Jay Gagnon Email & Phone Number

Northbrook, IL

Hoffman Estates, IL

• Product leader for DieHard, an American iconic brand ranked in the top ten percent of best brands and top one percent of most reliable brands in the USA.
• Pioneered the first major expansion of DieHard brand in over twenty years into the $20+ billion passenger tire category. Leveraged the brand equities of DieHard, sourced and successfully launched a portfolio of tires.
• Introduced DieHard brand to the $2.4B wiper blade category in March 2018 featuring quality beam products with DieHard exclusive innovation. Improved direct fit rear blades and significantly more profitable conventional.
• Identified the emerging trend of connected products and launched DieHard wi-fi charger and maintainer that provides peace of mind to consumers. It was the first connected product for the brand. Also negotiated a.

Hoffman Estates, IL

• Developed passenger tire portfolio strategy increasing profitability and tire velocity. Strategic initiatives included developing product road maps, life cycle planning and SKU rationalization for over 300 SKUs.
• Led team of Associate Buyers negotiating incremental promotional subsidies and accelerating new product introductions delivering higher gross margins to Sears.

Bloomingdale, IL

• Managed a $127 million vehicle battery category for over 2,200 Firestone Auto Centers. Developed category management assortment strategy generating +6% sales lift in 2015.
• Created and deployed enhanced POS battery catalog that significantly simplified consumer communication to drive consumer engagement and battery purchase.
• Guided High Value Shopper CRM marketing efforts by providing insights into battery life cycles and key vehicle age and mileage intervals best suited to potential battery replacement.
• Improved organic SEO optimization through web page re-design featuring enhanced keywords and phrases.

Bloomingdale Il

• Created and managed accrual financial processing and tracking system for the Marketing Department, ensuring accuracy of the invoice payment process and easy reconciliation of accounts.
• Category Analytics Leader for developing and executing test and learn strategic initiatives, market basket analytics, predictive modeling and pricing-promotional analytics.

Bloomingdale Il

• Created service parts pricing matrix covering over 50,000 SKUs, leading to a reduction in operational costs and improvement in gross profit by +2.9%.
• Developed analytics and insights to monitor improvement in product and service revenue and profits. Used the insights to create a culture of performance to increase conversion and profit growth.
• Managed phone shop vendors, automotive associates, and IntelliChek™ shopping service, specifying products, markets, and metrics for review, allowing quantitative and qualitative assessments of market performance.

Hoffman Estates, IL

• Tire industry and company sales trend resource to internal stakeholders guiding product lifecycle planning and sku rationalization, aligning category profiles with business unit needs, company direction, and Sears’.
• Design assortment of new tire lines and items identifying product type, sidewall treatments, performance ratings, and included sizes in new lines meeting and exceeding customer expectations.
• Replenisher for Dunlop, Falken, Sumitomo, Nankang tire lines and Peerless Chains. Developed DRP sales forecasts driving vendor orders and actively managed store and warehouse inventory positions ensuring inventory.

Oregon, Southern CA Areas

• Auto Center Manager. Evaluated, organized, and maintained all product inventories including performing annual inventories. Maintained and created sales floor presentations and planograms. Set tire and part inventory.
• Service Manager with P&L responsibility in a $3.5M retail service facility. Hire, supervise, review, mentor and inspire team awareness and performance among auto center associates. Realized superior profit generation.
• Service Manager with P&L responsibility in a $2.5M retail service facility. Conceptualized, designed, and installed RoadHandler Express drive-through tire and alignment service program, capable of 1 hour tire and.
• ASE certified: Brake Repair, Alignment and Suspension, General Engine, Manual Drive Train and Transaxles.

Bs, Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Service Operations Management, Employee Selection, Training, Management And Appraisal

Activities and Societies: Junior Society of Automotive Engineers, 1990 Cal Poly Pasadena Rose Float teamTeam member, welder, fabricator.

Minor, Production Operations Management, Inventory And Materials Management, Demand Planning, Forecasting

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Statistical Lean Six Sigma Strategy And Techniques, Project In Progress