Venessa Garst

Negotiated client contracts resulting in significant cost savings for clients Seasoned team leader, thriving in challenging, high pace environments while making on-the-spot decisions on behalf of clients Anticipated, managed and resolved objections, conflicts, and issues as client interface while maintaining relationships and ensuring high quality work Managed complex customer databases using refined multi-tasking and computer skills

Established and organized a Preferred Hotel Program, drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts to lower risk, leverage business, and reduce annual spending by an average of 5 percent Drafted and managed multi-million dollar budgets ($17M meeting spend per year) Counseled senior executives to meet and surpass organizational goals by designing high-quality and cost efficient meetings Developed, reconciled and presented budgets to executive management

Experience managing multi-million dollar budgets, strategize with Senior Executives to meet organizational goals by designing high-quality, cost effective meetings. Develop and present budgets, cost savings and service levels to Executive Management. Ensure accurate meeting forecasts and consistent vendor(s) performance. Manage issue resolution. Ensure all physician meetings remain in PhRMA Code compliance. Develop and enhance realtionships with existing and prospective customers. Develop new business within existing account.

Responsibilities included working on meeting consolidation, preferred national hotel agreements and strategic liaison to Stakeholders.

Instituted solutions for small meetings, providing measureable savings of 11 percent and notably increased efficiency and productivity by reducing head count Established and mediated a Medical Communications Forum to educate employees and external vendors regarding Government compliance and company procedures Expanded and enhanced relationships with existing and prospective clients Compiled and researched existing standard operating procedures for department reference

Plan and execute events. Responsible as top-level manager accountable for achieving meeting's general goal: communication objective of client. - Successfully planned large meetings 500-3000 people - Managed teams of up to 40 staff on-site - Provided on-site assistance - Thrived in multi-task, high-pace environment - Delivered quality, well organized meetings, always with-in budget

Paralegal Certification 2012