Mark Blakely Email & Phone Number

Aurora, Illinois, United States

Aurora, Illinois

Hoffman Estates, Il Campus

Hoffman Estates, Il Campus

• Managed third-party merchandising services at major national retailers and other local/independent retail accounts. • Hired, trained, scheduled and supervised over 150 employees on site and remotely across 5 states; supervised two Assistant District Managers.• Lead category management programs, new item cut-ins, resets, signage placement, vendor returns, product safety refits/recalls, inventory reporting, and the assembly of displays and display furniture sold in kit form. • Established and maintained business relationships at all levels, focusing on teamwork, service level, and cost containment.• Regularly provided project analysis to supervisors and headquarters for future program improvements.• Served on company’s technology committee, developing administrative tools and procedures for field management and operations resulting in improved field efficiency. Regularly provided computer training and support for District Managers within region.• Reviewed and responded to reports. Verified and submitted payroll data staying within budgeted amounts.

• Hired, trained, and supervised Market Coordinators and their teams throughout Illinois and Iowa. • Lead merchandising and fixturing teams in new and remodeled stores. • Covered service calls for absent employees.• Assisted District Manager with the following:(1) Establishing and maintaining business relationships with retail partners, including periodic presentations at retailer’s district meetings.(2) Corporate, retailer, and vendor market visits.(3) Assisting sales team with local vendor sales meetings.(4) Administering employee performance evaluations.(5) Processing employee expense reports.(6) Aligning district payroll expenditures with budget.

• Managed merchandising and fixturing teams in new and remodeled stores. • Supervised Market Coordinators and their merchandising/assembly teams throughout Illinois and Iowa. • Covered service calls for absent employees.

• Provided third-party merchandising services to area OfficeMax and Office Depot locations; resets, new item cut-ins, cross-merchandising, signage placement, vendor returns, product safety refits/recalls, and inventory reporting.• Responsible for the assembly of RTA furniture display samples and processing of customer RTA returns at area Office Depots.

Assisted retail service team in providing third-party merchandising services to local Toys”R’Us stores; resets, new item cut-ins, cross-merchandising, signage placement, vendor returns, product safety refits/recalls, and inventory reporting.