Greater Chicago Area
Sales professional who excels in developing new business, increasing sales and leading high performance sales teams. Key accomplishments in creating marketing plans, managing distributors, launching new products, sales innovation, merchandising, branding, forecasting and analysis. Consistently identified and implemented business initiatives that created new distribution channels and displaced competition. Developed and maintained effective business relationships with major retailers resulting in profitable partnerships. Focused on quality with a strong drive for results. Specialties: Develop and maintain long lasting and productive relationships with customers/clients. Ability to illiustrate the 'feature and benefits' of my product to my customers. Managed and trained successful account managers and merchandisers, several who have been promoted from within or moved to higher level positions outside the company.
Sales of Unilever products, displays and promotions in 100 grocery stores in the Chicago area.
Magazine sales & distribution to various outlets in the Chicago area.
Prospecting for print & distribution opportunities in the Chicago land area. Ensuring perfect service of the Chicago Reader at approximately 1,000 outlets.
Managed and trained 3 Retail Merchandisers, 1 Staff Assistant and 3 Distribution staff. Accountable for retail circulation, branding and third party sales for The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and The New York Post in a 7-state district. Responsible for meeting and exceeding sales goals, expanding market footprint, order regulation to maximize sales and minimize sellouts, distribution to 2,500+ territory accounts and store level merchandising for all point of sale materials, racking and promotions at retail locations. Managed and collaborated with 54 wholesale partners to ensure best route distribution, product placement and coverage of Dow Jones products. Possess extensive DSD experience. Key accomplishments: •Spearheaded a change in distributors that saved the company $200,000+ per year in 2008. •Consistently increased year over year sales volumes at O’Hare, in Milwaukee, Kansas City and Indianapolis in a declining industry. •Analyzed and forecasted sales, revenue and expense data to develop realistic budgets and recommendations to improve market share. •Developed and maintained successful relationships with local, regional and corporate wholesale partners and retailers which dramatically improved sales and marketing potential over a wide range of class of trade categories including convenience store, grocery, drug and bookstores. •Successfully managed the distribution at O’Hare Airport, The Wall Street Journal’s largest single account. •Successfully launched The Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition in September 2005 to more than 2,000 outlets. •Audited wholesaler accounts to ensure a true reporting of sales.
Managed and trained 1 Manager and 1 Assistant. Responsible for all retail and Newspaper in Education sales which topped 305,000 copies. Worked closely with local and regional retailers, such as 7-Eleven, White Hen Pantry, Dominick’s, Jewel/Osco and Starbucks. Directed the ‘Newspaper in Education’ program which included sponsorships by the Bulls, the Bears and the Blackhawks. Key results: •Developed and implemented wholesaler/route driver contests that increased sales and improved positioning in outlets. •Created and implemented new billing system for schools that improved invoice tracking, decreased past due accounts and increased the number of payments made. •Coordinated with Starbucks Coffee to eliminate exclusivity contract with competitor.