Kent Smith Email & Phone Number

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

• Foundational role development as part of Company growth and expansion2022 company performance of +14% growth in cases versus Annual Operating Plan (AOP)
• Created an effective Demand Planning strategy across the entire product portfolio and account landscape.
• Delivered a comprehensive rolling volume plan monthly/annually, while achieving a high forecast accuracy.
• Collaborated with Supply, Finance, Customer Service and Sales to align on inventories, production and customer needs.
• Partnered internally to implement new S&OP monthly process, supporting the annual operating plan (AOP).
• Led monthly meetings with Field Sales to highlight significant variances on key customers to the plan.

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

• Better Health VMS (Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements) Manage Renew Life and NeoCell businesses across channels (FDM, Natural, Club, E-Commerce)
• Developed velocity driving strategies with HQ customer teams, focusing on brand positioning, promotions, innovation, assortment and return on investment.
• Cross-functional engagement across key functions to optimize results: Brand Marketing, Innovation, Operations, Demand Planning, and Field Sales.
• Played primary role in innovation launches across channels, with widespread acceptance.
• Integral team member on Key Customer Demand Planning (KCDP) team – forecasting, consensus planning, inventory management.
• Developed a new liquidation process on Renew Life, leading to improved depletion.

Northern California

• Side-by-side customer facing liaison with National Sales Managers for Costco, JETRO and 99 Cent Only. Cross-functional engagement on execution and fulfillment: Logistics, Transport, Manufacturing, Demand Planning.
• Implemented International Brands shipping and sourcing model at Costco, resulting in $1.7MM of logistics savings. Grand Winner – 2016 Nestlé Global Excellence Awards
• Partnered with Transport management (Nestlé Waters & Transplace) to improve communication, service focus and execution at Costco and JETRO, resulting in 95%+ on time service levels and increased customer satisfaction.
• Optimized order payloads at Costco and JETRO to standard, resulting in higher efficiencies.
• Focused on Cost-to-Serve metrics, $250K cost savings secured across shipping optimization, logistics accessorials and deductions.
• Planned and successfully executed the first national sparkling promotion at Costco; 600,000 cases shipped from multiple sourcing locations, including co-manufacturing facilities.

Northern California

• Collaborated with Team Lead, Category and Supply Chain Management, and Marketing on $100MM business: Joint Business Planning, Selling, Merchandising, New Item Distribution, Retail Execution, Logistics and Forecasting.
• Presented regularly to HQ and Division management, resulting in the implementation of sales driving initiatives, including direct-to-store pallet programs (200,000 cases annually), and operational efficiencies across a.
• Developed new promotional process with Safeway Corporate, leading to 500,000 cases of product allocations and enhancement of key relationships. Forecasted all product volume at 80% level on a monthly basis; #2 ranked.
• Provided communication, direction, and comprehensive selling tools to retail teams for “gold standard” field execution and alignment. Received Supermarket Channel “Best Practice” Award in 2013 for implementation of.
• Identified and secured $130K repayment from Safeway due to inaccurate reclamation deductions.
• Utilized Nielsen database for effective data analysis and support of selling initiatives.

Northern California

Northern California

• Executed key merchandising, sales and distribution initiatives at Raley’s, Save Mart and Safeway in Northern California, while interacting with Nestlé Waters Account Managers and cross-functional teams.
• Leveraged operational relationships at key retailers to secure increased store focus and cases shipped to support promotional events (Save Mart & Direct to Store Delivery- DSD).
• Established benchmark standard for new CDM position across the West with best practices on communication, selling analysis, timely coordination and customer linkage.

Northern California

Managed foodservice brokers across five Western states, encompassing joint presentations, portfolio education, food show selling and all other customer related activities; 600,000 cases annually. Owned direct responsibility for all wholesale distributors, including Sysco, US Foodservice, Alliant and BiRite.

Northern California

Oversaw sales and merchandising programs for all regional chain customers (125,000 cases); Nella Oil, Quik Stop Markets, Tower Mart. Aligned with broker (Acosta) and Nestlé Waters field teams on daily retail coverage, merchandising, promotion implementation and planogram integrity. Defined role and managed performance of new dedicated van sales team..

Northern California

• Frito-Lay, Inc.Small Format Channel – Convenience Stores, Small Grocery, Drug Chains Chain Convenience Stores – 7-Eleven, ARCO, Circle K, Quik Stop Markets
• Developed key strategies and programs resulting in 6% growth for channel.
• Collaborated with Finance, Operations and Brand Marketing to spearhead promotional, merchandising and field plans.Chain Supermarkets – Safeway, Albertsons, Save Mart Supermarkets
• Developed a thorough understanding of the chain supermarket channel, which helped achieve significant sales growth (+22% at Safeway) via targeted ad programming, category management, and aggressive product merchandising.