Our Team
Moana Restaurant Group embraces an innovative corporate culture designed to maximize the passion and personal investment of each of its employees, from the top down. Led by a truly entrepreneurial management team, the company's collective expertise and creative vision ensures that each Moana guest receives impeccable service and a memorable experience.
The Company benefits from the leadership and experience of two of its founders, Robert Harmon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Moana Corporation, and Mark Harmon, Chief Executive Officer of Auberge Resorts. Both serve as Directors of Moana Restaurant Group.
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Tim Harmon, Chief Executive Officer Tim Harmon brings a formidable level of hotel and restaurant industry experience and expertise to the Moana Restaurant Group. As CEO, Harmon is primarily responsible for the acquisition, financing and development of new hotels, resorts and restaurant and overseeing their design and construction. With his background in business and real estate law – he attended the University of California at Berkeley and the Hastings College of Law in San Francisco and practiced law for eight years – Harmon is eminently qualified to lead the company in all areas of its expansion. And with his passion for architecture and design, he is ideally suited to direct the creation of aesthetically refined developments that will stand the test of time. Additionally, he serves as CEO of Solage Hotels & Resorts and Director and Principal of Auberge Resorts. |
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Jon Swanson, President As COO of Restaurant Operations, Jon Swanson oversees all aspects of the restaurants' day-to-day operations and is also responsible for pre-opening training and operations. He works directly with the managers at each location to instill in them a sense of leadership and autonomy. Managers and employees are encouraged and empowered to provide input and ideas, to have a stake in the restaurant, and to find solutions to problems without going up the chain of command. As a result, Moana is extraordinarily successful at attracting and retaining talented and motivated managers and employees. A Bay Area native, Swanson brings abundant experience to his position. After graduating from the University of Denver with a degree in hotel and restaurant management, he held management positions at a variety of restaurants in Portland, Seattle and Sacramento. He also opened several Wall Street Cafés, a successful group of café-delicatessens in the East San Francisco Bay area. In 1991, he co-founded the first Paragon Bar & Café in San Francisco's Marina district and served as its opening General Manager. Since then, he has handled pre-opening operations and training that led to successful launches at Paragons in Berkeley, Portland and San Jose. |
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Stephanie Gluska, CPA, Vice President, Finance and Accounting As Vice President of Finance and Accounting, Stephanie Gluska oversees financial reporting and analysis, accounting, compliance, planning and forecasting for Moana. With her talent, dedication and experience, Gluska ensures that Moana's accounting and reporting requirements are efficiently and accurately satisfied while constantly adapting to new technologies and business strategies. Gluska joined the company in 1999 as Controller for Piatti Restaurant Company. Prior to working with Piatti, she was the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Operations for the US division of a British multimedia company. She also has seven years of public accounting experience with Ernst & Young. A certified public accountant and member of the American Institute of CPAs, Gluska is a Bay Area native and an honors graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics. |
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Marc Quinones, Vice President, Operations As Vice President of Operations, Quinones is the driver of upholding Moana restaurant operational standards and the day to day link between our General Managers and company objectives. Quinones brings to the table over 18 years in restaurant management with recent experience at Redwood Coast Brewing Company (Tied House) and as the General Manager of Moana’s Paragon Restaurant and Bar. A San Francisco native and Cal Berkeley alumnus, Quinones’ detailed business eye, practical application of restaurant management concepts, and sense of humor help create a culture of long term business success. |
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Linda Salman, Operations Manager Linda Salman assists in overseeing the restaurants' day-to-day operations including purchasing and marketing initiatives. Prior to joining the company in 2001, she was an account manager for an advertising company. Salman grew up working in her family's restaurant in Cincinnati. |
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Jennifer Tomaro, Director of Marketing A former contributing food critic, Jennifer Tomaro has a vast array of food and wine knowledge. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara, she went on to attend the California Culinary Academy. After graduating from CCA, Tomaro began working with the San Francisco Chronicle Food Section, where she wrote restaurant reviews and developed recipes for food and wine pairings. In addition to contributing to the paper, Tomaro worked in food and beverage in the hotel industry, then at Chronicle Books where she was the Senior Publicist for Food & Wine titles. Most recently, Tomaro has worked in various PR and Marketing roles, specializing in restaurants, hospitality, food, wine and spirits. Tomaro’s expertise is in building partnerships and developing brand awareness and using her strong media relationships to maximize client coverage. She is also a social media specialist and has developed numerous successful campaigns around a variety of social networking platforms. |
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Lisa Salvas, Project Manager Lisa joined the company in 2004 to assist Tim Harmon with a wide range of projects. Her attention to detail and interest in design and development has her currently managing day to day construction projects, remodels and capital improvements for all of Moana’s properties. She regularly coordinates with owners, restaurant managers, architects, designers, contractors, and vendors to ensure that each property reflects Moana’s standards. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from California State University, Chico in 1990 and previously held administrative positions with Creative Builders, Prudential Securities and Hyatt Hotels. |
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Cristina Coate, Human Resources Manager As the Human Resources Manager, Cristina Coate oversees HR administration including compliance, benefits, compensation, employee relations, safety and payroll matters. Coate is also responsible for developing and implementing new projects and systems that streamline our HR processes. Coate is a Bay Area native with a Bachelor’s in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resources Management. Coate has over 7 years experience in the areas of human resources, payroll administration, safety programs and office management. In addition, she spent over 5 years working in the travel and hospitality industry. At Moana, Coate combines her love of travel and fine dining with her extensive human resources training and professional skills.
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