DEMARIO DUNSON
Chicago
Summary
Operations professional with a background in scaling studio systems and cross-functional processes in fast-moving creative environments. Bridges operational strategy with a people-first approach — building the structures and culture initiatives that keep teams connected and work moving forward.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Studio Manager
Curioso
Chicago, IL
01.2022 - Current
- Operations Management: Scaled studio from 18 to 50 employees across Chicago and Merida, Mexico, establishing cross-border workflows that drove 180% company growth and $2M+ in annual revenue.
- Cost Control: Achieved 30% expense reduction and positive cash flow through international expansion by implementing cost management protocols, negotiating vendor contracts, and establishing spending approval thresholds.
- Talent Development & Leadership: Built talent acquisition and onboarding program from scratch, recruiting 30 associates with 95% retention through structured mentoring and leadership development.
- Project Coordination: Delivered Chicago office expansion doubling workspace capacity in 7 weeks—on schedule and 2.5% under budget ($390K of $400K).
- Financial Administration: Restructured reporting systems across 2 international offices, improving forecast accuracy and enabling real-time financial visibility for faster strategic decisions.
Operations Specialist
Curioso
Chicago, IL
10.2020 - 01.2022
- Financial Administration: Implemented Xero and QuickBooks, automating billing, receivables, and reporting—reducing invoicing cycles by one week and eliminating 20% of manual errors.
- Operations Management: Administered payroll, benefits, and insurance for 18-30 employees across two international offices while standardizing processes to improve forecast accuracy and financial visibility.
- Cost Control: Drove 30% expense reduction by implementing cost management protocols, negotiating vendor contracts, and establishing spending thresholds that maintained positive cash flow through expansion.
- Cross-Functional Support & Culture Champion: Kept teams connected during rapid growth—managing 6-10 monthly travel bookings for 20+ designers, organizing quarterly leadership forums within a $5K budget, and executing annual international retreats for 30+ employees that boosted morale and cross-office collaboration.
Customer Care Specialist
Cars.com
Chicago, IL
07.2018 - 04.2020
- Client Support & Case Management: Supported 250+ auto dealerships nationwide, resolving 100+ daily cases via Salesforce with a consistent 30-minute to 1-hour resolution time and a perfect 5/5 customer satisfaction rating.
- Peer Coaching & Leadership: Formally coached 10 support specialists, driving measurable improvements in team SLA compliance and customer satisfaction scores.
- Escalation & Issue Resolution: Triaged and escalated 2-3 complex dealer cases daily—coordinating with Tier 2 and Technical Support for same-day or within-24-hour resolution.
- Recognition: Awarded the 2019 Customer Care Drive Award for exceptional service excellence.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
EastWest University
Chicago, ILSkills
- Operations Management
- Financial Administration
- Project Coordination
- Technology Management
- Process Improvement
- Strategic Planning
- Cost Control
- Team Development
- Process improvement
- Client rapport
- Budget administration
Technical Skills
- Google Workspace
- Adobe Suite
- Salesforce
- Asana
- Xero
- QuickBooks
- Gusto
Timeline
Studio Manager
Curioso
01.2022 - Current
Operations Specialist
Curioso
10.2020 - 01.2022
Customer Care Specialist
Cars.com
07.2018 - 04.2020
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
EastWest University