James O'Connell Email & Phone Number

Ireland

Ireland

Ireland

Shelton, Connecticut

• Manage and develop private label products for US Wholesalers such as Walmart, BJ's Wholesale and Sam's Club.
• Category management of a range of product categories including but not limited to confectionery and ambient foods.
• Develop and manage customer product briefs from idea generation to final delivery to the customer – this includes direct and clear communication with suppliers, primary and secondary material sourcing, packaging.
• Responsible for in-depth supplier research, global sourcing of raw materials and packaging, print and production runs and label regulatory approval.
• Responsible for pricing analysis and procuring $10 million worth of raw materials globally on an annual basis involving in depth supplier negotiation.
• Responsible for ongoing stock management across categories and forecasting future inventory based on future and past events in the US.

Atlanta, Georgia

• Asda Junior Account Executive
• Worked with the Asda Bakery Buying Team on a consistent basis as category partners.
• Built key account plans based on pre-defined services and NPD partnership.
• Managed the execution of account plans by transforming them into concrete sales projects, managing briefs for NPD and the proper handover to production.VIVID Assistant Project Manager
• Collated & consolidated individual project briefs from National Account Managers to determine project feasibility.
• Hosted & participated in weekly MTP meetings with European colleagues.Assistant Product Manager (Atlanta, GA)

• Responsible for daily running of the store
• Till reconciliation, cash management and float management undertaken on a daily basis
• Merchandising and stock management on a continual basis.
• Resolving customer complaints and issues efficiently. Learned valuable customer service skills as a result.

• Completed six month college placement in the role of an own brand specialist assistant. Main duties included:
• Worked within the Own Brand division.
• Dealt with suppliers in relation to contract bidding process.
• Involved in the launch of Supervalu Own Brand range.
• Supervalu Own Brand Range consisted of over 1500 new products.
• Helps to give customers high quality own brand alternative to big brand names.

Master’S Degree, Food Marketing, Honours

Core Subjects: Food Marketing Channel Analysis , Consumer Behaviour and Relationship Marketing, Strategic Food Marketing, Quantitative.

Bsc Food Business

Results: BSc Food Business (Honours) Core Subjects: Applied Nutrition, Food Policy, Advanced Food Marketing, Category Management, Advanced.

Education record

•Senior Prefect 2008 and student council member •Member of the SHARE committee •Keen rugby player and rower for Presentation Brothers.