sharon wetteland cover letter & resume 2015

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Many years ago I attended a hospitality event in Minneapolis where a powerful orator spoke. His words have continued to resonate with me: “Be in a hurry to work hard. Be in a hurry to give back. Be in a hurry to make a difference; in your home, in your workplace and in your community.” I have repeated those words countless times to my employees from my heart. A company’s culture says much about those who own and manage it and I believe one can create a positive, energized environment for staff and customers alike. I truly ‘dig’ hospitality. I find working with fresh faces in the industry endlessly challenging and inspiring. Sharing knowledge and creating an atmosphere of learning has been a cornerstone of my management style over the last 25 years, no matter how large or how small my staff. In an age when companies seem designed to churn and burn employees, I most appreciate those who take the time to engage and develop people to the end of creating a stronger team and the next generation of passionate restauranteurs. I have experience as a Chef (10 years, early in my career) and was lucky enough to work alongside 2 men who would each go on to win James Beard awards as Best Chef in their region. As a General Manager, Director of Training and District Manager (15+ years), I have opened over 30 full service restaurants. I love concepts that are creative, fun and funky, giving guests something more than they expected. I have for many years trained staff in-depth on the ‘geekish’ side of food and beverage; not just the basics but the stories behind the food, wine & liquor that make it as memorable as the taste and presentation. On the operations side, troubleshooting existing businesses and correcting issues to improve financial performance is another strong suit for me. I was ‘brought up’ in the industry by people who believed in training, communication, transparency and measuring results; practices that have helped me to analyze and correct issues in many restaurant concepts. If you are seeking someone to help you grow your company who is innovative and has a passion for operations, training & personnel development, I’m your girl. I am planning to relocate to the Washington DC area at my own expense in July. Strong industry references are included. If you believe I might be a good fit in your organization, I would be happy to hear

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Page 1: Sharon Wetteland Cover Letter & Resume 2015

Many years ago I attended a hospitality event in Minneapolis where a powerful orator spoke. His words have continued to resonate with me: “Be in a hurry to work hard. Be in a hurry to give back. Be in a hurry to make a difference; in your home, in your workplace and in your community.” I have repeated those words countless times to my employees from my heart. A company’s culture says much about those who own and manage it and I believe one can create a positive, energized environment for staff and customers alike.

I truly ‘dig’ hospitality. I find working with fresh faces in the industry endlessly challenging and inspiring. Sharing knowledge and creating an atmosphere of learning has been a cornerstone of my management style over the last 25 years, no matter how large or how small my staff. In an age when companies seem designed to churn and burn employees, I most appreciate those who take the time to engage and develop people to the end of creating a stronger team and the next generation of passionate restauranteurs.

I have experience as a Chef (10 years, early in my career) and was lucky enough to work alongside 2 men who would each go on to win James Beard awards as Best Chef in their region. As a General Manager, Director of Training and District Manager (15+ years), I have opened over 30 full service restaurants. I love concepts that are creative, fun and funky, giving guests something more than they expected. I have for many years trained staff in-depth on the ‘geekish’ side of food and beverage; not just the basics but the stories behind the food, wine & liquor that make it as memorable as the taste and presentation.

On the operations side, troubleshooting existing businesses and correcting issues to improve financial performance is another strong suit for me. I was ‘brought up’ in the industry by people who believed in training, communication, transparency and measuring results; practices that have helped me to analyze and correct issues in many restaurant concepts. If you are seeking someone to help you grow your company who is innovative and has a passion for operations, training & personnel development, I’m your girl.

I am planning to relocate to the Washington DC area at my own expense in July. Strong industry references are included. If you believe I might be a good fit in your organization, I would be happy to hear from you and further explore that possibility. I thank you for your time and attention.

Cheers!

Sharon Wetteland [email protected] “Measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you”

Page 2: Sharon Wetteland Cover Letter & Resume 2015

Sharon WettelandPhone: 218-820-2878 [email protected]

Seeking a long term position with a dynamic, growing, multi-unit company. The ideal position would be responsible for improving overall profitability and performance of one or more properties through

clear financial analysis, consistent management and innovative staff training. Willing to travel as needed.

