus, sold and managed exhibits
- Managed all conference speakers and all third-party vendors.
- Responsible for site selection and overseeing all onsite components to ensure conferences followed the agenda and desired mission.
- Successfully planned meetings that were innovative and inclusive for attendees and worked to ensure all practice gaps were met along with all financial goals for the client.
Director of Catering
Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park
04.2018 - 03.2019
- Responsible for meeting and exceeding an individual and team catering revenue goal totaling $4M annually.
- Achieved 100% of my individual catering goal and reached 110% of the team catering goal for 2018.
- Ranked #3 among Brand in Customer Satisfaction Survey’s.
- Oversaw sales and planning of 60,000 square feet of convention and meeting space.
- Managed and direct catering team members in prospecting, upselling and focusing on their own professional growth plans.
- Implemented daily stand-up meetings to proactively stay ahead of any group concerns and recognize team members for exceptional service.
- Led and directed BEO meetings with operational departments.
- Worked closely with Executive Chef to write creative and unique menus for clients.
- Worked directly with clients to provide extraordinary service and advice related to their events.
- Contracted and cultivate relationships with partnered vendors.
- Provided monthly commentary to leadership following month end to review revenue/service details and future sales strategies
- Consistently reviewed budget and forecasting for future sales.
General Manager – Conference Center and Events
Purdue University Northwest
08.2016 - 03.2018
- Directed, planned, managed and oversaw all internal and external event-based activities and operations of the Student Services & Activities Complex
- Planned and executed revenue generating, strategic events, directly related to the University Chancellor, donors and alumni
- Planned and provided event consultation for over 500 events per year including large scale events of 10,000+ attendees, such as Commencement, on two campuses
- Organized and communicate event needs within the Events Department, with other university departments and vendors
- Lead and held BEO meetings with service providers including, food & beverage, information and building services and campus police/transportation
- Created customized event menus with the Executive Chef based on client needs
- Single handedly managed UniTime (event scheduling system) for all university non- academic spaces
- Developed departmental SOP’s and best practices
- Created marketing materials, managed RSVP systems and post event client follow-up
- Negotiated and managed contracts with partnered vendors.
Senior Sales Manager
White Lodging, Radisson Star Plaza
03.2015 - 08.2016
- Responsible for meeting and exceeding sales and catering revenue goals of $1.5M.
- Markets managed consisted of Weddings, Family Reunions, Religious Groups, Fraternal Groups, Tour and Travel and Social Room blocks.
- Prospected clients through cold-calling, research, sales blitzes and reviewing history and data from past groups.
- Negotiated contracts and ensured proper billing.
- Detailed all wedding BEO’s and diagrams and worked with partnered vendors to ensure seamless execution.
- Led BEO meetings and ensured all departments were aware of details and related event information.
- Scored 100% on all Event Satisfaction Survey’s.
- Reached 130% of my overall rooms sales goals and 100% of catering sales goals.
Catering Sales Manager
White Lodging, Radisson Star Plaza
10.2012 - 03.2015
- Responsible for meeting and exceeding sales and catering revenue goals.
- Handled all sales and detailing of wedding, family reunion, class reunion, bridal/baby showers and social room block markets.
- Created relationships with clients and consistently increased revenue through upselling food and beverage options, A/V and décor.
- Increased wedding business by over 50% annually.
- Increased rooms business by over 500% since hired.
- Attained Chairman’s Club, Platinum Status, for achieving 115% on all metrics of my Revenue Goal.
Director of Sales and Events
White Hawk Country Club
11.2011 - 07.2012
- Consistently developed sales strategies, tactics, plans and profit targets.
- Delivered sales by developing relationships with prospective clients and preferred vendors, constant follow-up, upselling and identifying key marketing strategies.
- Provided direction to owners on key decisions directly affecting future sales forecasts.
- Maintained close relationships with clients, ensuring a flawless experience and execution of requested details.
- Managed all event aspects including: planning, hiring staff, rentals, set-up, execution, tear-down and all post event follow-up.
- Managed multiple events simultaneously guaranteeing all details were seamlessly executed.
Sales and Events Manager
Meyer’s Castle
11.2010 - 11.2011
- Earnestly pursued new Social/Corporate business and identified new revenue streams for Meyer's Castle through networking and client leads
- Generated over $950K in new business through captured and cultivated leads
- Managed all event aspects including: planning, hiring staff, rentals, set-up, tear- down and follow-up after event
- Generated menus, pricing and timelines for events ranging from 25 to 350 guests
- Designed and implemented new and innovative sales materials that allowed up-selling and additional options for new and returning clients
- Negotiated contracts with clients and vendors.
Business Development and Account Manager
Intercon Solutions Inc
03.2009 - 11.2010
- Created and identified potential clients with companies through solicitation, cold calling, personal interaction, research, marketing strategies, and follow-up.
- Closely managed accounts with Fortune 500 company executives, negotiated contracts, and analyzed monthly data to identify additional areas of growth.
- Duties included structuring strategic proposals, negotiating business terms & conditions and closing the transactions.
- Planned “Environmental Awareness Events” and oversaw operations throughout the process.
- Elected Board Member of Illinois Environmental Committee.
Sales and Events Coordinator
Conrad Chicago
02.2008 - 03.2009
- Planned and executed corporate and social events, sales blitzes, upselling and solicited previous and prospective future clients
- Assisted in planning Client Appreciation Events, Chef’s Tables, Internal Events and Weddings.
- Handled all rooms-only groups, assisted with city-wide groups, conducted site visits with clients, devised Post Event Reports and reviewed business travel reports on a weekly basis to watch for trends and accuracy.
- Became expert in Delphi, involving Banquet Event Orders, correspondence reports, marketing pieces, direct mail, contracts and internal forms.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration -
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, ILSkills
- Strategic Leadership and Planning
- Innovative and Intuitive Leader
- Sales Strategies and New Business Development
- Staff Training and Development
- Operational Oversight
- Customer Service Management
Certification
- 2021, Event Leadership Institute Pandemic On-site Protocol Certified
- 2019, Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certificate
Timeline
General Manager
Meeting Achievements
05.2022 - Current
Director of Events and Business Development
Meeting Achievements
01.2020 - 05.2022
Senior Event Manager
Meeting Achievements
03.2019 - 01.2020
Director of Catering
Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park
04.2018 - 03.2019
General Manager – Conference Center and Events
Purdue University Northwest
08.2016 - 03.2018
Senior Sales Manager
White Lodging, Radisson Star Plaza
03.2015 - 08.2016
Catering Sales Manager
White Lodging, Radisson Star Plaza
10.2012 - 03.2015
Director of Sales and Events
White Hawk Country Club
11.2011 - 07.2012
Sales and Events Manager
Meyer’s Castle
11.2010 - 11.2011
Business Development and Account Manager
Intercon Solutions Inc
03.2009 - 11.2010
Sales and Events Coordinator
Conrad Chicago
02.2008 - 03.2009
Bachelor of Business Administration -
Loyola University Chicago