Chris Witham Email & Phone Number

Green Bay, Wi , Us

Applying category management best practices and leveraging shopper insights to drive thought leadership around the total path to purchase for Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements through FDM and Health Food channel retailers.

Strategy consulting for the retail and CPG industries; focused on evolving consumer behaviors, future of retail, and organizational structure to optimize growth and profitability

Hershey, Pennsylvania, Us

Bringing to life the vision and strategy for the future of Hershey's total commerce go-to-market model. Focused on optimizing roles/responsibilities to improve ways of working and collaboration, leveraging internal COEs to develop and deliver industry-leading toolkit, insuring optimal delivery and application of the training curriculum, and creating the framework for the sales force of the future.

Hershey, Pennsylvania, Us

Leading the Category Advisor Team to win now and build strategy for future category growth. Category captaincy for Everyday and Seasonal Candy, as well as total Front of Store consumables. Collaborate with multiple Target departments and KDMs to set and execute category strategy by driving thought leadership, leveraging research, consumer trends, and non-product innovation.Team is responsible for implementing the most productive shelf set, advocating for optimized off-shelf merchandising, and advising on the most productive use of trade dollars in support of category sales and gross margin goals. Project work has included the following:- Implementation of Cat Man 2.0 and Creation of Category Strategy Document- Aisle of the Future Testing (fixtures and assortment)- Front End of the Future Testing (Multiple categories – fixtures, queue lines, and technology)- Seasonal Reinvention within Mini Seasonal Space- Led Target on European retail safari to gather insights across various markets; and implemented learning plan to implement key insights in test-and-learn environment.-- Awarded 2017 Outstanding Category Management Team at Target Cat Man Annual Meeting --

Hershey, Pennsylvania, Us

Pay point consultancy focused on optimizing impulse sales and productivity for retailers in all channels.Driving thought leadership with retail customers based on shopper research, product & technology trends, and best demonstrated practices around shopper experience, pay point productivity, and retailer brand equity.Interacting with internal teams, including Sales, Brand Marketing, Packtype Team, Consumer Research/Insights, and Shopper Marketing to collect insights, provide guidance, and negotiate with retail customers around optimal pay point solutions. Shopper research focused on:- Expectations at pay points- Product and technology innovation and emerging trends- Productivity by category by pay point- Changing demographics and impact on pre-, during, and post-trip use of technologyTraining (internal and external); guest speaking at industry events; honors class teaching at Milton Hershey School.Key areas of ongoing analysis and research:- Impulse sales at all pay points across all channels- Mobile shopping/payment- Queue monitoring and management- High Speed checkout- Site to Store, In-Store Pickup, Curb Pickup, Delivery- RFID- Racking and merchandising principles- Store design, layout, and flow- Planograms and assortment for all impulse categories- In-store and at-the-pump solutions for convenience store and small format channels- Channel and format blurring- Key legislation impacting impulse categories

Hershey, Pennsylvania, Us

The Hershey Company is the leading North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and chocolate-related grocery products with over $6 billion in annual revenues. Hershey is the share leader and category captain for both everyday and seasonal confection at SUPERVALU.Responsible for creation, implementation, and execution of all seasonal confectionary programming, including strategic planning, national programming and trade spend, category management reviews, and new product launches.Achieved:- Share growth in 6 of 8 seasons- Increased item count, share of items, share of total factory order, and ad count in each season YOY- Networked to SVP of Merchandising level at corporate office, and president level at division office- Worked with retail team to improve quality merch levels on everyday and seasonal items, leveraging impulsivity and elasticity of category to drive growth

Kansas City , Ks, Us

Dean Foods is the largest fluid dairy manufacturer and the 3rd largest beverage company in the US with over 100 plants, 6,000 DSD routes, and annual revenues in excess of $12 billion. Led the SUPERVALU national account team in management of $500M in annual revenue on volume of 160+MM gallons. Had a broad scope of responsibility, which included strategic planning, national contract negotiation, management of national trade spending funds, leading category reviews, and private label product and package development.• Led first two (2) national brand product launches in operating unit history by securing 100% distribution across all divisions representing incremental volume of 600,000 gallons, $1.7M in revenue, and over $400,000 in gross margin.• Managing annual trade spending budget of $25M in support of national and regional brands, as well as private label programs.• Exceeding customer expectations throughout merger activities, SUPERfusion centralization initiative, and closure/sale of 6% of store base by increasing level of communication regarding banner performance via quarterly reviews and monthly category updates.• Category Business Planning lead for fluid dairy, including assortment and POG analysis.• Achieved annual cost savings of over $400,000 from ice cream formula consolidation, while concurrently increasing annual gross margin opportunity for customer by over $450,000.• Member of several Dean Food Leadership teams, including:- “Dean Way to Sell” 201 Architecture Team- Private Label Ice Cream Pricing Team- Private Label Ice Cream RFP Response Team- SDW Evolution and Enhancement Team

Kansas City , Ks, Us

Responsible for all aspects of corporate account call activities focused on portfolio of private label, regional, and national brand SKUs that include fluid milk, creams, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, orange juice, refrigerated teas, ice cream, and novelties.• Led product development of 32 new private label offerings targeting national brand equivalency to reach penetration, revenue, and profit targets.• Implemented computer-automated ordering system across all divisions resulting in 2.5% reduction in shrink and savings of over $1.2 MM.• Managed quarterly Top-to-Top meetings, including agenda setting and communication design, and led group discussion.• Led $3.5 million label redesign project that includes over 500 SKUs.• Managed monthly price changes across all categories/SKUs.• Led project to restructure delivery routes across two western divisions that resulted in over $900,000 in annual cost savings.• Managed QA, plant audit, and consumer response activities.

Boise, Id, Us

Led IT Services and Solution Selling activities on revenues in excess of $2 million annually, including managed services, application development, business intelligence, and wireless solutions.• Channel lead for HP Services Partnership that grew business by 1.5% annually representing over $100,000 in revenues from new customer engagements.• Led sales team in development of mobile technology and MS Exchange messaging practices based on ‘best of breed’, Fortune 50 delivery experience.• As member of Operations Leadership Committee, guided company through largest downturn in industry history by maximizing resources and lowering costs.

Review credit worthiness of current and prospective customers, manage accounts payable balances, maintain and collect outstanding balances.

Mba, Business

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Business Administration And Management, General

College Prep