VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/112509
4 0 U ND ER 4 0 2 01 3 14A Julie Cane Age: 38 Director of Marketing Hard Rock Hotel & Casino J ulie Cane got her ���rst taste of the hospitality and guest services industries during a college internship at Disney World, strategically complementing that passion by attending Buffalo State College in her hometown as well as a semester at UNLV, earning a degree in public communications. Upon graduation, Cane relocated to Las Vegas and held positions with the House of Blues Foundation Room and Stirling Club/Turnberry Towers before landing at N9NE Group in 2001, where she served as director of guest services and public relations for The Palms for nearly 10 years. ���Then, in 2011, my mentor started working for the management company that managed Hard Rock, she had an opportunity available that was interesting to me, so I went for it,��� said Cane, who supports Keep Memory Alive, and has spearheaded corporate campaigns on behalf of Nevada Cancer Institute, Noah���s Animal House, Opportunity Village and Three Square. In her role as director of marketing for Hard Rock, Cane is putting her previous experience to good use, overseeing marketing for all aspects of the property, including dining, entertainment, gaming, nightlife, retail and corporate philanthropy. Since assuming her position, she has also been instrumental in several prominent projects, including DJ Pauly D���s popular residency, property-wide breast cancer awareness month initiatives, the opening of the nightclub Vinyl, the re-opening of the nightclub Body English and the opening of an Asian gaming pit and dining destination, F��. Cane is immersed in a project in Iowa to help open a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City. There are three companies bidding on the one available gaming license, with the ���nal decision expected to be made on April 18. ���D.B. 4 0 U ND ER 4 0 2 01 3 Michael Crome Age: 35 Vice President of Finance, Budget and Planning Caesars Entertainment A s a college student, Michael Crome was on the accounting track, but a stint as a strategic consultant in hospitality shifted his bent toward a broader view of business, which he refers to as the function of ���nance. Crome holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Akron in Ohio, and an MBA from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, The Ohio native moved to Southern Nevada in 2006, and immediately secured a position as president���s associate with Caesars Entertainment, quickly ascending the ladder before assuming his current role as vice president of ���nance, budget and planning in 2006. In this capacity, Crome serves as the principal ���nancial executive and provides strategic direction and day-to-day management of the ���nance function for all corporate and Enterprise Shared Services functions in both ���nancial planning, budgeting and forecasting. In addition, Crome ensures compliance with existing and established reporting policies and procedures. Last year, Crome lead the restructuring of the ���nancial management reporting for the corporate and shared services functions as a result of ���Project Renewal,��� the company���s largest strategic initiative to date. Project Renewal involved the consolidation of more than 20 business units into one newly established entity with costs of more than $250 million dispersed into centralized corporate locations to realize enterprise-wide savings of $400 million. ���I just transitioned into this role so there���s still much to accomplish, but my plan is to continue to seek out opportunities to better optimize ef���ciencies,��� said Crome, who has served as chairman and board member of Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, an organization he holds dear ��� having been a Junior Achiever himself ��� as well as on the board of New Vista. ���D.B. 40 UNDER 40 2013 Farhan Naqvi Age: 36 Founder, Managing Partner Naqvi Personal Injury of Nevada T 1A 20130304_VI01_I.indd 14 here are plenty of personal injury attorneys who wear their egos on their sleeve. But Farhan Naqvi isn���t one of them. Avoiding the big banner advertisements, opting instead for a solid relationship-���rst approach, has brought him great success. It���s unlikely he���ll change that formula any time soon. Practicing law in the valley since 2003, Naqvi spent the ���rst part of his career in the insurance defense ���eld before going into personal injury. ���I wanted to get that perspective and understand what insurance companies were thinking when they didn���t pay fair compensation. After that I transitioned to this side,��� he said. In 2008, he started his own practice without employees or a single client. Five years later, he now has 13 employees in his ���rm. Naqvi���s success could also be attributed to his desire to keep learning. ���There���s a lot of neuropsychological research to help with how to better communicate on behalf of your clients,��� he said. ���Often times whether the client wins or loses depends on the type of lawyer they have and their communication style.��� The articulate Naqvi has been recog- nized as a Top 40 Under 40 by the legal industry professional organization, National Trial Lawyers. His ���rm earned a ���Best Places to Work��� honor by VEGAS INC and last year Business Leader Magazine voted it one of the top 300 small businesses in the west. Naqvi is one of the founding supporters of Dress for Success Southern Nevada, an area nonpro���t that helps unemployed women receive professional training and clothing for job seeking. He is also a member of the marketing committee for the Clark County Bar Association. ���B.S. 2/28/13 3:00:54 PM