Curriculum Vitae
Valerie T. Lehman
Catering and special events leadership across the premier hotels of Southern California — 1999 to present.
Hilton Pasadena
Senior Catering Sales Manager- Highest-producing catering manager on a quarterly basis
- Work with diverse clientele with a focus on social catering
- Conduct site inspections; create and maintain client relationships
- Chamber representative for the hotel — attend industry and community events
- Solicit new business
The LA Hotel Downtown
Director of Catering and Special Events- Responsible for hiring, training, and managing catering and convention services staff
- Forecast, budget, and marketing plan preparation and presentation
- Direct and participate in solicitation efforts
- Conduct site inspections; create and maintain client relationships
- Create all menus and sales/catering collateral with the F&B operations team
- Manage and work with key accounts
InterContinental Hotel Los Angeles
Social Catering Sales Manager- Responsible for booking and contracting all social events at the property
- Created new menus and collateral for wedding and mitzvah packages
- Solicitation and networking
- Maintained excellent relationships with wedding planners, vendors, and outside caterers
- Delphi proficient
- Assisted DOSM with sales and marketing forecast and budget reports
The Beverly Garland Hotel
Catering Sales Manager- Created new menus and collateral for the re-branding and opening of the renovated property
- Solicitation and networking
- Maintained excellent relationships with wedding planners, vendors, and outside caterers
- Delphi proficient
- Assisted DOSM with sales and marketing forecast and budget reports
- Provided action plans and goal setting for event managers
- Hiring and training of catering staff
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Social Catering Manager- Achieved individual sales goals each year — President's Club, 2006–2008
- Grew social catering revenue from $1.2 million to $3.2 million over an eight-year period
- Created the wedding planner brochure and packages for social events
- Solicitation and networking
- Established excellent relationships with vendors and outside caterers
- Strong knowledge of Persian, Jewish, and Indian wedding customs and cultures, as well as quinceañeras, debuts, and bar/bat mitzvahs
- Delphi administrator
Sheraton Fairplex Hotel
Director of Catering- Achieved individual and department sales goals
- Responsible for all administrative tasks in the department, including forecasting, annual budgets, marketing plan, hiring, and training
- Directed two catering managers and an administrative assistant
- Created menus and collateral for the department
- Worked directly with the staff of the Pomona Fairgrounds to produce large-scale events and the annual LA County Fair
- Established and maintained excellent relationships with outside vendors
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel
Senior Catering Sales Manager- Highest-producing catering manager, exceeding a goal of over one million dollars for two consecutive years
- Coordinated over 60 events per year in the largest ballroom in Los Angeles, including the National Democratic Convention and the WellPoint Holiday Gala for over 6,000 guests
- Markets included corporate, weddings, political, fundraisers, proms, reunions, and entertainment across more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space
- Performed site inspections
- Active involvement in departmental meetings and team-building efforts
- Arranged weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly reports as necessary
References available upon request