PRIVATE EQUITY OPERATING EXECUTIVE
Senior Executive with 24 years of successful Marketing, Sales, Financial, Technology, Operations, Merchandising, M & A, and Strategic Planning experience from Fortune 500 to small cap companies. A leader with a track record of growing businesses quickly and profitably.
2004 – 2006 INDUSTRY LEADER -- RETAIL & INTERNET
Executive Vice President
Number two executive for the largest product category dealer of its kind in the U.S. Reported to CEO and owner. Full P&L responsibility for corporation. Directly oversaw education and rental sales, marketing, merchandising, finance & accounting, IT, credit, operations, distribution, M&A, legal, banking, and real estate.
· Within six months, increased college sales of products 17% via the cross-promotion of prospects and targeted advertising to select geo/ethnic markets, yielding an 8% increase in corporate PBT.
· Increased annual operating profits 36% through corporate-wide cost savings initiative by assembling team of managers and helping them identify and execute on numerous expense opportunities.
· Revived dormant deal for key, strategic chain in the Chicago market, completing it within six months using asset-based financing to limit owner’s equity investment to just 9% of purchase price.
· Increased sales by 5.5% in 2005 through expanding radio, newspaper, direct mail, and internet marketing tests and rollouts significantly, particularly the use and follow-through of two-step web sales.
· In Merchandising, introduced a new digital line to serve unfilled market need while also conceiving and implementing new systems to allow merchandisers the ability to restock stores daily for the first time.
· Turned around failing Credit operations through leadership change accompanied with the renegotiation of bank financing contract and a focus on payment-based versus interest rate financing.
· Solidified financial control of company; particularly by directing the update of overdue account reconciliations, most notably accounts receivables, to the G/L; some accounts had been unreconciled since 2002.
· Increased appointment setting through phone banks by 12% through the introduction of innovative prospect engagement and follow-through routines to customer service staff.
· Led banking relationship and interactions, including the use of financial swaps to hedge against rising interest rates, while negotiating the removal of owner’s personal guarantee on corporate loans.
1997 – 2004 FRENCH INSPIRATIONS CATALOG Hunt Valley, MD
President & COO
Head of internet and consumer catalog recognized as one of industry’s leading start-ups. Products focused on French gifts, furnishings, apparel, food, and home accessories.
· Grew to largest internet/catalog-only French product firm in U.S. Mailed to 4.3 million U.S. households, attracting over 44,000 customers. Reached breakeven in second year.
· Devised and oversaw development of internet sales channel, resulting in web sales of 14% annual revenue by 2003, and lowering fulfillment costs 17% versus traditional phone, mail order, and fax channels.
· Raised dollars per order 26% from $94.50 in 2002 to $119.00 in 2003 despite French product boycott and continued declines in high-end gift industry sales.
· Improved gross margins 8.1% between FY2001 and FY2003 by increasing prices of select products, negotiating volume discounts with key suppliers, and eliminating distribution markups by vendors.
1991 – 1997 PHILLIPS PUBLISHING, INC. Potomac, MD
Senior Vice President, Eagle Publishing, Inc. (6/95 – 1/97)
Promoted to this key P&L marketing and operations position to help the fastest-growing division of Phillips make its first profits. Eagle’s diversified products include book club, newspaper, and newsletter publishing.
· Helped bring Eagle to its first profitable year in FY96 on $33 million sales by leading the company’s most profitable division while reducing costs/sales 7%.
· Integrated marketing, operations, and staff of three book clubs after conducting M&A due diligence, allowing Eagle to gain key market share against #1 company in market.
· Oversaw conversion of manual book club fulfillment operations to fully automated, state-of-the-art Unix-based system, lowering labor costs 27%.
Vice President Operations, Phillips Publishing, Inc. (4/91 – 6/95)
Led the 130-person, four department list marketing and operations teams of PPI’s largest subsidiary during rapid growth from $20 million to $110 million annual sales. P & L, sales, and operations responsibilities.
· Led a five-fold increase of List Marketing sales by building an exceptional team of experienced and motivated reps, focusing on highly profitable key accounts, and executing thoroughly on the sales plan.
· Uncovered over $1.1 million in savings for the Production, List Services, and Customer Service teams.
· Created profit centers within existing Customer Service inbound calling operations, allowing for the upselling and cross-selling of newsletter subscribers, with an estimated NPV of over $4 million.
1988 – 1990 BAIN & COMPANY, INC. Boston, MA
Senior Consultant
Promoted to Senior Consultant and Team Leader less than two years after joining this prestigious consulting firm, which specializes in redirecting the strategy of Fortune 500 clients. Assignments focused on Corporate Strategy, M & A, Marketing & Sales, and Operations.
1981 – 1986 McCORMICK & COMPANY, INC. Hunt Valley, MD
Promoted rapidly within operations, becoming Production Manager of the Consumer Products Division’s largest eastern plant with 205 employees and 5 direct reports.
Experience also includes consulting/short-term engagements with organizations such as the American Management Association, Comprehensive Auto Reclamation Services, Washington Times, and Fypon, Inc.
EDUCATION: M.B.A., Harvard Business School, 1988
B.S. Business, Frostburg State University, 1981;
Valedictorian
BOARDS SERVED: Advisory Board, College of Business; Frostburg State
University
Opus Chicago Partners, LLC
Junior Achievement of Washington, D.C.
AFFILIATIONS: Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG)
Association for Corporate Growth – Maryland Chapter
COMMUNITY: Chairman, Finance Committee, St. John the Evangelist
Asst. Lacrosse Coach, Carroll Manor Recreation League |
