Sales management consulting agency specializing in premium food, HBC & beverage brands. Pioneering and leading sales for consumer product companies. Hands on supporting client leadership, developing strategy, innovation & managing brokers, plus coordinating retail outreach, presentations and promotional efforts.MANAGING PARTNER • Developed business plans and sales execution with clients: Sunwink Sparkling Herbal Tonics, Panic Panties, Tom & Andy Chocolatiers, PureFit, Rucks & Co (Mondelez), Buddha Tea, This Saves Lives and Pacific Pharmaceuticals / Pacific Natures• Day-to-Day, medium term and long term business plan and execution to effectively pioneer N. America sales to retailers (internet and brick & mortar) and gab-and-go food service. North America at every retailer of size in the following classes of trade: grocery, drug, mass, club, military, internet and natural channel. • Implemented internal “best practices” for trade spend customer marketing, product development along with coordination with operations and finance functions.• Lead point person to coordinate all RFPs and proposals with sales, marketing, finance and operations. Effectively evaluate opportunity to provide most mutually beneficial pricing along with terms & conditions.• Reviewed and coordinated with in-house legal counsel all supply agreements, letters of intent (LOIs), customer agreements and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).• Lead domestic acquisition efforts: finding and vetting opportunities. Then coordinating with QC, Operations and Finance for analysis and recommendations to ownership. Point person on LOIs and negotiations.

Improved efficiencies maximizing profitability: account management, upstream and downstream marketingEXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT • Managed: Marketing, Sales (3 divisional teams), Product Development, Training and Customer Service Departments to maximize top line sales and profit. Vitamer and Vitaceutical divisions produce premium vitamin, supplements & protein powders: private label, control label & contract manufacturing.• Enhanced sales, marketing and production teams’ collaboration to provide customer/market feedback fueling the product development process. Shaped interactive system for pre-launch mock-up selling to gain early distribution agreements from key retailers that delivered solid production runs and immediate sales upon launch.• Incorporated analytics and category management “best practices” that improved shelf placement / multiple facings, increased distribution and market trend data to support stronger off-shelf promotional activity.• Developed initiatives to lock in existing customers and improve product portfolio value to prospects: Organics, SGS Non-GMO, Gluten Free and Fermented Superfood Smoothie Boosters.• Strategic planning; executed classic CPG practices to improve marketing, sales and product development disciplines. Successfully launching 15 new items; revenue far outpaced the discontinuation of 47 items. • New item selection and roll-out distribution gains to successfully surpass competitors’ innovation and value.• Aligned resources to enhance customer value via sales, product development, marketing, training and customer service account specific teams to improve key customer interactions and consultative selling.

Objective accomplished: Improved sales, innovation and customer base to prepare company for sale EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, SALES • Managed field sales, inside sales & administrative teams along with large accounts to improved retail distribution and cost-effective promotions. Branded organic exotic superfoods (snack, bulk, powders & supplements).• Expanded retail distribution from specialty natural retail class of trade into club (Costco & Sams) and Conventional Grocery (Kroger, Albertsons, Delhaize, Brookshire, HEB, Publix etc.). • Pioneered alternative channel: etail (Amazon & Vitacost), Burlington Stores, Ross, TJ Max, Macy’s Backstage.• Reworked sales collateral: category specific fact-based sales decks and relevant customer marketing programs.• Transitioned broker network to Presence Marketing, improving account coverage and cost of coverage.

Revenue growth from $1.5 MM to $45 MM: Start-up Branded Natural Candy & Snack Food Company DIRECTOR, SALES• Account Management; gained distribution and strong merchandising support at almost every national and regional retailer in the class of trade: food, drug, mass, etail, c-store and non-traditional. Brokered and house accounts.• Recruited & managed: class of trade specific brokers & internal customer service / sales support team.• Developed fact based sales materials and total merchandising solution that ensure consumer trial and retail turns.• Evaluated and spearheaded trade-shows and event marketing.• Created matrix program for quick proposal response yet ensured every program met profit margin requirements.• Set-up internal communication processes to ensure proper forecasting, financial / deduction management and logistical requirements.