Proven Capabilities:25 Years Experience with a Positive, Hands-on Management StyleOpened 30+ Full Service Restaurants as Project Lead10 Years Experience as a Chef in both Casual & Fine Dining SettingsStrong Understanding of P&Ls & Cash Flow ManagementHighly Effective in Training, Motivation, Troubleshooting & Organizational Development Willing to Travel as Needed

2012 to CurrentExecutive Director of Corporate Events Sullivan International Group www.onesullivan.com Coordinate company event logistics from Board of Directors meetings to larger, offsite, multi-day events in locations across the country and internationally. Examples: All details of a weekend event at Dromoland Castle in Ireland for 50 people

o Coordinated travel, food, beverage, décor & details of a 1920s costume party & a band from the US to the site in Ireland + onsite supervision of the event

Private Team events in Palm Springs , CAo All details (food/lodging/entertainment/wine & cigar pairings) for 35 Senior Management

Team and Board Members at Westin Mission Hills Resort Executive Team dinner for 6 couples, privately executed with an onsite Chef & Sommelier Holiday staff events planned remotely for 5 regional offices across the US, from San Diego to DC Manage travel & dining for the Senior Operations Team who are meeting with clients to

Congressmen, often traveling with the CEO as onsite support

2008 to 2011Food & Beverage ManagerChase on the Lake Resort/502 Restaurant www.chaseonthelake.com Chase on the Lake is the premier lake resort property on Leech Lake in northern Minnesota owned and managed by Leisure Hotels in Lenexa, Kansas. This Historic hotel was rebuilt from the ground up on the original footprint, reopening in 2008. I worked directly with Jamie Tatge, Chief Operating Officer and was brought on specifically for the property opening of the 502 Restaurant. Work centered on development of all training materials and systems, hands-on store opening support, POS setup, training of management, bar and service staff. Continuing to monitor the success of the Chase project for 4 years, I also worked on troubleshooting new managed properties such as Cove Point Lodge and Cove Point Crossings on Lake Superior. Work entailed development of management & service staff, evaluating financials, troubleshooting systems & implementing cost savings measures.

Left this position to relocate for work at Sullivan in San Diego.

Page 3: Sharon Wetteland Cover Letter & Resume 2015

2005 to 2006Director of Restaurant OperationsGrand View Lodge www.grandviewlodge.com/resort-dining This position was responsible for FOH oversight of 7 food service operations within the company. Duties included hiring management personnel, oversight and execution of corporate and social functions, staff training & development, purchasing, security and inventory controls of all alcohol products on the resort, developing a training manual for managers and general oversight of FOH restaurant and banquet operations.

Left this position to work as a private consultant for two years which connected me to Leisure Hotels & Resorts.

2003 to 2005General ManagerPrairie Bay Restaurant www.prairiebay.com Opened this new property as General Manager. Responsible for all aspects of the business from P&L performance to general maintenance, liquor ordering & inventory, staff development & guest service. Trained staff in all aspects of product knowledge and customer service through regular instruction. Developed a successful monthly wine event designed to interpret ‘wine speak’ to our guests while promoting our products and upcoming events. Grew this event to regular sellout capacity. Prairie Bay has held a commitment from its earliest days to sourcing as much local product as possible and assisting in developing of the local economy and community.

Left this position to work with multiple properties as Director of Restaurant Operations at Grand View Lodge.

1997 to 2003Director of Training/New Store Openings Green Mill Restaurants, Incorporated www.greenmill.com Director of Training/New Store Openings with additional responsibilities as District Manager for this franchise company famous across the Midwest for its pizza. One of an executive staff of 13 people who oversaw 33 stores in 6 states. Responsible for all training programs and materials and for monitoring ongoing staff training in existing stores. This included training of all management and hourly staff in preparation for and throughout new store openings. In addition, I wrote the Operations Manual for the company.As District Manager I was additionally responsible for operations management of 6 franchised stores in Minnesota and North Dakota. These duties included quarterly Franchise Inspections, weekly review of each location’s sales/labor/marketing, general troubleshooting (POS systems to staffing to HR issues) management development and periodic staff training in food and beverage products. Also participated in/coordinated various company sponsored public service events.

Left this position to relocate to Northern Minnesota – accepted a position as GM at Prairie Bay Restaurant.

Professional References: Todd King, Co-Founder, Green Mill Restaurants [email protected] 612-723-6879Jamie Tatge, Chief Operating Officer, Leisure Hotel Group [email protected] 218-330-6554Kevin Hayford, Director of Marketing, Sullivan Intl Group [email protected] 619-787-9815