Ray Gerhardt Email & Phone Number

United States

Eastern Us

Performed lead role in staffing for expansion of dynamic, diverse team across multiple markets throughout the east coast and mid-west geographies. Embraced new segment of retail to understand unique and growing customer base, expanding retail segment, unique clients, brands and categories.• Utilized tenured associates to quickly understand challenges and priorities to source best candidates.• Hired and trained six new retail associates for key client and customer market expansion.• Developed playbook and training materials for onboarding new retail account team members.• Collaborated with several business functions to provide enhanced training for new associates. • Ongoing participation in client engagement activities including retail work with and virtual engagements.

East Region Usa

Integral partner in building a launching an exciting new team. Contributed to creating training materials, collaborating with senior management to build our plane while flying it. Partnered with our Information Technology and Data Analytic teams to develop a unique suite for our reporting application based on client needs and expectations.• Aligned with Talent Acquisition partners to achieve 75% staffing prior to launch.• Selected as mentor for recently promoted peers to ensure systems knowledge, proficiency.• Supported senior management and peers in launch training of 35 associates nationwide.• Delivered associate accountability through empathy and support across 5 major Southeast U.S. markets.• Supported direct-reports in overcoming objections store level selling to drive results.• Conduit for connectivity across multi-layered sales and distribution organizations, internal and external.

National - Us

Improve client ROI by embracing challenges across multiple markets containing diverse portfolio of retail customers. Enhance team KPI performance through direct connection with field level retail sales associates. Incorporate DSD experience as an enhancement to improve the client – broker relationship.• Successfully recruited and onboarded three new sales associates for client’s key markets.• Improved client KPI’s through awareness and empowerment of associates.• Established regular checkpoint cadence with associates encouraging dialogue and feedback.• Implemented action planning for associates within area of responsibility.• Reinforced associates job responsibilities through accountability and performance management.• Establish and maintain client relationships.• Develop emerging markets by building rapport with retail key decision makers.

Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States

• Inspect Residential and Commercial Property• Provide Solutions for Initial Concern and share industry expertise and insights for additional areas of concern.• Coordinate with home/property owner to build a proposal that meets their needs, desired outcomes and budget.• Participate in ongoing training and learning new products and solutions.• Partner with production teams to share project detail and customer outcomes.

Northeast & Southeast Us Regions

Improved customer service and route infrastructure by partnering with independent distributor community through Joint Infrastructure Planning (JIP). Supported all levels of front-line field sales to identify opportunities, including establishing and implementing route development plans. Facilitated quarterly comprehensive training sessions for 35+ field sales associates. • Reduced number of company asset routes 20% annually while driving awareness and prevention of new asset routes.• Drove bottom-line fiscal commitment by liquidating costly company run asset routes. • Exceeded annual incremental infrastructure objectives, adding capacity that improved scope and customer service.• Achieved efficiencies in route purchase processes in all phases of financial qualifications by 30%.• Commercialized all department strategies and results to Region Leadership team to enforce KPI execution, providing key insights into infrastructure and transaction activities that helped inform stakeholder decisions.

Greater Norfolk, Va | Northeast Nc Markets

Delivered over $8MM in annual sales in the competitive Direct Store Delivery Consumer Products arena. Coached and influenced 22 independent distributor operators to execute against key customer, regional and local sales initiatives. Partnered with distributor network to grow route infrastructure and meet increased customer demand. Conducted quarterly workshops and individual distributor planning sessions to drive incremental business. • Delivered double digit annual growth by utilizing technology suite to identify and communicate market inefficiencies through store evaluations, including management feedback. • Designed and implemented sales calls with local and regional level decision makers with key customers. • Wal Mart, Kroger, Delhaize and Military. • Account Manager with local chain Farm Fresh.• Collaborated with senior leadership, legal and finance departments to architect the buyback, re-engineering and sale of key underperforming market, resulting in increased infrastructure +30%; recognized for driving sales that outpaced market at rate of 15% and eliminated customer complaint calls.• Exceeded promotional forecasting, achieved 80-90% execution rate, and minimized out of stock positions by driving event planning and product ordering with distributors for key customer programs. • Selected as region lead and subject matter expert for new hand-held computer launch, eliminating need for third-party support.

Southeast Va

PEPSICO – Frito Lay, District Sales Leader (Large Format), Norfolk, VAManaged highest volume sales team within the zone. Activated and executed national and regional marketing initiatives. Mentored and directed team of sales representatives in merchandising, in-store selling and advanced ordering processes. PEPSICO – Frito Lay, District Sales Leader (Small Format), Virginia Beach, VAMotivated the front-line sales force in grocery, convenience store and mass merchandiser customer channels. Developed customer relationship at store and headquarter level with account management responsibility for several local convenience and small grocers. PEPSICO – Frito Lay, Route Sales Representative, Chesapeake, VA