PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Current: Founder of Buro Gaming, LLC
Past Experience: Columbia Sussex Corporation, Fort Mitchell, KY
President COO - Tropicana Entertainment, Atlantic City, NJ
Responsible for the strategic planning and management of this Atlantic City based property consisting of 86,000 square feet of casino space, 904 hotel rooms, 3,800 employees, gross revenue of $605 million and operation profit in excess of $140 million - primary responsibilities included meeting cash flow objectives and achieving capital expenditure ROI - responsible for developing short and long-term business and marketing strategies for the property to maximize return on assets - directed the development of advertising, promotion and direct marketing strategies - directed human resource planning for training and staff development, performance management, and reward and recognition programs - met with local and national service unions to integrate agendas - developed table game, slot and credit strategies - ensure regulatory compliance - establish ethical standards including occupational health and safety requirements - acted as company spokesperson with regulatory bodies - maintained close contact and support relevant to corporate functions such as equality and debt analyst requests for information, earnings estimate meetings, property tours and more - created and spearheaded the service culture that supports the brand promise while achieving desired performance objectives.
Columbia Sussex Corporation, Fort Mitchell, KY
Chief Marketing Officer
Responsible for the development, implementation and management of the Corporate Marketing Organization, a business unit designed to consolidate, coordinate and facilitate the marketing needs of Columbia Sussex’s Casino Gaming and Resorts division (10 casinos) - analyzed and evaluated customer metrics and segmentation data at each property in various markets for positioning and performance within each jurisdiction for fair market share and margin, against the competition - directed the development and implementation of property specific marketing plans and budgets - modified and developed comprehensive CRM program and integrated with various i-marketing initiatives including SEO, organic search, paid search, e-blast, hot links, viral marketing/UGM, and keyword strategies - modified direct mail programs, advertising, and promotions to effectively utilize entertainment, special events and other non-gaming amenities - worked with property General Managers and marketers to modify and develop new marketing and positioning strategies, including the appraisal of various supporting departmental operational standards, policies and procedures - developed standard program analysis formats - standardized company-wide media plans, production schedules, design lead times, reporting formats, vendor management, and purchasing - developed key staff to foster consistency and to improve overall performance - developed Performance Management System (PMS) across the organization to track specific marketing data as it relates to property specific segment growth and performance – (PMS tracks various promotional allowance and expense return objectives and a variety of other critical marketing performance data and key indicators)
Mountaineer Racetrack & Casino, Chester, WV - (consultancy) Analyzed direct mail programs, advertising, promotions and special events. Responsible for the appraisal of various supporting operational and departmental policies and procedures.
CJ Betters Inc., Pittsburgh, PA - (consultancy) - Gaming Management and Development -
Developed short mid-term strategies for two land tracts for use as Horse Racing/River Boat/Gaming venues in Pennsylvania. Conducted marketing feasibility studies to determine potential revenue streams based upon consumer profiles, infrastructure, competition, household income, market penetration and propensity to gamble
Penn National Gaming, Charles Town Races & Slots/Charlestown, WV
General Manager Responsible for the day-to-day operation and marketing of the casino which included casino layout, slot mix, direct marketing, advertising, promotions, events, and pricing strategy for 2,000 slots. Achieved 40% revenue growth year-over-year. Indirectly managed approximately 750 employees. In 2001 exceeded all gross revenue and profit targets. Exceeded year 2002, $204 million dollar gross gaming revenue forecast, and an estimated $62 million dollar EBIDTA. (West Virginia taxes “Racinos” 58% and has extensive betting and device restrictions) Worked “hand-in-hand” with Thoroughbred Racing operations
Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts, Atlantic City, NJ
Trump Plaza Hotel Casino
President and Chief Operating Officer Responsible for the strategic planning and management of this Atlantic City based property consisting of 86,000 square feet of casino space, 904 hotel rooms, 4,500 employees, gross revenue of $483 million and operation profit in excess of $73 million. Primary responsibilities included meeting cash flow objectives and achieving capital expenditure ROI. Responsible for developing short and long-term strategies for the property to maximize financial return on company assets.
Trump Plaza Hotel Casino
Executive Vice President Marketing Responsible for the competitive positioning of the Hotel Casino within the Atlantic City market through development of various marketing strategies. Oversaw development of customer loyalty programs for the (core) customer base, as well as target programs for new customers. Analyzed and identified new products and services to include customer gaming propensities, cost analysis, business growth and return on investment. Improved the ability to plan, execute and track marketing campaigns. Developed and managed customer acquisition and retention programs. Provided a technology-based foundation that furnished enterprise scalability to include the management and integration of diverse data sources. Goals were achieved through the use of advanced database marketing techniques, data mining, behavioral modeling and pattern recognition models within a CRM framework.
Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts
Vice President Casino Management & Development Led the company’s exploration of gaming opportunities for expansion worldwide. Specific new project development included demographic study and evaluation, gaming market research, financial modeling and economic analysis, cash flow and profit projections, preparation of construction and start-up budgets, review and evaluation of legal, tax and regulatory issues, proposal preparation, public presentations and government relations.
Casino Resources, Inc., Toms River, NJ
President and Chief Executive Officer Responsible for the management of full service casino marketing company. Services preformed included devising, developing and implementing marketing plans for acquiring new customers, competitive review, analysis and program functionality, testing drivers of existing marketing programs, secret shopper programs, employee time/motion work productivity studies, advertising and promotion consultation. Clients included several Atlantic City Casinos, related casino industry service providers, and hospitality service providers.
Education
Membership/Associations/Licenses (past and present)
Key gaming license with the New Jersey Casino Control Commission
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Key gaming license with the West Virginia Lottery Commission
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Key racing license the West Virginia Racing Commission
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Member of the American Management Association
