SUMMARY: Marketing executive with over 15 years of experience in consumer packaged goods and retail marketing. Visionary, results-driven leader with an unique blend of successes in brand, customer, and retail marketing, as well as sales. Proven track record of building brands, motivating consumers/shoppers, developing teams, growing volume, increasing profitability, and reviving declining trademarks. Directed businesses at large, highly regarded, branded manufacturers (Nabisco, Kraft), an entrepreneurial, family company (Banfi Vintners), and a major convenience retailer (Hess). Respected for a career marked by leadership, commitment, accomplishment, foresight, creativity, strategic thinking, passion, collegiality, and trust.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
HESS CORPORATION 2006 – 2009
A $32 billion global energy and retail company, including a $6.5 billion convenience and gas Retail Marketing business unit.
Director, Retail Marketing & Category Management,
Chief Merchandising Officer (Woodbridge, NJ)) August 2006 – February 2009
Head of marketing department responsible for retail sales, marketing, and merchandising for 900 company owned and operated Hess/Hess Express convenience retail sites. Directly accountable to deliver over $1.1 billion in sales, which included all merchandise categories, services, fast foods (All-American Grill), and QSR brands (Blimpie, Godfather’s Pizza). Developed and lead department’s strategic agenda: enhance the customer experience, build the Hess/Hess Express brand, deliver innovation, and significantly improve sales and margin. Oversaw an advertising budget of $20 million, an administrative budget of $3 million, and category specific P&L’s. Specific accountabilities included: advertising, creative, promotion, merchandising, category management, pricing, planning, point-of-sale, vendor relations, contract negotiation, store layout, and forecasting. Sponsored and led new and innovative category/brand marketing planning process and discipline. Responsible for recruiting, training, coaching, developing, and motivating team of 18 professionals, including 9 direct reports.
Accomplishments:
• Generated +$36 million increase (+4%) in inside store sales
• Achieved +$20 million (+10%) in inside store gross margin dollars
• Initiatives delivered +110 basis points increase in inside store gross margin percentage
• Net Operating Cost (NOC) improved by $15 million (64%) versus prior year, a record performance
KRAFT FOODS, INC. 2005 – 2006
The largest branded food and beverage company in North America with annual global revenues of $34 billion.
Brand Director/Senior Brand Manager, US Snacks (East Hanover, NJ) March 2006 – August 2006
Assignment was a promotion. Drove vision, strategies, and consumer marketing initiatives for Lunchbox and Pack Platforms brands (Multi-Packs, Snak Saks, Go-Paks, and Seasonals). Provided key brand linkage across sector categories (cookies, crackers, cereals, bars, and nuts) with focus on Food/Mass channels, levering DSD capabilities. Accountable for total consumer marketing and brand strategies/management for Kraft Handi-Snacks across all retail outlets. Total portfolio deliverable was $505 million in annual gross revenue. Oversaw brand/pack specific P&L’s and an advertising and consumer budget of $8 million. Coached, developed, and empowered a Senior Associate Brand Manager and an Associate Brand Manager.
Accomplishments:
• Originated and led project to develop distinctive, on-the-go, cereal snacking enterprise
• Presided over relaunch and warehouse-to-DSD transition of Kraft Handi-Snacks
• Extended Pack Platforms to new consumers by building an adult, on-the-go, single-serve proposition
Brand Director, Post Division (Tarrytown, NY) May 2005 – March 2006
Led the brand, marketing, and consumer strategy and programming development across all Post RTE and Hot cereal brands for National Channel Customers. Directly accountable for delivering $477 million in annual gross revenue. Charged with managing customer and project specific P&L’s and an investment budget of $1.7 million. Customer and channel responsibilities included Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Sam’s, Dollar, Drug, and Convenience. Coached and supervised a Senior Associate Brand Manager.
Accomplishments:
• Attained +5% increase in revenue across all National Channel Customers (+$16.2 million vs. PY)
• Delivered +10% revenue growth (+$5.1 million vs. PY) in Club Channel from -2% trend
- Commercialized Grape-Nuts Trail Mix in Club (awarded Team of the Quarter – Q1 ’06)
• Pioneered concept and led design of an analytical model to quantify the incrementality of each retail channel
BANFI VINTNERS 1999 – 2005
The largest importer of wine in the United States of America with annual company sales of $213 million and 6.6 million cases.
Portfolio Director (Old Brookville, NY) April 2005 – May 2005
Brand Director (Old Brookville, NY) November 1999 – April 2005
Successes and thought leadership prompted a promotion to Portfolio Director in April 2005, which expanded brand, strategic, and personnel responsibilities. Accountable for all brand, consumer, and customer marketing for Banfi’s New World Wines, representing $116 million and 4.1 million cases in annual sales. Developed and directed creative processes and marketing strategies in order to achieve volume and financial objectives in the USA, Canada, and Caribbean; activities included advertising, packaging, pricing, consumer promotion, trade promotion, point-of-sale, display materials, selling materials, and new product development. Managed brand specific P&L’s and marketing spending budgets of $16 million. Acted as key liaison and negotiator between South American/Australian suppliers and Banfi. Coached and directly supervised a Portfolio Brand Manager and a Brand Specialist. Brand responsibilities included, among others, Concha y Toro, Walnut Crest, and Stonehaven.
