Danielle Strong

I attribute my success to the 34-year career journey I have built through continuous learning, adaptability, and a willingness to take on new opportunities. I began my hospitality career in 1992 at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, initially providing administrative support before transitioning into leisure sales and eventually convention services. I progressed into an assistant manager role in convention services, which prepared me for a significant opportunity at Caesars Palace in 1997, where I helped develop a new catering and convention services role under Bill Hornbuckle’s leadership. Each step of my career has provided valuable experience, challenged me to grow, and strengthened the leadership and hospitality expertise that have shaped my success.

The best career advice I’ve received has come through the exceptional mentors who have supported and challenged me throughout my career. George Markantonis helped me find my voice and confidence in what was often a male-dominated industry, while Colleen Birch played an important role in connecting me with the opportunity at Fontainebleau. I also gained valuable leadership perspective through Leadership Las Vegas, a 10-month program designed to develop influential community leaders. One of my greatest professional accomplishments has been helping build and open the hotel, an intensive year-and-a-half journey that required me to trust my team, empower those around me, and remain focused on achieving a shared goal. Those experiences taught me that strong leadership is rooted in confidence, relationships, trust, and the willingness to help others succeed.

I would tell young women entering the hospitality industry to never give up on themselves or their goals. My own career is proof that there is more than one path to success. I built a 34-year career through hard work, persistence, continuous learning, and a willingness to take opportunities as they came, even without completing a college degree. Believe in your abilities, stay open to learning, build strong relationships, and do not allow setbacks or unconventional circumstances to convince you that you cannot achieve your goals.

The biggest opportunity in my field right now is continuing to grow the catering and events business while creating a workplace where people can thrive both professionally and personally. We have achieved significant revenue growth, with projections reaching approximately $90 million in our third year and $109 million in our fourth year. I believe much of that success comes from creating a human-centered work environment where employees can balance their personal and professional responsibilities. By supporting my team as people, not just employees, we have been able to build strong retention and create opportunities for team members to grow and advance within our 32-person department.

The values that are most important to me are inspiration, mentorship, and creating opportunities for other women to succeed. I want to use my career journey to show that there are many paths to professional success and that persistence, leadership, and a willingness to grow can open doors. I began mentoring UNLV students in 1998 and have carried that commitment throughout my career, from progressing through leadership roles at Caesars Palace and starting my own event planning business to returning to Las Vegas and joining The Cosmopolitan, and ultimately helping open Fontainebleau. Being part of the Fontainebleau opening was a particularly meaningful accomplishment, as I helped build the catering and convention services department, lead a team of approximately 32 direct reports and an indirect team of about 300, oversee $20 million in OS&E, and contribute to achieving the property's $54 million first-year revenue goal. Through every stage of my journey, I have remained committed to lifting others up, sharing what I have learned, and inspiring women to pursue their own goals with confidence and determination.