Sales Customer Service

GREG ST. JOH N

**** ***** **** * *******, GA ****6 404-***-**** ********@***.***

EN TR EPREN EUR IA L BUS I NESS BU I L D I NG EXECUT I V E

Strategy Formulation & Execution Relationship Management &

Partnering

World Class Teambuilding P &L / ROI P roduct Development & Marketing

Proven Ability to Quickly Analyze Key Business D r ivers and Develop Strategies to

G row the Bottom Line

Leading Change R edesigning Business P rocesses N egotiating & Closing Deals Forming

S trategic Alliances

Developing New Business S upplier Rationalization T u rna rounds G rowing Revenue &

P rofit

H igh integrity, energetic Business Building Executive known for envisioning and creating successful

outcomes in complex and challenging situations. Diverse industry and functional expertise, with a tenacious

commitment to driving sales, profit and market share growth. Intuitive ability to assess/triage organizations

and quickly reenergize a business with innovative revenue strategy and tactical execution. Visionary thought

leader who anticipates and embraces change. Passionate, confident and inspiring team builder able to

communicate across all levels of an organization to establish commitment. Skilled at guiding companies and

i ndividuals to achieve aggressive goals and consistently exceed targeted expectations.

I nnovative Thinker with Broad-Based Expertise in Merchandising, M a rketing &

P roduct Development, Global Manufactu ring, Sales, Operations, and Business

Development

• CEO, GM, CSO and CMO leadership roles – increasing revenue responsibility up to $600

m illion

• SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH of N EW SPEC IAL O RDER ST RATEGY w ith $80 million in revenue within 24

months

• F UNCT IONAL a nd START -U P E XPER I ENCE i n Marketing, Product Development, Sales, Business

Development, Operations and Customer Support

• STRONG T ECHNOLOGY E XPER I ENCE – hardware, software, and internet

• I NT ERNAT IONAL E XPER I ENCE i ncluding sales and sourcing in Europe, South America, Canada,

Mexico, India and Asia having worked directly with 300+ factories

• E XTENSI VE B USI NESS STRATEGY E XPER I ENCE a t revenue levels from $40 -$700 million

PROFESSIONAL EXPER I ENCE

GCS CONSULTING, Atlanta, GA 2010 – P resent

PRESI DENT & FOUNDER

Senior Level In ternational and Domestic Consultant to "Big Box" and Independent Retailer suppliers.

Specializing in Merchandising, Operations, Business Planning, New Product Development and

M arketing Specialty Programs.

Plann i ng and St ra tegy F ramewor k; Ref i nemen t; Eng ineer i ng;

D ocumen ta t ion; Product ion; Coaching

Research / i n i t ia l mar ket evalua t ion to effect ively l i n k new p roduct

developmen t w i t h business st ra tegy / t a rget customer

I dea t ion i nclud i ng style, color, tex t u re and scale - t he p r i ma ry componen ts

each customer evalua tes

Vendor Sou rcing and/or Ra t ional iza t ion; Prototyp i ng and Test i ng;

I mp lemen ta t ion

V isua l Me rchand ising & Poin t of Pu rchase Ma te r ia ls

Eva lua t ion of exist i ng Sales & Ma r ket i ng St ra tegies and Staf f i ng

Developmen t of KP I’s t ha t al ign teams across an organ izat ion i n

achievemen t of corpora te goals

- Cu r ren t l y p rojects i nclude: Decora t ive landscape ma te r ia ls, L E D l igh t i ng &

E -Comm merchand ising

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G REG ST . J OH N

JI MWAY, I NC., Rancho Dominguez, CA 2006 – 2010

P RESI DENT & C EO

Global manufactu re r of l igh t i ng, elect r ical & decor p roducts serv icing mu l t i-

bi l l ion dol la r re ta i le rs, wholesale and OE M manufactu r i ng; 100+ US corpora te

o ff ice employees & 125 employees i n Asian off ices; sales off ices i n A t lan ta,

Toron to, Hong Kong & Mexico; complete P & L responsib i l i ty.

Shipped in excess of 5000 45' High Cube containers annually

Established organizational structure to ensure design leadership and execution meeting or

exceeding all customer expectations specifically in Functional and LED Lighting categories.

Developed and implemented an aggressive transitional business strategy to take advantage of

opportunities created by the economic downturn and leverage the strengths of our global

organization

Increased market share with strategic customers in spite of contracting market

Negotiated improved raw material costs that supported requirements of primary customers

Instituted new comprehensive compensation and performance evaluation strategy that

supported achievement of corporate goals; included web based tools that proved visibility to decision

makers at all levels

Sourced and hired a professional leadership team to backfill founder’s roles, CMO/SVP Sales,

SVP Global Sourcing, and Director of HR

Reorganized reducing direct reports from 16 to 6: CFO, CMO, SVP Global Sourcing, and

D irectors of HR, Operations and IT

SEN IOR VICE PRES IDENT, SALES, MARKET I NG & PRODUCT DEVELOP ME NT – CSO / CMO

Led sales team i n al l Home Depot ma t te rs achieving i ncreased ma rket share

a nnua l ly.

Drove design/trend team to ensure market leadership in both visual as well as technological

aspects achieving increased market share in both decorative and functional product categories

Launched, organized, and directed new sales division focused on decor categories of indoor and

outdoor furniture and accessories

• Provided leadership, project management and coaching of all Sales Divisions:

o Cordelia L ighting : Home Depot, Expo Design Center, Your Other Warehouse, World

I mports

o Altai r L ighting : Mass retailers and Club formats

o Designers Fountain : Wholesale to 1000+ showrooms and 35+ sales reps

o Cordelia Décor : Furniture, accessories, vanities, etc. to all customers including

F rontgate

Managed all product categories with specific focus on categories of growth and energy efficiency

i .e. f luorescent & LED receiving awards from Lighting for Tomorrow (DOE) competition every year.

