Eric Michael Email & Phone Number

Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

• Manage a team of individuals responsible for driving profitable growth across the various business channels including commercial bread, deli, frozen, tortillas, and gas station businesses for Aunt Millie's. Accounts.
• Managed and oversee direct reports to achieve internal and external business targets and goals.
• Build and maintain lasting customer relationships with accounts/customers.
• Oversee pricing and promotional strategies at accounts.
• Be the go-to data source for category analysis and consumer insights to my customers, helping to maximize sales and profitability.

Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan Area

• Responsibilities included business planning & analysis, creating valued business partnerships with customers by becoming a business advisor, achieving mutually beneficial agreements through skilled negotiation and.
• Drove profitability and built sustainable sales plans to deliver volume across multiple categories.
• Provided category analysis and consumer insights to my customers.
• Developed and provided resources and tools to Aunt Millie’s corporate retail team.
• Facilitated sales meetings with customer and company management as well as field visits.

Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan Area

• As the Shelf Management Specialist I managed all activities relating to optimizing assortment and shelf management. I also:
• Leveraged space management technology and applications in order to meet or exceed the established shelving principles and standards.
• Worked in a team fashion with Customer/Retailer Teams in order to achieve shared team’s volume targets.
• Led customer shelf management initiatives and ensured the understanding of shelf management principles and standards across all customer teams.
• Provided Category Management support and analysis and advised in shelf management.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

• Communicated weekly priorities and display plans to all Nabisco Sales Reps and District Managers for all 230 Meijer stores, across 6 states.
• Acted in a team role with the Customer Business Lead, Shelf Management Specialist, Category Advisor, and region leadership to maximize sales and create growth.
• Developed relationships with key customer decision makers to grow the overall cookie and cracker category and enhance our competitive position.
• Managed all remodels and new store openings and lead all market tour visits in stores.
• Presented at monthly Sales and Planning meeting as well as quarterly retail meetings.
• Built all NOS orders, forecast, and set up New Items, special packs, and in store demos.

Chicago, IL

• Coordinated a retail team of 35 part time and full time merchandisers and reduced the merchandising overtime budget by 60%; hired and trained employees in merchandising standards and safety.
• Initiated first team merchandising meeting in 3 years to motivate and align employees to sales standards.
• Served as Customer Retail Manager for 16 Food 4 Less Midwest stores: adapted and sold in national marketing campaigns to the local market, conducted monthly meetings with buyer, and communicated weekly priorities.

Chicago, IL

• Developed skills as a Sales Representative, Retail Merchandising Supervisor (RMS), Category Advisor, Customer Category Manager, and Logistics Supervisor in a rotational training program.
• Managed a sales territory of 14 stores with Nabisco sales over $800,000 and finishing 2nd in Q1 2013 in the Chicago Region Sales vs. Objective (123.7%).
• Interpreted Nielsen data and presented to Mondelēz leadership a category review of F4L Midwest recommending key initiatives to improve sales within the category.

Fort Wayne, Indiana Area

• Managed numerous recruitment, corporate donation and community involvement projects.
• Supported executives by compiling reports and graphs for Board of Directors meetings; analyzed and interpreted raw data of steel imports for Steel Dynamics and competitors.
• Established groundwork for the implementation of SDI’s corporate wellness program in meetings with Weight Watchers Inc. personnel.

Fort Wayne, Indiana Area

**Summer Employment