Matthew Mell Email & Phone Number

Glenview, Illinois, Us

Member of senior leadership team for Mediterranean Brands / MBI Foods, a chef driven boutique manufacturer of ready to eat and ready to cook prepared foods for a variety of outlets (supermarkets, quick and full service restaurant chains, foodservice distributors). Range of products includes side dishes, soups, sauces, marinades, appetizers and cooked ingredients / components.

Gurnee, Illinois, Us

Member of senior leadership team for ifiGOURMET, a leading master importer and distributor of baking and pastry ingredients, chocolate and confections.Director of SourcingResponsible for organizing, managing and executing the sourcing, purchasing and inventory management functions. Primary responsibilities include managing existing supplier partnerships, evaluating and selecting future suppliers, evaluating category and product performance, procuring, managing and distributing inventory and developing and growing team members' skills.Director of Business DevelopmentIn partnership with other members of senior leadership, responsible for identifying, selecting and executing key growth initiatives for the company. Focal areas include facilities and asset development, new market and business initiatives, mergers and acquisitions and strategic supplier and customer partnerships.

Austin, Tx, Us

Managed a 100 person team with overarching responsibility for in-depth category analysis and purchasing for 57 stores in 8-states and Ontario, containing 40,000 SKUs, generating retail sales for the region of $1B+, responsible for margin performance, vendor and product selection, vendor relationships, distribution, pricing, ROI, and promotional strategies• Shaped and led merchandising planning and analytics programs for the following areas of Merchandising: strategic/financial planning; assortment planning; and merchandising space planning and allocation• Provided insight to merchandising process and macro store space allotment based on physical plant, competition, trade area, and geographic attributes• Led team in development and analysis of various sales, inventory and merchandising metrics to optimize processes and product flow strategies for profitable growth (key metrics include: Sales, Inventory Turn, In-Stock, ROI and sell-thru) Significant Accomplishments: Saved $3.2M through the overhaul of the new store opening processes for 16 new stores and 4 full store remodels Captured a 20% unit sales increase in holiday-related offering through skilled merchandising, product sampling, and in-store customer appreciation events On-boarded 50+ local suppliers, which has accounted for +$10M in annual sales  Earned recognition as Midwest Regional All Star – 2015 (annual award to top 0.1% of Regional Team Members)

Austin, Tx, Us

Provided executive leadership to all company fresh seafood categories, responsible for implementing procurement and pricing, supplier relationships, retail merchandising and freshness standards, team training, inventory management, and promotional planning and execution that maximized sales and gross profit objectives for 35 stores across 7-states and Ontario• Managed 6-person team and annual purchasing budget of $40M representing $75M in retail sales• Oversight of profit and loss through budgeting and forecasting, oversaw procurement, ad planning, customer service levels, and negotiating vendor controls; developed goals and objectives for buyers, sales, and merchandising staffsSignificant Accomplishments: Drove annual sales dollar growth by 15%, moving Midwest Seafood from 4th highest regional sales volume to 2nd  Decreased Inventory Days on Hand 20% (largest percentage decrease of any product team in WFM Increased seafood penetration in customer baskets by 10% by initiating in-store theater events that highlighted in-season seafood and holiday celebrations On-boarded 4-local suppliers Developed and implemented a company-wide Seafood Sustainability Ranking program, the first national food retailer to implement such standards Earned recognition as Global All Star – 2011 (annual award to top 0.1% performers in WFM) and Regional Award – 2010

Austin, Tx, Us

Led a 220+ member team in all facets of store operations, including store P&L and performance, control of cash, budget, inventory/security, customer services, and management of staff• Maintained outstanding retail execution and customer service in the store• Upheld and communicated regional and store programs and standards (such as merchandising, quality, freshness, safety, cleanliness, and others) to Team Leaders and Team Members; regularly inspected store to assure all programs and standards were maintained• Interviewed, hired, trained, developed, and counseled Team Leaders and Team Members into a high-performance team• Oversaw monthly inventory, safety, merchandising, financial and physical plant issues• Reviewed scheduling, purchases, and all other expenses regularly to ensure team and store expenses were within budget• Conducted effective All-Store and Team Leader meetings.Significant Accomplishments: Drove sales to over $40M annually and annual net income dollars by 33%  Helped launch the opening of WFM – Town and Country store, with responsibility for hiring and training 150 team members on store operations, product knowledge and customer service Earned “Retailer of the Year” award from the Town and Country / Frontenac Chamber of Commerce Recognized as “Best Grocery Store” by Riverfront Times and St. Louis Post Dispatch newspapers and Feast magazine Recipient of highest Team Member Morale ratings among 32 other stores in the Midwest region Earned recognition as a Midwest Regional All Star – 2009 (annual award to top 1% of Regional Team Members)

Austin, Tx, Us

Provided financial and accounting support (financial guidance, budget reviews, margin and analyses) to Store Leaders and Regional Purchasing Directors to help them run profitable stores and teams

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Accounting

Associate’S Degree, Culinary Arts/Chef Training