Jeff K. Email & Phone Number

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Leads strategic vision, strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for new and existing products for an industry leader in providing innovative solutions to restorers and facility managers. Collaborates with cross-functional teams including Sales and Marketing to define go-to-market strategies and develop product promotions. Manages product portfolio, develops product introduction plans, and maintains product life cycle management report to inform business decisions related to development, forecasting, metrics, promotions, and production planning. Manages product development projects, defines key pillars for Product Development team, and manages relationships with strategic partners.

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Led new product initiatives and brought new products to market for Fender’s specialty accessories and Bigsby product lines. Collaborated with cross functional teams including Research and Development (R&D), Sales, Marketing, and Manufacturing, defined and executed product strategy, wrote product copy, and managed the full product development lifecycle. Developed and documented product requirements, features, and functional specifications, communicated regularly with key stakeholders about project status, and proactively identified and remediated issues to prevent negative impacts to strategic, financial, and technical goals. Prepared and presented 3-year strategic plan and competitive analysis, presented new products to Executive Team, and managed over 700 SKUs across 5 brands including cases, bags, strings, cables, clothing and lifestyle items, and small parts.HIGHLIGHTS:★ Spearheaded introduction of new products, marketing campaigns, and sales promotions that grew accessory sales by $7M with double digit year-over-year growth throughout tenure.★ Led the integration of Bigsby brand after acquisition and facilitated the physical move of inventory from Georgia to Tennessee.★ Negotiated pricing and order quantities with vendors resulting in 8% increase in gross margin.★ Implemented several process improvements that resulted in significant cost savings including strategically reducing SKU count to focus on key products and reducing obsolete inventory by $400K.★ Developed and implemented new quality control checklist to ensure consistent product quality of Bigsby line, reducing fallout rate from 60% to 25%.★ Cultivated strong working relationships with several prestigious artists including Eddie Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen, David Ellefson, Brian Setzer, and Al Jardine.

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Led sales activities for the parts department, managing relationships with 1600 accounts including dealers, distributors, and authorized service partners. Demonstrated in-depth product knowledge, leveraged strong relationship building and problem-solving capabilities to ensure sustainable growth and client retention, and stayed abreast of industry trends and market conditions to deliver world class customer service. Input and maintained product orders, prepared reports, and served as internal subject matter expert.HIGHLIGHTS:★ Trained and maintained knowledge of product schematics and wiring diagrams for proper identification of components.★ Implemented and maintained in-house inventory of small parts for previously unserviceable guitars and amplifiers, resulting in significant reduction in freight and replacement costs and preventing scrapping the entire amp or instrument.

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Managed inbound customer requests in fast-paced, high-volume setting. Handled product inquiries, warranty service requests, and other product or company information. Processed product returns and replacements, documented all customer interactions to maintain service integrity, and followed up on return authorizations, order status, tracking, and other issues, consistently maintaining good communication with clients to ensure strength of the business relationship.