John A. Sims

United States, *** N. Michigan Avenue, 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611

Experience Summary: Over 40 years of executive management experience. Expertise in business development, marketing concepts for increased sales volume bottom line and profit, extensive customer services skills and skilled at developing and maintaining effective business relationships at the highest levels. Experience running fortune 500 companies. Proven ability to lead financial turnaround by building and directing effective teams, identifying necessary changes, instituting special events and programs and coordinating advertising efforts. Reliable and results oriented professional possessing expertise in devising strategies to boost revenue, achieve budgetary goals and motivate personnel. Strong communication, negotiation and problem-solving skills. Board member of major corporations and charity groups.

Profile:

Effectively oversees sales staff including: Goal setting, staff mentoring through effective relationship building and comprehensive training programs.

Skilled at developing and maintaining business relationships with key corporate contacts to initiate and maintain business relationships, lead contract negotiations and introduce Win-Win concept sales strategy.

Comprehensive, executive experience in new business development and strategic planning of market concepts.

Experienced in establishing & managing budgets and analyzing financial statements.

Professional Experience

Black Onyx Corporation April 2008 – Present

Chief Executive Officer/Chairman/Founder Chicago, IL

Created, communicated and implemented the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction.

Lead the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.

Maintain awareness of both the external and internal competitive landscape, opportunities for expansion, customers, markets, new industry development and standards.

Develop plans to help achieve financial success through knowledge and goals.

First America Group June 2017 – Present

CEO/Chairman/Founder

Investment Group

Owner of nine US corporations throughout the USA

Lead the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy

Integrated the organization’s vision, mission and overall direction

Developed plans to achieve financial success.

Creative lead on business design

Linked company to resources in the financial field.

John Sims Consulting Limited November 1987 to Present

CEO/Chairman/Founder

Designed and implemented organization’s vision, mission and overall direction.

Developed and implemented overall business strategy

Used both internal and external competitive landscape to search for opportunities for expansion, customers, markets, new industry development and standards.

Developed plans to help achieve financial success through knowledge and goals.

Cardserve Financial Corporation July 1999 – 2007

Chief Executive Officer/Chief Operating Officer/Founder Grand Rapids, MI

Agent for HSBC Bank headquartered in London, England. Company objective is to develop business strategies to enhance banking/financial tools and improve bottom-line profitability of our clients. In addition, we ensure corporate sales training is provided to ensure sales staff is skilled at applying new financial techniques to their model.

Responsibilities included:

Providing merchant services and bank/financial tools. Extensive knowledge of ATM services and operations

Lead team of nineteen sales staff within a five-state area.

Promoted business-to-business integrated financial services with focus on financial and IT applications.

Produced over 100 million dollars in financial services and averaged over 30% growth over prior year.

Oversaw weekly executive training/meetings, CCLM Software to train sales staff and implement new sales tools, to increase sales over 30% EBITA.

Monitored sales and business reports on a daily basis to see that sales goals were achieved.

Responsible for personnel management (hiring/firing/training, etc.)

Charlevoix Corporation November 1987- 2007

Chief Executive Officer/Chief Operating Officer/Owner Grand Rapids, MI

Subsidiaries responsible for: Charlevoix Convention Center – 600 seat banquet facility and catering:

Charlevoix Athletic Club – Health and Fitness Club Hotel, and Country Club, Charlevoix Corporate Food Service – manual food service and vending. Charlevoix Country Club in Charlevoix Michigan board member and co-owner. Owned six prestigious office buildings within central park, Chicago and Michigan, along with 150 acres of commercial property.

Responsibilities included:

Fortune 500 Company Clients.

Established and maintained corporate relationships to foster corporate sales for banquets, corporate health club memberships, corporate food services.

Lead/mentored sales team of nine

Coordinated the daily supervision of operational duties

Developed business plans and budgets

Managed financial statements and budgets

Responsible for personnel hiring/firing

Established contracts with more than 30 companies to exclusively handle their hospitality needs.

On board of directors of four billion-dollar companies.

Marriott Hotel March 1979 – November 1987

Senior Executive Vice President Marriott Corporation

Marriott Drive, USA

1.Responsible for corporate and leadership of senior management staff. Achieved hundreds of millions of dollars of additional (new) hotels within a four-year period. Divisions responsible for; USA Hotels, Restaurants; Banquet and Meeting Facilities . Oversaw 137 hotel properties, as direct operations responsibility.

Responsibilities included:

Implemented a five-year strategic plan at corporate level, focusing on building business-to-business relationships for on-going marketing of hotel resources to fit the corporate hotels and budget requirements.

Positioned our marketing products, to utilize the leading, local corporations by increasing our sales by 35% to exceed ten million in gross sales profits.

Developed and introduced seven new marketing concepts nationwide to include: “Hungry Hour” for our lounge and a local traveler program to accumulate bonus lodging points for redemption. Received national acclaim for marketing and business profits.

Orrington Hotel, Evanston, IL

Marriot Michigan Mile Chicago, IL

Vail Marx, Vail, CO

Houston JW Marriott, Houston, TX

Marriot, Minneapolis, MN

Marriott multiple 1000 properties throughout the USA

Advisory board affiliations

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Board Member (Advisory Board)

Cornell University – Board Member (Advisory Board)

Corporate Advisory Boards for SCR-Business Corporation, Madison Group and BDO Chicago

Education:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology SLOAN September 2018

Honorary Degree in Business Science

New York Culinary Arts Degree with Honors 1974-1976

Journeyman’s Internship

Trained under Executive Chef Hans Scholenburg at the Grand Rapids Peninsula Club – 3 years apprenticeship program through the United States of America federal government.

Associates Business Mathematics, Northwestern College 1976-1979

Business Accounting Applied Mathematics Associates Degree

Grand Rapids Junior College 1972-1974

Accounting/Business, Attended food service management, culinary art program, and mixology courses

Board of Directors Positions

Credit Union America

Goodwill Industries

St. John’s Home

Special Olympics

USA Chamber of Commerce

Michigan Public Schools

Church Board

Other (See Recommendations

Certifications and additional training:

Dale Carnegie Course in relating with people and communication – Graduated

Brian Tracey Motivational Seminars – Graduated

Computer Systems and Applications – Microsoft Office 365, Windows NT, Service Management Systems (SMS) and Checkfree Management Program Business Applications.

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