PETER SWANK
HOSPITALITY TRAINING / L&D SPECIALIST
Guest obsessed, culture fanatic, employee champion, and dedicated trainer- helping the hospitality industry find, develop, and manage human capital. Highly talented and enthusiastic relationship manager. Multilingual with international experience.
MBA in Human Capital Management with 10+ years' background in HR management, training / L&D, and organizational development
Cross-cultural training design and implementation experience in North America and Europe
Strategic leadership and consulting / advisory roles for hospitality, customer service, and operations
Significant exposure to technology and management
ServSafe Registered Proctor and TiPS Trainer (alcohol safety); certified in teaching, CPR / AED, foodborne allergens, coffee, English for foreign workers, and Microsoft support (MCP)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Training and Development
Adult Learning / Teaching
Training Needs Analysis
Learning Evaluation
Creative Instructional Design
Organization / Prioritization
HR / Talent Management
Project Management
Customer / Guest Service
Information Technology
Process Development
Communication
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Human Resources Manager- Aloft and Element Hotels (Lexington, MA) 2018 - Present
Accountable for all HR activities of this 259-room, twin-hotel complex (one-person HR department): employee relations, recruiting, payroll / time and attendance, compliance, organizational development, change management, conflict resolution, strategic talent planning and performance management, and more.
Recruit / onboard internal and external candidates for all departments
Ensure coordination and facilitation of new hire orientation programs and special projects
Facilitate Marriott e-training and systems integration programs
Create and define culture with improved retention, engagement, and recognition
Extended responsibilities include acting MOD, security, shuttle driving, IT / telephone support, etc.
Hospitality Skills Instructor (PT) - BEST Hospitality Training (Boston, MA) 2018 - Present
Design / implement hotel, restaurant, and customer service training programs.
Develop new training programs, including teaching materials, outreach, and marketing
Help students secure employment in high-end / luxury hotels through career coaching, mock interviews, career fairs, resume guidance, and networking with key HR professionals
Deliver specialized training in coffee / barista, wine and cocktails, banquet / food service, English for foreign workers, Micros POS, customer service, TiPS (alcohol safety), housekeeping, and more
Extended responsibilities include serving as content editor, subject matter expert, coffee connoisseur, and go-to contact for administrative and technological assistance
Team Leader - Bravo Brio Restaurant Group (Leawood, KS) 2016 - 2017
Performed duties of HR Coordinator, Trainer, and Shift Manager for premium-casual Italian restaurant.
Promoted within 6 weeks due to exceptional customer service and problem-solving skills
Onboarded, trained, and managed Front of House / customer service staff
Corrected negative behavior and improved customer perception by creating balanced scorecard competition to complete side work during downtime
Director of Special Projects - Corporate Payroll Services (Norcross, GA) 2013 - 2015
Steered organizational development, process improvement, and human capital management for national payroll service provider.
Revitalized employee engagement nationwide by implementing “The Four Disciplines of Execution”
Transformed hiring process by launching applicant tracking systems (ATS) and human resource information systems (HRIS)
Increased job candidate quality by crafting Myers-Briggs style interview evaluation metrics to determine probability of workplace success
Spearheaded strategic design, support, and marketing of proprietary time and attendance system
VP of Development / Chief Operating Officer- Fire Consulting International (Merriam, KS) 2001 - 2012
Restructured staff, technology, and operations through full corporate lifecycle and startup of new division that provided loss administration and vendor management to insurance companies.
Designed / developed full stack software suite (single-handedly) to manage operations, client and vendor management, and loss administration (programmed in HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL)
Provided leadership and training to staff, clients, and vendors
Streamlined operations by installing and administering all IT and communication systems
Extended responsibilities included employee relations, organizational development, contract negotiation, talent management, and employer branding
EDUCATION
Sabbatical - Hungary / France / Ireland 2015
Earned teaching / training certification (TEFL / TESOL)
Taught English to adults in France and Ireland
Graduated from Europe's only accredited coffee program
Bellevue University (Bellevue, NE)
Masters: Human Capital Management / Int’l. Business 2014
Bachelors: Business Information Systems 2006
Peter was among the very best. His personal philosophies and approach to business ethics will serve him well in his career. He has an advanced writing / communication style and a collaborative approach to his work required in today's business environments, yet is still often rare among leaders.
- Edward Jarecki (former professor)
I have enjoyed watching and learning from Peter's ability to fully think through and properly calculate his actions before jumping in to improve a situation.
- Nichole Dempsey (former supervisor)
A brilliant and creative person, Peter's innovations are always one or two steps ahead of the company's.
- David Felmly (former coworker)
Peter is a proactive and tireless contributor.
- Heather Harvey (former vendor)
If you want the best, then hire Mr. Swank. If you want the best of the best, still hire Mr. Swank.
- Lawrence Abrams (client)