John Donato Email & Phone Number

Downers Grove, Il

As the Chief of Procurement, I review and approve contracts relating to the $14B Move Illinois Capital Program amounting to 500+ to-date. Not only do I assist in drafting procurement-related legislation, but I also testify on various procurement bills at the Capital. Beyond conducting vendor outreach to discuss the programs in the community, I also work to minimize the number of negative articles posted on the tollway by handling press-related inquiries quickly. Some of my career highlights include:- Maximizing efficiency by replacing 60+ fleet-related contracts with a single contract using a vendor managed inventory program.- Presenting 5-15 contracts per month worth $100k to $50M to the finance committee of the Board of Directors.- Encouraging participation from various firms resulting in 200+ becoming subcontractors and 25+ becoming prime vendors.- Leading the department during an ERP / SAP software implementation.- Integrating a Job Order Contracting (JOC) system – the first state agency to implement the program – helping increase efficiency and streamline operations in the organization.- Processing 400+ contracts annually made up of 1k+ items worth $400-500M.

While working as the Procurement Compliance Monitor, I ensured the state complied with procurement codes and other regulations while analyzing 200+ contracts. By suggesting changes to the process flow, I helped reduce the processes completed by more than one month. Because of the changes I recommended to 20% of the contracts that I reviewed, I was able to negotiate more favorable terms for the agency helping to save time and man hours.

During my time as the Deputy Director of Procurement, I utilized my talents to manage $4B+ in state-wide procurements. Beyond leading monthly meetings with 55 agencies to discuss procurement best practices, process improvements, and common agency issues, I also drafted procurement legislation and testified in support of the company’s position on the bills. Not only did I meet with 100+ vendors annually to learn more about the industry best practices, but I also attended 25 vendor conferences annually to further discuss procurement processes and help the vendor community navigate all of the processes for doing business with the state.My key accomplishments include:- Slashing spending by $30M+ by preventing anything beyond health, life, and safety items to be approved.- Minimizing pricing by 5% by renegotiating contract prices.- Decreasing prices due by combining agency contracts to issue bigger solicitations.

As the State Purchasing Manager, I negotiated contracts with vendors while managing $400M+ in agency procurements. I was also a key member of the committee that was responsible for putting the state’s first hybrid vehicle on a state contract as well as the committee that created the contracts for green cleaning supplies and all related items. My career accomplishments include:- Streamlining procurement policies resulting in a three-week reduction for time involved with reviews as well as the elimination of multiple reviews.- Conducting 15-20 vendor conferences to explain agency programs.

Vernon Hills, Il

Throughout my time as the Account Manager, I increased customer retention by 25% by negotiating favorable terms. Beyond recommending solutions to address customer concerns, I also recommended products to customers. It was because of my efforts that I was recognized as a Multi Dollar Sales Achiever for reaching $1M+ in sales. I built relationships with 100+ Fortune 500 clients and worked to increase the client base from 0 to 100+.