Chris Fong
604 Harmony Lane
Pleasantville, CA 94588
(925) 555-1234
Event Coordinator/Assistant • PA
Experienced event coordinator/administrator acknowledged for capacity to maintain calm in a crisis, build consensus across diverse personal and business agendas, and produce key deliverables on “impossible” deadlines. Characterized throughout career for personal tenacity, independent work habits, and a direct and energetic communication style that inspires people to act decisively towards a common goal. Administrative background and international appointments have honed strengths in researching and producing precise plans and reports that have won praise for readability, content clarity, and easy to navigate layouts. Acknowledged as a creative “ideas” person, willing to share knowledge and praise, while juggling a multitude of conflicting priorities, resources, and people issues simultaneously.
PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS
Ÿ Events Management
Ÿ Conflict Resolution/Mediation
Ÿ Client Relationship Management
Ÿ Cross-cultural Communications
Ÿ General Administration
Ÿ Vendor Relationships
Ÿ Project and Operations Planning
Ÿ Research & Analysis
Ÿ Policy/Procedure Development
Ÿ Venue/Travel/Catering/Entertainment Arrangements
Ÿ Team Leadership & Training
Ÿ “Plan B” Development & Execution
EDUCATION
Project Management
University of Sydney
Certificate in Fine Arts
East Sydney Technical College
Certificate in Account Keeping
Adult Education Centre
Technology Training and Skills:
Excel, Word, and PowerPoint courses, Telephone Collections, Cashman, and MYOB
Benchmarks & Milestones
· Offered insight to the inexperienced Athens 2004 operations team, highlighting scenarios for inclusion during formative phases of the Olympic Games’ operational blueprint.
· Coordinated the construction and fit-out of 34 corporate boxes for the Manchester 2002 Games.
· Produced operations manuals for 3 venues with integrated policies, procedures, and evacuation plans.
· Mediated conflict between key stakeholders—sponsors, stadium management, council, and media.
· Steered many successful conferences, sourcing venues and catering; guest lists/invitations, and travel.
Career Snapshot
ATHENS 2004 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE, Athens, Greece
2003–Present
Member, Main Press Center Operations Team
FUTURERISK PTY LTD
2002–2003
Executive Assistant/Research Officer
MANCHESTER 2002 LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH GAMES, Manchester England
2001–2002
Operations Manager, Sponsor Hospitality
2001–2002
Personal Assistant to COO
2001
WILLIAM M. MERCER, Sydney
1999–2001
Personal Assistant to Sydney TMS Manager
AEROSPACE AVIATION PTY LTD, Sydney
1992–1999
Personal Assistant to Core Management Team
PRIOR ENGAGEMENTS
· Bar Manager, Darling Mills • Mirvac Group Hostess, Quay West Apartments • Hotel Manager, Craig Brewery Darling Harbor, Dunbarton Castle Hotel, Kuring-gi College Student Bar
Employment Chronicle
ATHENS 2004 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE, Athens, Greece
2003–Present
Member, Main Press Center Operations Team
Supported the main press center team during the formative phases of the Olympic Games’ operational plan for this 24 x 7 large-scale event. This “blueprint” of operation spans the full gamut of behind-the-scenes logistics, staffing, and processes; from reporting structures and volunteer role descriptions, through timelines, venue build/fit-outs, security, evacuation points, press transportation, daily run sheets, cleaning, and policy and procedures.
Deadline-driven, the operations plan had specific milestones to achieve, with any overdue component having a “domino effect” on other functional areas—potentially leading to budget blow-outs.
· Volunteer and key contributor to 2-person team meeting frequently with representatives from all functional areas to devise the operations plan fundamentals. As the only individual on the team with Games experience, offered insight and highlighted scenarios needing coverage in the plan—a challenge when communications were almost entirely conducted in Greek language.
· Won permission to have document translated into English to determine and resolve any errors or omissions, and collaborated with an interpreter in typing and archiving documentation using Word, Project, and PowerPoint.
FUTURERISK PTY LTD
2002–2003
Executive Assistant/Research Officer
Rose to the challenge of a new industry and a largely autonomous role as the key contact for clients and a management buffer/administrative manager for senior executives.
Handling commercially-sensitive information, worked in close collaboration with surveillance contractors, analyzed tracking reports and photographs, and scrutinized clients’ records and accounts to determine the extent of the risk, theft, or fraud.
· Assumed greater responsibilities, transforming a purely executive support role of diary and travel logistics, document preparation and client communications, into a multifaceted engagement conducting data research, analysis, compilation, and reporting.
· Spearheaded efficiency improvement that standardized data in Access database format, saved costs, and enhanced the provision of data to police. Established and maintained the database—a function that liberated consultants to perform primary roles without the administrative burden. Initiative simultaneously cut project timeframes winning a major client’s appreciation for delivering the investigation under budget.
MANCHESTER 2002 LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH GAMES, Manchester England
2001–2002
Operations Manager, Sponsor Hospitality
2001–2002
Confronted upon commencement with looming deadlines and with only nominal work devoted to an operational plan—some contractors were still unsourced, and main stadium corporate box fit-outs unstarted.
Critical too, was the need to forge relationships and sign contracts with sponsors comfortable in dealing with the role’s predecessor. Immediately became familiar with each sponsor’s key people through discussions with the previous incumbent. Scrutinized files, researched discussion stages, communicated with legal representatives, and learned of “special needs” to circumvent the loss of major revenue generators.
