Senior Vp
Senior Vice President, First Marketing Company, Pompano Beach, Florida For over 20 years a member of the core group of entrepreneurial managers who took a promotional concept and built it into the largest publisher of custom newsletters in the North America. During initial assignment as Vice President and Director of Design assumed full responsibility for the design and preparation of artwork for all client publications. Recruited, trained, and supervised growing staff of designers, illustrators, photographers, and artists. Led company’s early conversion into state-of-the-art publishing hardware/software system. The success of this transition in terms of improved turnaround times and reduced staffing costs led to promotion to Senior Vice President and Director of Operations. This expanded role included supervision of pre-press, printing, binding, and fulfillment activities with staff of 75 employees and $12 million annual budget. During the 14 years in this position he accomplished the following:• Served as a member of the company’s Board of Directors• Assisted in the negotiation sale of the company to Reed Elsevier, a $5 billion Anglo-Dutch global publishing business• Improved gross margin from 59% to 67%• Reduced newsletter production turnaround time by 25%• Assisted in the cloning of company’s business model in Europe• Reduced newsletter production turnaround time by 25%• Planned and executed company’s move to new 50,000 square foot industrial facility• Oversaw the acquisition and installation of both web and sheet fed multi-color printing presses• Supervised transition to all digital pre-press operation• Established and supervised a supply-chain network with footprints in Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto During subsequent ownership change was reassigned to Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Services with full responsibility for over 100 researchers, writers, computer graphic designers, and traffic personnel.