Implemented Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system specifically designed to

connect product development and customer service to the needs of merchants/buyers and customers,

streamlining sales and business efforts

THE HOME DEPOT, Atlanta, GA 2002 – 2006

I N TER IOR L IG H T I NG M ERC HANT

Directed $600M program in 2000 retails stores nationwide including product design, selection, display,

point-of-purchase, supplier development, pricing strategy, advertising & promotions and exit strategy.

M anaged all aspects of business as follows:

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GREG ST. JOH N

-- H O M E D EPOT EXPER I E NCE CONTIN UED --

S trategic Planning

• Incorporated customer insights, external competitive t rends, and top-down direction to set the

overall strategy for the business category

• Anticipated market/business trends and pro-actively managed those t rends to the benefit of the

company

• Developed both annual and longer-term strategic plans to manage and grow the business

• Understand competitors’ strengths, weaknesses and strategies and planned response to them

Business Performance / F inancia l M an agement

• Accountable for merchandise performance, recommended revisions to the merchandise

p lan/forecast based on sound analysis and ensured corrective actions were implemented

• A top performing department during my tenure

P roduct Design / Sourcing / Vendor M an agement

• Instituted an end-to-end product development process and partnership with suppliers to ensure

connectivity of customer needs, emerging t rends and quality product execution. Process began

w ith ideation and conceptual drawings and review meetings that required each source to

r ationalize their offerings. As a cross functional team we would work step-by-step through each

stage of development to ensure that all products met expectations prior to reviewing them

competitively against all suppliers for value

• Drove innovation and differentiation for the Hampton Bay brand across all associated categories

• Partnered with suppliers and sourcing team on overseas production of product

• Oversaw and participated in market visits

• Established and maintained effective vendor relationships and worked with the adjacent

departments to strengthen relationships and enhance product and t rend knowledge

• Challenged to drive product innovation, differentiation and improve design companywide

Assortment Planning

• Directed assortment selection process and reviewed assortment for balance (brands, key i tems,

core i tems, etc.) and adherence to strategic and financial objectives

• Oversaw and approved line reviews

• Worked with the planning organization to develop assortment plans that support overall

strategy of in-stock positioning for key merchandise categories, classifications, items and

vendors

• Established collaborative relationships with global sourcing and inventory replenishment team

to ensure availability and the t imely delivery of merchandise

M a rketing

• Partnered with advertising/marketing/customer experience teams to develop promotional and

regular marketing strategies

• Reviewed and approved the promotional plans

I n-Store Execution

• Partnered with Store Operations to drive in-store execution of the merchandising strategy

t aking into account store capabilities and responsibilities

• Drove compliance and standards with processes and policies

PRODUCT MERC HANT

Developed and launched special order l ighting program companywide including product design,

selection, catalog development, display, point-of-purchase, supplier development, pricing strategy,

advertising & promotions and exit strategy.

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GREG ST. JOH N

-- H O M E D EPOT EXPER I E NCE CONTIN UED --

Developed and fielded 1200+ SKUs in six months that met or exceeded all product requirements

Exceeded sales plan entire time during tenure and supported the overall department

achievement of plan

- Continued to manage the product development for the World Imports business and its 2000+ SKUs

WORLD I MPORTS/GEORGIA L IGHTING (acquired by Home Depot in 1996 – 2002

1999), Atlanta, GA

G ENERAL M ANAGER & D I R ECTOR, I MPORTS, P RODUCT D EVELOP MEN T & N AT IONAL SALES

I ncreased sales volume and gross ma rgin by double digits. 12 internal direct reports including

sales department, support staff, manufacturing, purchasing, customer service, and accounting.

M anaged 30+ independent sales reps nationally. Evaluated sales numbers, assessing revenue targets

and ensuring all employees were contributing to overall goals and selling entire package; resolved

p roblems and set future goals for division. Followed-up on customer service issues, aiming for

exceptional customer satisfaction and enabling client needs to be met and exceeded.

Designed and discovered new lighting products working with a portfolio of suppliers from Spain,

I taly, India and China that supported our sales and marketing strategy

Designed and directed improvements to on-site production lines for cataloged as well as special

order and custom products

Established and directed local iron forge operations to support emerging need, eventually

publishing a catalog specifically focused on this category

Personally developed and directed design, layout, and publication of World Imports catalogs to

i nclude onsite press check and tweaks at domestic printer

UN ITED STATES MARINE CORPS, Various Locations 1980 – 1996

SPEC IAL ASSISTANT t o SECRETARY of D EFENSE (Fully Retired in 2001)

Responsible for coordinating Total Quality Leadership for Senior Officers and Senior Staff Non-

Commissioned Officers and corresponding regional consortiums across the country.

Logistics & Supply through the Expeditionary Force Level; Manpower/Personnel Administration

Career Planning & Management; Managed Public Affairs for the Southeast

Marksmanship Training Instructor/Range Officer; Helicopter Crew, UH-1N

Awarded the following :

Legion of Merit Medal from the Secretary of the Navy Meritorious Service Medal from the Secretary of

Defense

Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal from the Commandant of the Marine Corps (2nd Award)

Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal from the Commanding General of Marine Reserve Force (1st

Award)

ED UCAT ION & PROFESSIONAL ME MBERSH IPS

BACHELOR O F SCIENCE – B usiness Administration, St. Joseph’s College, S tandish, ME

Member, V istage I nternational

Member, Government Affairs Committee, American Lighting Association

Member, Political Action Committee, American Lighting Association

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