Objective accomplished: Improved sales, innovation and customer base to prepare company for sale Restructured resources to reignite growth and profitability and maximize effectiveness across functions. Introduced disciplined, collaborative and results oriented performance standards.• Shifted sales planning to a critical business tool to minimize tying up capitol in raw materials while elevating sales development. Initiated retail category review tracking system that ensured timely, account specific presentations.• Designed and executed Organic Milling’s branded products revitalization strategy: updated sales collateral with consumer health trends/concerns and syndicated data, innovative product packaging and improved sales. planning. Initiated a comprehensive forecasting system for raw material/inventory planning and financial reporting.• Drove distribution gains in health food and grocery/mass market • Reworked packaging and product call-outs / 3rd party endorsements.• Developed improved national brand equivalent to gain domestic distribution at: Aldi, Topco, Safeway, Sunflower, Big Lots, Wakefern, Bargain Wholesale, Earth Fare, Western Family, Price Chopper Harris Teeter and Sysco. • Created category unique items for Earth Fare, Trader Joe’s, Gibbs & McCormick and Whole Foods. • Expanded to international markets: Woolworth Australia & South Africa, Coles Australia, Loblaw, Overweightea, Shoppers Drug Mart, Metro, Igea Life, N. American Tea & Coffee, Federated Coop and Back to Nature Australia.• Overhauled the corporate website to better communicate company capabilities and offerings. Incorporated user-friendly tools to attract potential customers via search engines. SEO & segmented information "find within two clicks.• Defined and enhanced forecasting and reporting systems to reflect item specific longest lead time raw material component, improved margin and customer/product profitability analyses.

Transition nutritional product leader in natural channel to gains in grocery, drug, mass, etail and alt. channelVice President, Sales:Member of the Executive Team with customer relationship management responsibility: managing the sales organization, channel/customer strategy, pricing, customer marketing and trade relations to exceed sales goals. Created and implemented short / medium / long term business plans and performance analysis to improve supply chain and profit margins.• Created & managed national sales teams for Rainbow Light’s business units: natural channel, mass market, pet specialty, direct to consumer and etailers. Grew sales revenue from $38MM to $50MM.• Achieved national vendor partnership at Whole Foods and category captain status at several regional food retailers. Secured GNC distribution and expanded Vitamin Shoppe distribution from 8 to 22 SKUs. • Expanded Rainbow Light branded products into mass market (food, drug & mass merchants). Developed spending matrix to quantify distribution ROI to executive team and accurate forecast sales volumes. Utilized syndicated data and account specific intelligence to negotiate distribution and retail price points at: Rite Aid, Target, CVS, Kroger, Walgreens, WalMart, SuperValu, Publix and countless regional chains. • Pioneered launch of GreenDog Nutrition brand, gaining Pet Specialty Channel distribution at Pet Supplies Plus, Holistic Pet Source, RFG, Petco and independent pet specialty retailers. Drove new channel sales to $4MM. • Redesigned inside sales compensation plan to more effectively motivate staff and increase focus on revised corporate imperatives (outlying “Vacant House” territories, International, etail accounts).

