•Partner with research institutions, management consulting and investment firms; including Advantus Global, AlphaSights, Bain & Co., Broad Branch, Boston Consulting Group, Cognolink / Third Bridge Intelligence, Citibank, Coleman Research, Goldman Sachs, GLG Group, Guidepoint, McKinsey & Co., ORC International, KPMG, Parthenon, T. Rowe Price and CPG companies with merchandising subject matter expertise for operations, retail, grocery, hard discount, dollar channel and food… Show more •Partner with research institutions, management consulting and investment firms; including Advantus Global, AlphaSights, Bain & Co., Broad Branch, Boston Consulting Group, Cognolink / Third Bridge Intelligence, Citibank, Coleman Research, Goldman Sachs, GLG Group, Guidepoint, McKinsey & Co., ORC International, KPMG, Parthenon, T. Rowe Price and CPG companies with merchandising subject matter expertise for operations, retail, grocery, hard discount, dollar channel and food service.•Provide a merchants perspective on where Retail is today and is headed in the future to maximize value, grow sales/margin and win market share; assist in connecting the dots within the retail ecosystem for the worlds largest mass retailer; assist in developing an action plan to compete and accelerate results in the ever-changing world of retail. •Provide insights and strategy to win from a big box/grocery/consumables, new-market entry, category management, procurement, assortment and merchandising perspective. Key insights include CPG, brand building, dot.com, private label, promotion, pricing, supply chain, shelving, store operations. •Support CPG and Food Service companies as a thought leader in creating specialized category management, marketing, sales and merchandising programs through use of Nielsen, Spectra, Retailer Scan data.•Assist clients with definition, standardization of best practices; including standard operating procedures, specifications, process improvements, root cause analysis to focus on efficiency through elimination of waste, errors, delays --- all the while focusing on quality, consistency, variation reduction to deliver customer value through efficient operations and quality standards. Show less

•Led and drove total store merchandising initiatives for two regions (three states) with sales in excess of $7B; evaluated, determined, and applied recommendations for maximizing sales and margin, shrink reduction, improving efficiency and cost effectiveness of store operations. Main contact for all regional suppliers and negotiations.•Supported two Regional General Managers and their respective teams (Merchandising, Asset Protection, Health & Wellness, Safety and Compliance, Human… Show more •Led and drove total store merchandising initiatives for two regions (three states) with sales in excess of $7B; evaluated, determined, and applied recommendations for maximizing sales and margin, shrink reduction, improving efficiency and cost effectiveness of store operations. Main contact for all regional suppliers and negotiations.•Supported two Regional General Managers and their respective teams (Merchandising, Asset Protection, Health & Wellness, Safety and Compliance, Human Resources, Talent Development, Store Planning), 15 Market Managers, 130 Store Managers in identifying customer, product and operational needs; regularly toured stores to recognize barriers and obstacles (e.g., flow, space allocation, assortment, pricing, timing) that impacted sales & margin performance and the reduction of shrink; reviewed and evaluated competitors merchandising programs.•Designed and led seasonal/holiday relevant sales programs in coordination with suppliers that resulted in incremental sales +$28M which enabled a division leading sales comp increase of over 8%. Ensured resolution of store/market specific merchandising issues, ensured stores were merchandised correctly, served as a subject matter expert to meet local customer demographics and merchandising needs.•Significant merchandising programs led and managed included: Spring/Summer Outdoor Living Event, Spring/Fall Case Lot Sale, Summer Camping Program, Summer Grilling/BBQ Program, Fall Canning Program, Women's Apparel Program, Winter Apparel Program, Blitz/Holiday Program. Show less

•Led and managed a cross-functional team of six associates (for each Meat and Dairy buying position) which included a Replenishment Manager/Demand Planner, Financial Planner, Pricing Manager, Modular Planner, Item Specialist and Administrative Assistant. Managed six Category Advisors, +50 Vendor Relationships, +730 Item Assortments for six major categories (Eggs - Shell and Liquid, Refrigerated Dough, Cream Cheese, Turkey - Fresh and Frozen, Convenience Meals and Meal Solutions).… Show more •Led and managed a cross-functional team of six associates (for each Meat and Dairy buying position) which included a Replenishment Manager/Demand Planner, Financial Planner, Pricing Manager, Modular Planner, Item Specialist and Administrative Assistant. Managed six Category Advisors, +50 Vendor Relationships, +730 Item Assortments for six major categories (Eggs - Shell and Liquid, Refrigerated Dough, Cream Cheese, Turkey - Fresh and Frozen, Convenience Meals and Meal Solutions). National Meat Category Manager:•Managed P&L and procurement for Turkey - Fresh/Frozen, Convenience Meals/Meal Solutions, Lamb and Veal, Kosher Meat with annual sales +$500 million. Delivered exceptional results by exceeding entire category sales budget by $618K, profit budget by $13.3 million and markdown budget by $4.1 million. •Increased Frozen Turkey market share by +200 basis points by having seasonally correct price leadership; in addition, enhanced margin 150% or $24 million.• Started the year with a $7M first quarter deficit and through pricing, promotional, modular, selective item assortment modifications, modular relay/space to sale adjustments, and holiday plans closed the gap and exceeded budget and goals.•Launched several private label products with +$30M in sales and +10 new product SKUs. National Dairy Category Manager: •Managed P&L and procurement for Eggs - Shell/Liquid, Refrigerated Dough, Cream Cheese/Spreads and Bagels/Muffins with annual sales +$1.8B. •Delivered exceptional sales results that included overall sales growth of 17.8% on sales plan of 6.7%; delivered margin growth of 38% or $100 million --- over twice the rate of sales. •Drove market share growth of +150 basis points in each category and two categories with +200 points gained.•Launched several private label products with +$60M in sales and +20 new product SKUs. •Increased sales +$150M for the Dairy Department. Show less

