My name is Kato (kate-oh) and I’m a creative thinker and a visual maker. My namesake is associated with the Green Hornet and Pink Panther, so watch out! I’ve been known to kick butt!
I'm creative, resourceful and curious by nature – an ideas person and a problem solver – but I can also recognize what detailed steps are needed to achieve goals. With a watchful eye on team management, communication and time restraints, I'm detailed oriented, super-organized and self motivated. I can manage groups but also work independently. I have excellent communication skills, and am comfortable presenting and speaking to large groups.
Being self-employed for most of my working life has enabled me to experience a wide variety of roles. I understand small business and the importance of marketing brands using both traditional and social media.I also have access to skilled labour and resources to augment projects and build a team needed to create excellence for any project. I am a senior associate for the Aviary Group and have developed their creative arm, in addition to helping with group facilitation and customer service training.
PRINT + DESIGN
PROMOTION, MARKETING & ADVERTISING MATERIALS
20 years experience designing logos, business cards, brochures, forms, stationery packages, press kits, ads, vehicle graphics, sponsorship packages, stakeholder reports, powerpoint presentations, flyers, newsletters, annual reports, trade booth design, give-away products (t-shirts, magnets, calenders, buttons, bookmarks)
> ad designer in the production department at NOW magazine, Toronto (1996-2010)
> all promotional materials for Billy’s Best Bottles (since 2000)
> promotional & advertising materials for hundreds of small businesses and corporations including:
> The Stratford Festival > Albany Medical Clinic > Nortel Hotels > CBC for Kids > United Way
> Core Health Services > Ontario Educational Defense Fund > Terroir Symposium
BOOK DESIGN
> Billy’s Best Bottles annual wine book by Billy Munnelly (2000-2010 – Canadian Best Seller,
published by McArthur & Company, 240 pages)
> The Canadian Cheese Pocket Guide by Kathy Guidi (2010, published by McArthur & Company, 240 pages)
> Easy Money Smarts by Jim Mathe (2010, 208 pages)
> R3: Real People with Real Strategies for Real Estate Investing by Rick McKinnon & Leslie Quinsay (2010)
> Billy‘s Best Bottles Wineletter (40 pages, published 6 times per year, 2000-2005)
NEW MEDIA
> co-designed iphone app with iBAM for Billy’s Best Bottles (2011)
> designer of www.billysbestbottles.com (since 2000 - Word Press platform)
> creative director of ‘The Wine Dating Game’ (Flash game on Sympatico/MSN, 2005)
> creative director and original conceiver of ‘The Great Canadian Story Engine’ (2000), a web-based Canadian traveling road show in conjunction with CBC and Historica.
> designed in both English and French, the web site, logos, exterior/interior of bus, all print media for the project including ads for major newspapers, press kits, file folders, posters, stationery packages, promotional takeaways, stakeholder annual report
> web design for many small businesses (most recent: www.sandbankswinery.com, www.valleylakehouse.com, www.elmhirst.com, www.billysbestbottles.com)
OTHER DESIGN RELATED
> interior designer and brand strategy for Regent Cafe, Picton (2011)
> interior designer for Stratford Festival’s downtown Theatre Store (1996)
> trade show booth design for Vinaio Canada
> computer graphics instructor at International Academy of Design (3 years)
> colour & painting instructor, Dunedin Art Retreat, Creemore (2008-2009)
WRITING SERVICES
Good writing is integral to deliver any marketing solution. I have over 10 years experience in high profile writing, from conception, drafts, proofreading and execution of final copy for ads, manuals, flyers, websites, white papers, speeches, newsletters, brochures & reports.
CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
With Billy’s Best Bottles / Billy Munnelly
• 10 years experience developing and executing wine seminars for small and large groups
• a variety of focus from team building, client appreciation, staff training or private ‘edu-tainment’
• over 7000 total participants, with groups ranging from 10 to 300
• clients have included:
Art Gallery of Ontario |
Industrial Alliance Securities Inc. |
Torys LLP |
Beard Winter |
Mercedes Benz |
torstar |
BMO |
Prime Restaurants |
United Financial |
Deloitte |
Proctor & Gamble |
University of Toronto |
Gourmet Food & Wine Expo |
Queen’s University Alumni |
Watson Wyatt Worldwide |
Kitchener/Waterloo Chamber of Commerce |
Royal Military College |
Wilfrid University Alumni |
Harcourt Canada |
Scotia McLeod |
|
Terroir Hospitality Symposium, Hart House, University of Toronto (2009-11)
> co-presenter of a branding/marketing breakout session ‘Brand New You’ (2011)
> planned and moderated panel on ‘Training Service in Hospitality Sector’ (2009)
Art Gallery of Ontario (2009)
> service consultant and trainer fo ropening of ‘Frank’ restaurant and AGO Café (designed by Frank Gehry)
> instrumental in building training and incentive programs: trained over 60 employees in hospitality, customer service and sales
Contracts with independent restaurants (2003-2011)
> provides hands-on staff training including analysis of core values, branding exercises and management mentoring
> develops a customized training program/training manual, as needed
> conducts group workshops/one-to-one training/train-the-trainer programs, as needed
Prime Restaurants, Canada (2004)
> assessed, designed and delivered a successful and innovative wine and service training program
> developed and delivered a custom program, which incorporated the objectives and core values of the client
> customer service component included selling/up-selling, reading/talking to guests, handling complaints/difficult customers, disabled guests, breaking the ice, opening/closing remarks, telephone etiquette, testing/evaluation
> launched role-out for annual stakeholder’s conference
> designed role-playing exercises, organized the Canada-wide training schedule and delivered training manual
Stratford Chef School (1989-1996)
> service instructor: instructed 60 -75 students in weekly classroom setting
> developed lesson plans for 16 week program
> provided one-to-one and small group training sessions each evening
> managed students for public functions, serving 25 to 300 clients
> wrote service training manual: ‘Changing Attitudes: The Nature of Hospitality, Sales & Service’
You can download my CV here.