Thomas Keogh

Bellingham, WA *****

Phone: 360-***-**** Email: adeq5b@r.postjobfree.com

linkedin.com/in/tomkeoghchachiacht/

Operations Director / General Manager – Hospitality, F&B

Accomplished and business-savvy hospitality professional with robust experience acquired over the years in delivering optimal results and business value in high-growth environments. Holds credit for developing and implementing strategic plans to boost revenue generation through effective sales and marketing. Articulate communicator with exceptional mentoring skills as a Certified Hospitality Trainer to transform a low performing team into a high caliber workforce. Excellent presentation and interpersonal skills with proficiency at grasping new concepts quickly and productively utilizing the same. A result-oriented executive skilled at organizational development, with significant experience as a senior advisor to the leadership.

~ Successfully onboarded over 70 Best Western hotels and resorts and led dramatic turnaround through rebranding, catapulting organization from 12th to 1st place (out of 14) for JD Power & Associates Premier Portfolio ~ Helped hotel owners increase RevPAR estimates and pricing by conducting training on forecasting and data cleansing, and harnessing stellar content, promotional and marketing skills ~

Skill Areas: Strategic Planning & Implementation w Cost Control & Forecasting Communication Budgeting & Auditing Sales & Marketing Recruitment & Mentoring Resource Management Customer Service Training & Development Employee Engagement Client Relations Cross-Functional Team Leadership Key Performance Indicators Data Analysis & Reporting Brand Standards/Policy Development Safety Compliance

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Best Western Plus Oak Harbor Hotel & Conference Center, Oak Harbor, WA (2019 – 2020)

General Manager

Best Western International, Inc. owns the Best Western Hotels & Resorts brand, which it licenses to over 4,500 hotels worldwide. The franchise includes over 2,000 hotels in North America.

As the GM of this business-friendly hotel, I pioneered efforts to streamline and optimize the daily operations of the newly refurbished establishment to accelerate revenue. I led a team of 25 across multiple functions.

I was responsible for facilitating recruitments across verticals, and I guided, coached, and mentored the workforce to be more productive to achieve the business objectives.

Ensured and implemented all-round compliance with brand standards, safety, policies, and procedures.

Successfully ensured brand compliance at the hotel by executing necessary purchases and training, which helped boost patronage and increased the RevPAR by $1.60.

During my tenure at this organization, I managed to improve processes and establish clear communication channels to enhance guest satisfaction scores from the top 25% of the brand to the top 10%.

With the customer as my priority, I implemented effective policies and procedures to elevate brand consistency, driving adoption among staff members.

A Certified Hotel Administrator, I leveraged my knowledge and listening skills to offer viable solutions or recommendations to the customers, thereby transforming their complaints into lucrative opportunities.

Utilized the Medalia guest services system to manage staffing levels, training program structure, and guest services improvements.

As a dedicated manager, I prepared my successor for achievement and facilitated a seamless transition by providing mentoring on brand standards and multi-property management.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Pacific Northwest / Alaska (2002 – 2019)

Regional Services Manager

In this role, I helped the hotel leadership enhance their RevPAR estimates/pricing by conducting training on forecasting and data cleansing, guided marketing training on marketing plans.

I was responsible for managing regional operations, brand positioning, quality assurance, onboarding, and training for 55 member hotels.

Developed successful brand stories, provided images, and content for digital platforms, and gathered/leveraged digital insights to boost business.

I successfully onboarded over 70 new Best Western hotels and resorts, facilitating exceptional revenue through rebranding. I catapulted the organization from the 12th to the 1st place (out of 14) for JD Power & Associates Premier Portfolio.

Effectively integrated Lebanon (OR) hotel into Best Western portfolio, offering steadfast support to accelerate guest perception and attain #1 status on Trip Advisor worldwide.

I pride myself on my ability for organizational development and experience as a senior advisor to the leadership. Business owners respect my suggestions and recommendations on capital/business plans, sales & marketing, budget development, improvement opportunities, technology implementation, brand standards, and growth potential.

A seasoned manager, I have counseled properties during the wage-equity movement on effective planning and legislative response, leveraging knowledge from over 15 years’ leadership of state lodging association committees.

I excel at fostering sourcing business collaboration opportunities. I forged strategic partnerships with tour bus operators and the National Tour Association to launch a packaged sales brand, resulting in $4.5 million additional sales for the Washington hotels.

In order to boost employee performance, I organized training sessions throughout the region, onsite, and via Skype, Go-To-Meeting, Zoom, and conference calls coupled with eLearning/digital materials.

I monitored the compensation plans and scheduled recognition events to encourage employee retention.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CREDENTIALS

Bachelor of Arts Coursework

University of Montana, Missoula, MT

Certifications:

Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA)

Certified Hospitality Trainer (CHT)

Certified Hospitality Industry Analyst (CHIA)

Technical Skills: Microsoft Office Suite, Medalia, Skype, Go-to-Meeting, and Zoom

Affiliations:

Board of Directors and Workers’ Compensation Retro Program Committee, Washington Lodging/Hospitality Association

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