•The International Strategy/Sustainability team was established in 2006 as part of Wal-Mart’s drive to incorporate social and environmental sustainability into its business practices. Main point of contact for International Sustainability Strategy and Business Planning.•Led global sustainability team in the creation and development of the first International Sustainability business plan. The International Division included 15 Countries, over 4,500 stores with annual sales +$100B.… Show more •The International Strategy/Sustainability team was established in 2006 as part of Wal-Mart’s drive to incorporate social and environmental sustainability into its business practices. Main point of contact for International Sustainability Strategy and Business Planning.•Led global sustainability team in the creation and development of the first International Sustainability business plan. The International Division included 15 Countries, over 4,500 stores with annual sales +$100B. •Charged with deriving economic value from improved outcomes, the financial impact in cost savings on global initiatives was in excess of $100M.•Ensured Sustainability was woven through every Department’s 5-Year Business plan by creating tools to enhance network-to-network communications and educating departments/associates on incorporating sustainability into their business. •Developed progress tracking and reporting KPI metrics; identified Quick Wins, Innovation Projects, and Game Changers that allowed International Division to benchmark and compare sustainability performance on a quarterly and annual basis. Communicated global sustainability strategy to internal and external stakeholders. Show less

•Led cross-functional team in developing Initiation Systems product and pricing strategy, communication, process, and roll-out which resulted in a $4.7M direct sales impact and an additional $5.4M savings on reduced inventory, manufacturing, and shipping costs.•Established product pricing analysis and implementation for all Initiation Systems product lines with annual Sales representing $87M; responsible for determining item movement trends by region and distribution channel which… Show more •Led cross-functional team in developing Initiation Systems product and pricing strategy, communication, process, and roll-out which resulted in a $4.7M direct sales impact and an additional $5.4M savings on reduced inventory, manufacturing, and shipping costs.•Established product pricing analysis and implementation for all Initiation Systems product lines with annual Sales representing $87M; responsible for determining item movement trends by region and distribution channel which resulted in product, pricing, channel, policy, and strategy developments and improvements. Show less

•Led and managed a team of four high performing Financial Analysts in designing, developing, and producing daily/weekly/monthly ad-hoc operational metrics reports (ie., analysis, scorecards, control charts, forecasting, budgeting) for Call Center and Uniprise Division Senior Management.•Led significant change in financial reporting mechanisms: Determined root cause for high dollar interest payment issues, which enabled a 25% reduction in expense... a $1.6M in annual impact.

•Worked with cross-functional Web & E-Commerce Hosting Appliance Team in developing, business, marketing, and product requirement sales proposals/plans for product lines representing $150M in annual sales. •Worked on several Product launches and gained significant experience managing the Product Life Cycle, including product positioning & messaging, sales enablement, product launch and life cycle management, demand generation, market intelligence and research, voice of… Show more •Worked with cross-functional Web & E-Commerce Hosting Appliance Team in developing, business, marketing, and product requirement sales proposals/plans for product lines representing $150M in annual sales. •Worked on several Product launches and gained significant experience managing the Product Life Cycle, including product positioning & messaging, sales enablement, product launch and life cycle management, demand generation, market intelligence and research, voice of customer.•Developed and maintained relationships with tech engineers & quality control, sales force, leading vendors/partners and key customers, which included providing training and collateral on the Hosting Appliance market, opportunities, products, and key players.•Intel's Internet Management & Appliances Division was spun off to Hewlett Packard in 2001. Show less

•Coordinated planning of all corporate promotional and marketing activities for Jewel Food Stores, which included grocery planning, item selection, advertising medium selection, corporate brand programs, campaigns, and loyalty card programs.•Managed a $55M vendor fee budget, collateral, reconciliation, and billing procedures; led cross-functional team in preparing and delivering senior management sales, promotional, forecasting, and budgeting reports and presentations for $19B in annual… Show more •Coordinated planning of all corporate promotional and marketing activities for Jewel Food Stores, which included grocery planning, item selection, advertising medium selection, corporate brand programs, campaigns, and loyalty card programs.•Managed a $55M vendor fee budget, collateral, reconciliation, and billing procedures; led cross-functional team in preparing and delivering senior management sales, promotional, forecasting, and budgeting reports and presentations for $19B in annual Sales. Show less

•Coordinated and led operations and activities for 13 departments within a store of 120,000 square feet with sales representing $60M, achieved a 10% increase in sales from prior year overall for departments managed.•Reduced payroll costs by improving department standards, operations processes, and freight processing. Analyzed operational reports and P&L to manage sales and profitability; directed and managed merchandise objectives, and negotiated with local vendors.•Awarded… Show more •Coordinated and led operations and activities for 13 departments within a store of 120,000 square feet with sales representing $60M, achieved a 10% increase in sales from prior year overall for departments managed.•Reduced payroll costs by improving department standards, operations processes, and freight processing. Analyzed operational reports and P&L to manage sales and profitability; directed and managed merchandise objectives, and negotiated with local vendors.•Awarded Assistant Manager Impact Player (1996 Holiday Season) in Region for having the best operational and merchandising plans which resulted in seasonal dominance, 100% holiday merchandise sell thru and extraordinary in store execution. Show less