Since 2013, I have leveraged my SME to develop business solutions and recommendations for clients—recognized as an authoritative voice in CPG/brand/retail strategy, data analytics, management, and software solutions. My clients have included Wall Street investment firms and national/international food and grocery corporations. While the nature of engagements is subject to confidentiality, key projects included: ➲ UNIVERSITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Austin, TX (2021 to 2022) - Engaged to develop a corporate data strategy. Defined how UFCU will use data to deliver and support corporate strategies, business drivers and initiatives including digitalization.➲ THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, EMERGING BRANDS, Chicago, IL (2018) - Keynote panelist at Founders’ Forum, provided expertise on brand introduction, growth and development from the retail perspective. ➲ KINGS SUPERMARKETS/BALDUCCI’S, Parsippany, NJ (2017 - 2018) - Recruited to lead the turnaround of marketing and sales, purchasing, and merchandising functions of dual banner regional supermarket and specialty food chains. ➲ SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET, Phoenix, AZ (2017) - Recruited to develop strategy and tool set for category management, purchasing and private brand optimization. ➲ THRIVE MARKET, Los Angeles, CA (2016) - Engaged to train purchasing and marketing teams on category management in an online environment including SKU rationalization in an endless aisle, product and category optimization tools and processes and private brand development.

With no prior knowledge of the automotive industry, my partner and I purchased a failing automotive repair business in a small community in central Texas. ➲ Grew sales from less than $100K annually to $1M within year one by focusing on operational excellence, culture, and extreme customer satisfaction.➲ Serve primarily in an advisory capacity now, as the business continues to thrive.

In the culminating role of my Whole Foods career, I led business analytics strategy, operations, and projects spanning competitive and category analytics, consumer insights, data control, merchandising, pricing and master data management. I drove corporate strategy and development by providing actionable insights, recommendations, and communication to all levels of leadership in a $15B Fortune 50 company (*positioning the company well for its 2017 acquisition by Amazon).➲ Envisioned, designed, and implemented an analytics center of excellence (COE). Conducted needs analysis, crafted unique business intelligence structure, expanded, and managed for 8 subsequent years. Supported all disciplines with research, analysis, insights, strategy and administration, creating and continuously improving executive and role-specific dashboards and business intelligence tool sets. Recognized for increasing sales, decreasing costs, improving operations and becoming a trusted C-suite advisor.➲ Strategized, developed, and rolled out a competitive response program. Researched consumers, market, and competition and developed unique pricing strategy with comp shopping program and tools to support. C-suite directly attributed to increase in value image, 6% increase in average transaction counts and 7% comp store sales growth. ➲ Developed internal merchandising program and transitioned from third-party supplier. Increased supported categories and services while producing a 28% savings in cost and 2% to 12% sales increases by category. ➲ Planned and implemented master data management at the vendor level and planned to the product level. Significantly improved the accuracy, consistency and accessibility of data and actionable information. ➲ Designed and introduced a price-optimization tool and basket analytics module. Exceeded sales targets and increased profit margins by 60 bp-1,300 bp in implemented categories.

Relocating to Maryland, I provided strong C-team leadership to balance strategic planning across operations, purchasing, store design, and finance.➲ Reorganized purchasing/ops team, conducted department assessment, developed efficient structure, implemented category management methods and business intelligence dashboard reporting, mentored leaders and managed P&L. Increased sales 7% to budget and 18.5% to prior year and increased EVA by 33.2%. ➲ Revitalized warehouse performance through leadership across P&L, distribution, operations, purchasing, and customer support. Increased sales 26.7%, improved KPI performance to top 2 out of 9, and increased team member productivity and morale simultaneously.

I transitioned to provide P&L management, administration, operations oversight, and leadership of a private label supplement manufacturing business unit.➲ Proposed and implemented an impactful approach to private label manufacturing. Developed positioning and marketing and organized operations, distribution and customer service to exceed customer expectations. Attained an efficient assortment and a category management approach and restructured costs and retail for the private label supplement division’s major customers. Drove a 22.5% sales growth and increase of 112% in net income. ➲ Transitioned a major product line to an external vendor. Drafted a request for proposal (RFP), reviewed proposals, negotiated the contract, and managed the transition of the private label supplement line. Delivered a 24% cost-of-goods reduction, improved terms and gross margin from 60% to 68.2%, which also resulted in an EVA improvement of 12.9% with minimal disruption at retail.

When I first joined Whole Foods, I managed P&L, strategy, purchasing, merchandising, design, and operations for the Health and Beauty department of a multi-unit region.➲ Created, implemented, and managed an analytical approach to purchasing and operations, developed best practices, and motivated team members to implement across operations including labor, budgets, programs, customer service and store operations. Achieved 24% YOY sales growth and 2.73-point increase in gross margins while leveraging expenses by 9 bp for the region.

Within my 3 years with the company, I propelled all phases of category management for HBC, confection and snack principals with combined sales of $80M to include business planning, budgeting, contract negotiations, development of sales, marketing and merchandising programs and supervision of category analyst and customer service team. ➲ Designed and initiated a category management program to include market research development, space management systems, promotions, efficient assortment, and wholesale and retail turnkey programs.➲ Generated double-digit sales growth with all principals and consistently exceeded all volume and commission budget goals.

I led the coordination and communication among multiple distribution centers, corporate office, and national accounts with combined sales budgets in excess of $700M.