Ann Connors Email & Phone Number

Dallas/Fort Worth Area

• Leads and directs the marketing activities for Dallas-based, privately-held wine importing company specializing in Bordeaux and other French wines, contributing to annual sales of 1+ million cases.
• Collaborate with Founder/President and Managing Sales Director to support and monitor all sales efforts including pre-sell offers, inventory reduction initiatives, new item launches, etc.
• Support and respond to the on-going needs of the sales team and mentor marketing assistant.
• Prepare corporate presentations, brand specific offers, product technical sheets, POS materials, e-mails, etc.
• Coordinate pre-sell efforts for blue-chip Bordeaux wines, resulting in incremental sales of $1+ million.
• Serve as MISA point-person for high-level suppliers; coordinate in-market visits of prominent Bordeaux winemakers and châteaux owners, organizing sales visits, wine dinners, trade and consumer wine tastings, etc.

Staten Island, New York

• Oversaw and coordinated all aspects of 150-store co-operative supermarket chain’s General Merchandise/Health & Beauty Aids department including weekly meetings with vendors, category reviews, price negotiations, etc.
• Identified opportunities to increase incremental sales; developed strategic Seasonal Programs and White Sheet Surveys; designed impactful sales presentations/materials and conducted follow-up to increase member.
• Generated department income by securing a record level of vendor participation in the semi-annual Food Shows, Buyer’s Trip and Golf Outing; managed timely completion of contracts and deal sheets to ensure meeting of.

Staten Island, New York

• Assisted Senior Buyer with the merchandising needs of the GM/HBA department of 150-store co-op supermarket chain with retail locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania including new item setup.
• Managed the quality process in areas of customer service and co-op member satisfaction; forged strong relationships with store owners, in-store personnel and vendors/brokers.
• Promoted to Jr. Buyer after only 10 months with the company.

Greater New York City Area

• Managed marketing and PR activities for a group of restaurants located in landmark locations, including Rockefeller Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Epcot Center at Walt Disney World.
• Coordinated the grand opening activities for Patina’s new Lincoln restaurant at Lincoln Center with Executive Chef Jonathan Benno (named “Best New Restaurant of 2010” by GQ Magazine) as well as Via Napoli, an authentic.
• Wrote creative copy for a variety of marketing materials including the weekly Simply Patina e-blast, chefs’ letters, ads, in-store POS, etc. Directed in-house graphic designer in creation and production of all.
• Developed and negotiated details of co-marketing promotions with the Wines of France Council and the Cranberry Marketing Board, for which Patina received $50K in marketing support; analyzed and evaluated the success of.
• Fostered relationships with key print and online publications to ensure best rates and prime opportunities; recommended and implemented strategic media plans in support of seasonal and holiday promotions.

Greater New York City Area

• Managed all special event logistics and production of the “Celebrate France!” Pavilion at the 2007, 2008, and 2010 Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festivals (High-profile, celebrity-driven, 3-day consumer.
• Produced numerous events for Sopexa’s clients including: the French Pavilion at the Summer Fancy Food Show showcasing 40-50 exhibitors’ food and wine products; a series of 3 Beaujolais Wine educational seminars.
• Created “Le French Lounge” at the 2009 New York Wine and Food Festival at the Astor Wine Center; coordinated with brand sponsors and directed all logistics, creative design, and production.
• Managed all aspects of the annual “French Cocktail Hour – Apéritif à la Française” communications & events program (2006 - 2008) including securing all paid French brand sponsors, development/implementation of.
• Developed event proposals, researched all venues, supervised the production of all necessary collateral and educational materials, and negotiated the details of all contracts and BEOs.

Greater New York City Area

• Produced and supervised a major EAT trade show pavilion at the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Fancy Food Shows (top trade show for specialty food products) in NYC and San Francisco.
• Organized a series of creative and high-impact press and trade special events including a “Picnic in the Park” at Tavern on the Green Restaurant which exceeded attendance goals by 100% while remaining on budget, 2.
• Prepared proposal and won competitive European Union bid for a comprehensive 3-year, $3.8 million Trade Marketing Program for Regional European Gourmet Foods, the first-ever promotional campaign funded solely by the.
• Navigated the Euro-US Dollar budget with stringent reporting procedures including periodic in-person presentations to financial comptrollers and program administrators in Brussels.
• Defined strategy for, developed, and managed all aspects of the campaign including creation of “European Authentic Tastes (EAT)” brand identity and logo that was so well received it was subsequently adopted by 3 other.
• Conceived and coordinated development of unique promotional and trade educational materials, including a 12-month EAT Calendar inserted in key trade publications, a 16-page advertorial insert, a fold-out map/poster, a.

Greater New York City Area

• Managed the special event series “Bordeaux Wine School USA on Wheels.” Negotiated revenue-sharing partnerships with established local wine schools, professional organizations and major consumer events.
• Assisted Marketing team in developing and generating creative ideas for impactful event programming including an “In Bed with Bordeaux” consumer event series and presence at the Wine Brats Wine Raves.
• Managed all aspects of the “Bordeaux Wine Uncorked” Ivy League school educational seminar program – which became a self-generating, ongoing project, extremely profitable for the agency.

Bachelor Of Arts - Summa Cum Laude, Specialized Major In English / Theater & French Studies

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa Honors Program Mimes and Mummers (Theatre Group)

Independent Study In The Field Of Belgian-Francophone Theater