Benjamin Forrest Email & Phone Number

Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States

Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States

Passionate Sr. Retail director with a track record of above-quota results in all facets of the business to include Talent Development, Operations, Sales, Marketing, Merchandising, Human Resources, Merchandise Allocations, P&L responsibility, and Real Estate Strategy.Poised, innovative, strategic team leader and company contributor. Developed, piloted, and scaled initiatives, projects, and strategies that proved essential to the growth of field operations in multiple Brands.  Field Sponsor/Brand Ambassador two years for; This Way Onward initiative- A program that boosts confidence in young people looking for an opportunity to shine, with a focus on serving Black and Latinx communities. Co-Chair two years for; Veterans@gap- The mission that provides access to resources and community outreach opportunities that educate and promote awareness of an inclusive military culture at Gap Inc. Also, to celebrate, honor, and appreciate service members, past and present, and their families.Responsibilities include; Leading, developing and inspiring a team of two Regional Sales Directors, 20 District Sales Managers and 230+ General Managers. A fierce Focus to drive sales, develop a talent pipeline, impact local communities, and deliver on operational expectations for the Southeast Zone. Responsible for leading this portfolio of $1.1B in annual revenue along with developing and decision making on fleet initiatives.

As a Sr. Regional Director, I lead, develop, and inspire a team of District Managers in all facets of running a profitable business (people, customer, operations, omni/loyalty, and product/merchandising). I am the conduit between field and HQ, collaborating across functions and channels to influence the optimal experience for both our internal and external customer. My role is critical in leading execution and supporting the brand and enterprise vision and strategies while ensuring our teams are delivering results and holding their teams accountable.• Leader of sales performance of 10 Districts comprised of 126 stores generating $600M+ in Annual sales• Territory Operations responsibilities to influence and lead decision making in areas of Inventory Management, Real-estate selection and payroll management/investments of the Territory’s 370+ stores.• I am a part of the Upper Field Leadership Team responsible to develop, own, sponsor and influence strategic initiatives that have a significant impact on the entire field organization• Attract, develop and fuel a talent pipeline in support of the region, brand and enterprise talent strategies• Critical role in support of future growth at Gap Inc; responsible to identify experiences and learnings in support of professional talent development and aspirations of advancement• Inclusive of all responsibilities of Regional director prior to promotion

• Leader of sales performance of 10 Districts comprised of 110 stores generating $500M+ in Annual sales• Inspire and provide strategic guidance to a regional team comprised of District Managers, HR, LP, and Visual• Develop individual, team and peer performance & capabilities via clear expectations, intentional conversations, meaningful recognition and accountability• Model and inspire the regional and brand team to embody Gap Inc. culture and values. Be fast. Be fearless. Be better. Be bold. Experience prior to Old Navy...

• Leader of the sales performance of 85 stores in a 15-state region. Lead a team of 8 direct report District Managers to top comp region in 2014, 2015 and 2016.• Exercise full-charge P&L control of all operations with a focus on leadership development, metrics compilation and analysis, goal-setting, loss prevention, and performance management. Ensure effective implementation and execution of corporate mandated programs, policy and initiatives. Intimately involved in all real estate decisions across region and Zone.• Achieved several organizational bests to include: Overall Sales Performance, Payroll to Sales, Average Wage Reduction, Clearance Inventory Sell Through, Shrink Reduction and Operational Audit Scores.• Revised the Company’s payroll model, delivering substantial reductions while increasing productivity. Justified revisions to the corporate executive team, gaining acceptance and ultimately orchestrating an enterprise-wide implementation process of the new model.• Met or surpassed all performance metrics despite woeful economic conditions.• Three-time Diamond Council (top 10% overall performance) and Regional Director of the year 2015.