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Bio
Experience
25+ years hospitality and supply chain experience, including 10 years with Avendra. Prior to Avendra, held roles as General Manager of a golf club and two independent restaurants, held various department head roles in the full-service hotel segment
Bio
Volunteer Work
Started a volunteer program for adults with disabilities Fosters dogs and helps them find their forever homes
Bio
Fun Facts
Avid traveler that visits at least two new countries a year Loves culinary adventures – everything from multi-course chef tasting menus to hole-in-the-wall authentic cuisine
What excites you about your role as Director in Customer Relations?
Coming from the hospitality industry, I am passionate about the customer experience. I enjoy the multifaceted elements that define customer relations, including building relationships, problem solving, and creating a positive impact. I leverage my expertise in hotel operations, golf operations, and supply chain management to implement these passions into my role at Avendra. I also really enjoy learning and continuing to enhance my knowledge base on new industry trends, innovative supplier offerings, and market forecasts to ensure that I remain a trusted advisor to our customers.
I am fortunate to work with some of the top hotels and clubs in North America and can translate our value offering into benefits for our customers. We have a talented team that shares my passion for providing the best support for our customers and our team’s dedication has led to significant achievements. I am genuinely proud of the impact we have had as evidenced by the many successes of our customers.
As someone who travels to at least two new countries a year, primarily in search of new culinary adventures, I’ve been exposed to great guest service experiences. It’s always my goal to ensure that each of Avendra’s customers can also provide excellence in guest service. By partnering with them, our team ensures the operations side of their business is running smoothly and efficiently so they can focus on their guests.
How does Avendra’s Field Support and Customer Relations shape the overall benefit for clients?
Our Field Support and Customer Relations team is a key differentiator for Avendra. This team is dedicated to supporting our customers and is comprised of experts in hospitality and supply chain management. We meet with customers and develop customized approaches that optimize the Avendra program for them, which promotes cost savings, streamlines business operations, and allows customers to achieve their goals and metrics.
Our team is integral to identifying new suppliers, facilitating supplier introductions, and serving as a mitigator if issues arise. Because of our tailored approach to matching key suppliers to each customer’s needs, our extensive local market knowledge, and our ability to perform high-level forecasting of potential supply chain disruptions, we can quickly and efficiently mitigate any potential interruptions in business operations and identify alternative solutions. We have firmly established ourselves as trusted advisors. Together, with our customers, we make a positive impact on their business operations.
You worked for many years in both hotel and golf operations before coming to Avendra. Do you recall any funny or interesting tales from that experience?
In my previous role leading a golf club in California, we had a live shark on our course. One of our marshals happened to be driving by a tee box when a live 2-foot Leopard Shark fell from the sky! An Osprey had picked it up in the nearby Pacific Ocean and dropped it on our course. We took immediate action and drove it back to the ocean where it survived and swam away. Our story even made the news!