Peter McMahon
Jasper,Alberta
Summary
Results-oriented General Manager with 10+ years of experience focused on increasing revenue and expanding profit. Adaptive and deadline-oriented consistently executes and completes multiple projects in high-stress environments. Detail-driven leader, strategic planner and motivator offering the ability to collaborate on and execute bold visions.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
Work History
General Manager / Managing Owner
The Jasper Planetarium
04.2015 - Current
- Lead team of 20+ staff, overseeing operations, strategic vision, and long-range planning.
- Developed and implemented strategies to increase ticket and group sales and profitability, generating steady dividends and sufficient cash-flow to fuel our ongoing expansion.
- Managed budget implementations, employee reviews, training, schedules, and contract negotiations, successfully garnering favorable circumstances with partners.
- Monitored financial performance, set budgets and controlled expenses to provide financial stability and year-over-year growth, increasing revenue 15-fold between 2015 and present.
- Maximized efficiency by coaching and mentoring personnel on practices, company procedures, and technology systems, leading to solid company growth and consistently high employee satisfaction (5/5 currently on Indeed.)
- Introduced new methods, practices, and systems to streamline company performance, consistently receiving 4.5/5 average on Google and TripAdvisor
- Analyzed market trends and competitor activities to create competitive advantages.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop innovative solutions that got results.
- Provided strategic oversight of marketing and promotional campaigns to keep campaigns aligned with overall goals and objectives.
- Scheduled employees for shifts, taking into account customer traffic and employee strengths.
- Managed all aspects of employee recruitment and retention, bringing company to full staffing levels in one of most challenging types of staffing environments on Earth.
Communications Writer
University Of Toronto
03.2015 - 01.2019
- Identified promotable aspects of research announcements to spotlight as a part-time writer.
- Worked with heads of research communications for Engineering School and Applied Arts to turn assignments into dozens of media appearances.
- Framed U of T faculty discoveries for a general audience ranging from to creation of 'space suits' for nano therapy; to finding out Sun circles the Milky Way faster than was originally thought; to revelation that humans process architecture and faces with same part of the brain.
Science Writer and Presenter
Self-employed
03.2009 - 04.2015
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to produce accurate, high-quality articles, press releases, marketing materials and more for customers ranging from Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics to Waterloo Global Science Initiative to Science North to CTVOlympics.ca to Canadian Space Agency.
- Wrote award-winning kids science books as author for Kids Can Press.
- Wrote and provided photography for features and cover stories for such outlets as Canadian Geographic, Toronto Star, Reader's Digest, Today's Parent, University Affairs, and more.
Lead Online Producer
Discovery Channel
04.2003 - 03.2009
- Led team of online producers to execute editorial vision of Discovery Channel web manager and Executive team of CTV Globemedia
- Wrote and assigned daily science news stories and oversaw production of science-news-based micro-sites that resulted in record traffic.
- Produced Discovery Channel's first live web video events. Ranging from live webcast of meteor shower to live building implosion, many garnered record views, at one point rivaling CTV's onlie red carpet Oscars coverage.
- Produced, edited and hosted weekly video web series that did mini technology builds and investigated science and nature based myths
- Collaborated with partners such as TV production teams as well as sales & advertising departments to realize content and revenue goals
- Traveled to cover events such as space shuttle launches, unearthing of new dinosaur species and interviewing science and technology figures such as Jane Goodall, Richard Branson, James Watson (co-discoverer of structure of DNA), every Canadian astronaut, and countless others.
Online Writer / Overnight Web Producer
CTV News
12.2001 - 04.2003
- Wrote in-depth science and technology features based on ongoing news stories that benefited from additional detail and context.
- Wrote 5-10 national news items per shift using wire copy, scripts from CTV TV reporters, phone interviews, and/or original research.
- Worked with online assignment editor to develop stories and edit/fact-check copy.
- Sourced photos and video to accompany text stories.
- Suggested story ideas based on developing headlines.
Online Producer
Discovery Channel
04.2000 - 12.2001
- Created dynamic text, video, graphics and other original story elements to increase website traffic and build Discovery Channel brand in all media
- Generated ideas for science and technology stories, story series', and feature sites on topics ranging from archeology to astronomy to latest research news
- Increased understanding (and that of audience) of science and technology achievements by remote and in-person interviews with researchers, explorers, innovators and influencers.
- Traveled throughout North America to cover breaking items from research breakthroughs to space launches.
Education
Batchelor of Journalism (BJourn) - Science Journalism
Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto, ONSkills
- Team Leadership
- Effective Communication
- Cross-Functional Team Management
- Project and Operations Management
- Budgeting and Cost Control
- Variance and Risk Analysis
- Market Analysis
- Organizational Restructure and Change
- Negotiation
- Training and Development
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Staff Retention Programs
Accomplishments
- Increased revenue of The Jasper Planetarium by a minimum of 20% each year since 2015
- YouTube series of scripts was a writer for have gone on to garner more than 94 million views
- Winner, 2005 Veronique Morin award for science promotion from the Canadian Science Writers' Association
- CIHR Journalism Award ($10,000) 2010
- President, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (formerly Canadian Science Writers Association) 2011-2012
- Canada Council for the Arts emerging author grant ($9,000) 2013
- Lane Anderson Award for science writing ($10,000) 2019
- Winner, 2019 Travel Alberta ALTO Award for tourism excellence
- 2019 and 2020 Tripadvisor Award of Excellence
- 2022 and 2023 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice
Timeline
General Manager / Managing Owner
The Jasper Planetarium
04.2015 - Current
Communications Writer
University Of Toronto
03.2015 - 01.2019
Science Writer and Presenter
Self-employed
03.2009 - 04.2015
Lead Online Producer
Discovery Channel
04.2003 - 03.2009
Online Writer / Overnight Web Producer
CTV News
12.2001 - 04.2003
Online Producer
Discovery Channel
04.2000 - 12.2001
Batchelor of Journalism (BJourn) - Science Journalism
Toronto Metropolitan University
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