Accomplishments:
• Directed 360o restage of Concha y Toro, including new positioning, marketing strategy, and advertising
- Originated, proposed, and introduced Xplorador wines, a new sub-brand to the Concha y Toro family
• Achieved +53% volume growth (+9% CAGR) on Concha y Toro (+900,000 cases) from 2 year negative trend
- Realized concurrent +63% increase in dollar sales and +52% increase in pre-tax profit contribution
- Captured the position of #1 imported wine brand in America for 3 consecutive years (2000-2002)
- Awarded Comeback Brand in 2002 and Established Growth Brand in 2003 & 2004 by Adams Media
• Created and executed a multi-media advertising and integrated marketing campaign for Casillero del Diablo
• Launched idea and oversaw production/filming of 3 Chilean segments of the Great Finds/PBS travel show
• Generated +4% volume growth on Walnut Crest (+30,000 cases) from -33% trend
- Created and directed the recurring “Walnut Crest $1,000,000 Taste Challenge” equity promotion
NABISCO BISCUIT COMPANY 1991 – 1999
The leading national manufacturer and marketer of packaged cookies and crackers with annual sales of $3.6 billion.
Brand Manager (East Hanover, NJ) November 1998 – November 1999
Developed and executed vision, strategy, and marketing plans for assigned cookie brands, representing $177 million in annual sales. Accountable for assigned products attaining financial and marketing goals/objectives, including P&L responsibility and future growth platforms. Led product related projects among cross functional support personnel. Set goals and expectations, directly supervised, and coached an Associate Brand Manager. Brand responsibilities included Nilla Wafers, chocolate enrobed (Mallomars, Pinwheels, Fudge Favorites), and adult targeted brands (Ginger Snaps, Lorna Doone, Cameo).
Accomplishments:
• Brand strategies resulted in +3% increase in Nilla brand sales (+$2.5 million) from a -3.6% trend
• Initiated and led project team to execute a major product improvement on Nilla Wafers
• Led project team that introduced Pecanz, which attained $14.7 million in sales in the first year
• Mallomars advertising campaign won the NY Achievement in Radio Award for “Best Commercial Spot”
Senior Manager, Trade Marketing (East Hanover, NJ) May 1996 – November 1998
Designed and evaluated performance based national trade programs for the $3.6 billion brand portfolio for all retail formats that improved trade spending effectiveness/efficiency and increased merchandising. Administered flexible trade marketing budget ($165 million) by providing P&L analysis, region/customer allocations, annual/quarterly projections, and recommendations for budget utilization or revisions. Led process to develop and market the 1997–1999 trade programs, which marked Nabisco’s first effort relative to annual merchandising programs. Designed program parameters that increased flexibility in earning and utilizing trade funds without losing financial control. Managed the evolution and enhancement of the trade funds management system (Checkbook), while ensuring accessibility of funds, improved functionality, and greater financial integrity. Established goals and directed the activities of the Manager of Trade Marketing Systems, two systems developers, and an agency account executive.
Directed the creation and development of customer specific promotions and co-marketing programs, resulting in increased incremental sales/merchandising and stronger partnerships with customers. Produced a trade marketing resource called ASSET, which included stand alone promotions, media overlays, and customer specific overlays to national consumer events. Supervised the creative and production process of 25 television advertising spots. Managed annual budget of $10 million.
Accomplishments:
• Increased trade return on investment by +36%
• Introduced annual trade programs that grew incremental sales by +10%
Manager, Trade Marketing (East Hanover, NJ) August 1995 – May 1996
Managed the ASSET program, which provided field sales with a resource of creative, turnkey, menu driven, customer specific promotions and selling tools. Invested a $6 million budget to achieve the highest return. Created and marketed 3 portfolio promotional events that drove incremental sales, merchandising, and share. Developed and executed 2 thematic, menu driven programs on a national basis, involving 850 customers and 48,000 stores.
Accomplishments:
• Developed from inception the “MASS”, “Rotovision”, and “Taking 5 For You” programs that increased incremental sales by +60%, and achieved unprecedented levels of positive consumer response and customer participation
Sales Manager (Teterboro, NJ) March 1994 – August 1995
Led and motivated a sales team with annual sales of $15 million. Coached and trained 13-21 direct reports (Sales Representatives and Territory Managers) and 30 merchandisers in productive retail selling, negotiation, and merchandising activities. Formulated and sold store/district level business plans with team to over 100 grocery customers. Coordinated the resolution of store level issues. Managed the recruiting, structure, budgets, and workload of the team.
Accomplishments:
• Grew annual sales of assigned customer base by +8% (top performance in the region)
• Sold and executed the “World’s Largest Display” of cookies and crackers (80,000 packages)
Account Manager (Portland, ME) March 1993 – March 1994
Responsible for the headquarters sales call on 7 chain customers, including Shaw’s Supermarkets, with combined annual sales of $24 million and 500 stores. Controlled the trade promotion budget of $2.4 million. Developed and negotiated customer business plans that incorporated sales/profit growth targets, merchandising/promotional activity, new product introductions, co-marketing programs, and category management initiatives. Directed retail execution of plans through DSD sales system.
Accomplishments:
• Increased annual sales of assigned customer base by +10%, including attaining 9 consecutive period objectives
• Won Nabisco’s Presidential Commendation Award for customer specific promotion
Sales Representative (North Smithfield, RI and Springfield, MA) July 1991 – March 1993
Accountable for the DSD sales and merchandising of products within an assigned territory and multiple retail channels.
Accomplishments:
• Increased annual sales of assigned customer base by +44%, including attaining 14 consecutive period objectives
EDUCATION
THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Science in Economics, 1991 (magna cum laude)
Concentration: Marketing and Management |