Key contributions:
· Despite designation as a non-profit venue by executive management, guided the area to deliver a profit of $AUD 4.9 million.
· Spearheaded a cold calling program; hired a sales consultant, and oversaw the screening and sales processes to ensure prospective buyers were not in direct competition with sponsors.
· Personally secured over $AUD 360K in sales of four corporate boxes to Microsoft, Cadbury, The International Rugby Board, and Trafford Holdings. Sold $AUD 195K in hospitality packages in Club Sport—a corporate hospitality marquee offering packages of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus tickets to two events.
· Successfully coordinated the build and fit-out of the 34 corporate boxes, a “green room” for entertainers appearing at opening and closing ceremonies, the “Atrium” used by HRH Queen Elizabeth and members of the Royal Family to receive guests, sponsor hospitality village, marquee, and showcase. Collaborated and directed building contractors, landscapers, and negotiated with the city council.
· Composed complete operations manuals for 3 venues integrating policies, procedures, and evacuation plans. Manuals detailed all functional areas from security team operations and spectator services, to cleaning and waste, logistics, fit-outs, marketing and sponsorship, ticketing and transport. Worked closely with risk management team to establish public risk potential for evacuation planning.
· Mediated conflict between key stakeholders—sponsors, stadium management, city council, and the host broadcaster, each with diverse commercial and personal agendas. Issues surrounding sponsors’ fit-out plans for hospitality marquees needed direct council intervention, and communication with architects and designers to reach a compromise.
· Introduced time-saving process that streamlined guest catering and transportation to venue, and prepared marquee in readiness for next group of sponsors’ guests. Obtained event schedule from sport teams that listed heats and times and precisely coordinated sponsors’ needs with the schedule. Juggled 120 guests daily—all with different catering needs and appearances at sporting events up to an hour’s drive from the marquee.
· Produced a post games report, complete with “lessons learned” and recommendations for future operational amendments.
· Delivered flower/plant decorations under budget across 7 venues and 34 boxes—despite the need to import bamboo from South Africa.
· Surpassed all performance objectives based on customer satisfaction and positive management feedback from sponsors.
Personal Assistant to COO
2001
Bridged the gap between the Chief Operating Officer’s inexperience in the event management sector, by becoming a communication conduit fielding information between the Chief Operating Officer, the government, council, emergency services and committee members.
· Represented the COO at steering group meetings, helping to progress the decision making process.
· Cut the administrative burden of responding to volumes of email by up to 3-hours daily, by vetting the COO’s messages and downloading to the Palm Pilot for attention.
· Personally devised a security policy that responded to the heightened security requirements post “September 11”. Researched information and met with Greater Manchester Police, Manchester City Council, and the organizing committee to determine the elements core to the policy’s strategic vision.
WILLIAM M. MERCER, Sydney
1999–2001
Personal Assistant to Sydney TMS Manager
Provided daily executive administrative support to the company’s senior manager and two consultants, coordinating diaries and travel arrangements, attending team meetings, overseeing client invoicing, and managing internal events.
· Event-managed the Consultant’s Forum, a day-long information session held monthly for up to 30 consultants from Sydney and interstate. Gained reputation for stretching tight budget by negotiating best deals to cover catering, and travel expenses, gifts and/or payments for the guest speakers.
· Established an outstanding base of interesting and entertaining guest speakers from sports, academia, business, and superannuation sectors.
· Lobbied for, and won approval to recruit an individual focused solely on securing meeting rooms, observing timetables, and arranging catering facilities that circumvented errors and “saved face” in room booking duplication mishaps, and increased productivity by freeing PAs and fund administrators from room set-up and cleaning tasks.
· Steered successful conferences driving venue sourcing, catering, guest list and invitations, registration, and travel/accommodation arrangements.
· Conducted and marked psychology testing on behalf of the human resources department, considering new recruits.
· Appointed official mentor, oriented new administrative staff to surroundings, policy, and procedures.
AEROSPACE AVIATION PTY LTD, Sydney
1992–1999
Personal Assistant to Core Management Team
· Event managed promotional seminars for 100+ attendees over 2-days on $10,000 budget. Sourced venues, produced advertising and invitations, and created marketing materials and training manuals.
· Overcame cultural difficulties to secure interest in the training services offered through a personal “pitch” to foreign and local institutes primarily in India and Sri Lanka. In just 12-months signed 28 new students.
· Key contributor to new advertising/marketing drive that surpassed all expectations with seminar attendee volumes being split over 2-days.
· Transformed an “index card” manual client system used for accounts and communications, into a responsive, error-free MS Access database that boosted staff productivity.
· Cut outstanding accounts by 60% in 12-months, followed by 15% in the second year by introduced an industry-specific computerized accounts system that also tracked fuel used for each flight, calculated maintenance schedules, and issued instant invoice/receipts at point-of-sale.
PRIOR ENGAGEMENTS
· Bar Manager, Darling Mills • Mirvac Group Hostess, Quay West Apartments • Hotel Manager, Craig Brewery Darling Harbor, Dunbarton Castle Hotel, Kuring-gi College Student Bar
PRWRA
Gayle M. Howard -getinterviews@topmargin.com - Top Margin - http://www.topmargin.com