Executive Profiles
Stephen L. Ragan
Founder and Chief Consultant
Education
35 years of restaurant and hospitality management experience.
Continuing Education: Re-certification in ServSafe, Bar Management Operations, Situational Leadership I & II -- Hershey/Blanchard
Interpersonal Skills, Communication Skills and Leadership Development, Platform Skills, Conflict Resolution Strategies, Coaching and Counseling, Human Relations/Management Development, Management Assessment Program -- Mescon Group ,Inc., Career Counseling Training, Union Free Employee Relations, Title VII/E.E.O.C. Law, Quality Circles, Positive Power and Influence Program -- Leroy Maloue and Associates, Cultivating Management Skills -- Business Administration School ,Georgia State University, Foundation for Leadership, Recruitment, Selection and Hiring of Managers
Family
Steve and Kathy, his wife of 40 years, have four grown children. Steve and Kathy are residents of Huber Heights, Ohio and have five grandchildren.
Career
Steve brings more than 35 years of business management consulting ,management development , new business development, new unit start-up, and local marketing strategies experience to Consilium Group. He has held numerous leadership roles – Franchise Market Director for Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses, Director of Human Recourses and Training for Casa Lupita full service Mexican restaurants, Director of Operations Training for Ponderosa Steakhouses and Operations Training Instructor.
A large part of Steve's career was to work with his clients in helping them increase their sales through improving their day to day operations and marketing plus extracting additional profits through improved P & L management controls. This is accomplished by working with and coaching their management teams to focus on the little things on a day to day basis. Helping management find ways to "WOW" their guests through excellence in service and food quality is what Consilium Group is all about.
Mary K. Szafarski
President
Education
Ohio University, Bachelor of Science/Journalism and Public Relations
Family
Mary K. and her husband Rich live in Parma, Ohio and have three children, Victoria, Sydney, and Zachary
Career
Mary K. has more than 17 years of restaurant and hospitality management experience within various full serve hotels chains. Mary K. has held numerous leadership positions at high end hotels during her career including Renaissance Hotels and Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton. She most recently worked with Accor North America as a National Account Executive, selling more than 1200 hotels to Fortune 500 companies and managing an $11+ million portfolio. She is also actively involved in training and development within her current role. Mary K helped to recreate and now teaches the sales training program that is taught to all new incoming general managers with Westmont Hospitality/Red Roof Inn.
Mary K. was a key member of the team that won the Malcolm Baldridge quality award with the Ritz Carlton. The Malcolm Baldrige awards criteria cover the following categories: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; information and analysis; human resource development and management; process management; and business results.
Civic Involvement
Mary K. has been involved with Habitat for Humanity, Ohio Valley Business Travel Association, and a variety of other hospitality organizations. She is actively involved in church, school and athletic activities within the Parma Community.
Steve Ragan
Director of Business Development
Education
Tiffin University, Bachelors of Business Administration - Organizational Management
Bowling Green State University, Masters - Organization Development / Change Management
Family
Steve and his wife Diana live in Strongsville, Ohio with their two young children, Noah and Amelia
Career
Steve brings more than 14 years of business consulting, organization and leadership development and performance management experience to Consilium Group. He has held numerous leadership roles during his career including President of a northeast Ohio manufacturing company and Vice-President at Key Bank NA in Cleveland, Ohio, the 12th largest bank in the United States.
He has led strategic planning and performance management initiatives for clients across the country. Steve also served as a consultant and sales trainer where he coached many organizations, helping them focus on profitable revenue growth and organization effectiveness.
Throughout his career, Steve was fully responsibility for increasing the effectiveness of numerous organization's management team and the organizations overall effectiveness. Collaborating with each manager, Steve focuses on developing a culture of accountability and execution.
Civic Involvement
Steve has been active in numerous philanthropic endeavors including Habitat for Humanity, The Ronald McDonald House and currently serves on the Community Service Alliance Board of Directors and chairs its Public Relations/Marketing Committee.
