Deborah Mella

About Deborah Mella

I am high energy sales and business development leader with 25+ years of industry…

Experience

1. Vice President of Sales and Development

   Cipriani

   Sep 2005 — Present · New York, NY, US

   Recruited initially to oversee one venue (42nd Street) with annual revenues of $20M in 2006• Overhauled declining sales at a second location (Wall Street) in 2009• Promoted to take over the third venue (25 Broadway) in 2016• Generated annual revenues exceeding $59M for all three locations in 2019• Maintained positive revenue metrics during challenging periods, including a recession• Built a team of 15 direct reports and maintained zero turnovers through dedicated leadership• Encouraged intra-company referrals to other Cipriani locations to meet client needs and drive bottom-line growth• Cultivated a huge database with thousands of clients who often return for additional events and refer new clients• Gained insight into various market verticals, including social, corporate, nonprofit, and government• Developed expertise in knowing what the client is looking for and proactively made suggestions accordingly • Opened two new locations for Cipriani, handling location scouting, site selection, bidding, and RFP management• Consistently delivered unparalleled culinary and event experiences to a diverse audience• Earned reputation as “The Rainmaker” is an extremely challenging, competitive industry

Education

• Florida State University

  Bachelor of Science - BS

Skills

• Wedding Planning
• Trade Shows
• Social Networking
• Event Planning
• Hospitality Industry
• Resorts
• Entertainment
• Menu Development
• Corporate Events
• Restaurant Management
• Banquets
• Hotel Management
• Private Events
• Live Events
• Restaurants
• Food & Beverage
• Tourism
• Social Media
• Hotels
• Hospitality Management
• Pre-Opening
• Catering
• Budgets
• Food
• Hospitality
• Revenue Analysis
• Event Management
• Meeting Planning
• Fundraising
• Wine