Pioneered sales hyper growth in natural, mass market, vitamin specialty and etailers Vice President, Sales Appointed to create company’s sales organizational policies and programs to install classic consumer goods sales disciplines. Coordinated with operations, finance & marketing to attain profitability, adequate inventory levels and strong sell-through. • Doubled or tripled distribution at existing health food accounts (Vitamin Cottage, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, Super Supplements, Richards Whole Foods, Sprouts, AZ Health Foods) and expanded distribution to new accounts (Whole Foods, GNC, MOMs, Sunflower, Earth Fare, Akins/Chamberlains, PCC, Mustard Seed, New Seasons, Vitamin Adventure, Mrs. Greens, Fruitful Yield, Peachtree Natural Foods, Better Health). • Drove channel sales up +450% while maintaining profitability and inventory levels.• Instituted Independent Health Retailer Prepack Promotions: tripled distribution at 2100 independent stores & doubled distribution at another 1800. • Penetrated the mass market channel: Supervalu (All Banners), CVS, Big Y, Hannaford, Ahold, Publix, HEB, Marsh, Lowes, Spartan, Hy-Vee, Winn Dixie, Wegmans, Kroger, Ahold, Giant Eagle, Meijer, Harris Teeter, Ingles, King Kullen and Lewis Drug. Negotiated placements that removed costly flat rate advertising fees to profitably grow channel sales from $100K to $3.5MM.• Pioneered with negotiations; avoiding flat rate fees for retail distribution/promotions along with no broker retainers. • Launched fact-based category management presentations via syndicated data, health science white papers and consumer trends data. • Worked with customers to develop customized retailer-specific promotional plans, initiatives and off-shelf displays. • System to ensure retailer promotions execution in exchange for discounts. The system also allowed accounting to quickly clear promotional bills/deductions & immediately dispute erroneous deductions.

Leveraged core natural food from $11MM sales in 1999 to $117MM in 2003 and improved costs / marginsMarketer of branded functional foods: breakfast foods, cookies, crackers and meal replacement bars / beverages. Sales leader with responsibility for organizational structure, strategic business planning & market development design. Directed field / trade marketing, logistics and distribution efforts. • Developed Kashi’s comprehensive, long-term business development strategy & associated supply chain goals.• Transformed field sales representation from niche specialty brokers to more resourceful, responsive first-tier broker organizations for improved distribution, pricing, placement and display activity. • Introduced fact-based selling based on category and account specific IRI/Spectra data to increase ACV distribution +56%. Leveraged this information to more effectively focus consumer advertising.• Re-engineered promotional and bracket pricing. Eliminated deal buy-outs by transitioning promotions for negotiated performance and shifted distributor and wholesaler buy-in volume incentives. Achieved 9.3% internal profit margin improvement with no ultimate effect on customer purchasing behavior.• Designed and executed plan to grow sales with existing clients and penetrated new retail classes across the U.S. and Canada. Drove a 4X sales increase at key grocery chain accounts and securing distribution in alternate channels generating $30MM in incremental sales: club (Costco, BJ’s), c-store (7-Eleven), discount (Target, WalMart, Pamida), drug (CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen, Eckerd) and military.• Initiated aggressive Canadian market thrust that aligned and focused financial and intellectual resources against marketplace/consumer/regulatory issues. This resulted in $18MM in sales at key retailers: Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Zeller’s, GNC Canada, Costco Canada, Safeway Canada, Overwaitea, Jean Coutu, London Drug, Sobeys, IGA and WalMart Canada.

Fortune 500 manufacturer and marketer of medical supplies, equipment and home diagnostic productsRegional Account Manager, West (8/96-2/99)Senior Sales Key Account Manager, AZ & Southern CA (9/93-8/96)Sales Representative, Southern California (4/92-9/93)Progressed through successive sales and sales management assignments, culminating in promotion to Regional Account Manager–West. Responsible for marketing the consumer product portfolio, including insulin delivery/control, fever measurement, home diagnostic devices, elastic health supports (Ace brand) and medical gloves. Developed and executed strategic plans that exceeded sales and profit growth objectives. Gained broad trade understanding and consumer insight through a diversity of experiences including national account management, and direct and wholesale/distributor sales. Account management of: grocery, drug, electronics, mass merchandisers, department store, E-Tail, specialty retailers along with physicians groups, trade organizations and mail order firms.• Consistently delivered top tier sales performances, earning Winners Circle Awards (top five percent) in 1993, 1995 and 1996.• Achieved recognition as company-wide resource for top sales talent development for “Plugging Into Diabetes” training program and on-going efforts in wholesale/distributor, plan-o-gram, retail support training initiatives.

• Decentralized retail chain. Responsible for all aspects of HR, Profit/Loss, procurement and merchandising. Successfully completed JC Penney Management Training Program