Manager Sales

MICHAEL W. GIPSON

**** ********** **. **** ***** 630-***-****

Naperville, IL 60565 E-mail:

********@******.***

www.linkedin.com/in/mikegipson

CAREER SUMMARY

High impact consumer products marketing executive. Extensive new product development and brand

management experience utilizing broad based, integrated, consumer marketing campaigns. Excellent

leadership, communication and presentation skills. Team player with outstanding people skills.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CRESCENT CARDBOARD COMPANY L.L.C., Wheeling, Illinois 2002-2010

World’s leading manufacturer of matboard and art material for the custom and contract framing markets.

Privately held company with annual sales of $70 million.

General Manager, Specialty Products Division (9/06-1/10)

General Manager for start up division manufacturing and marketing patented scented photo frame

products, reporting directly to the President/CEO.

• Led all division efforts for sales, marketing, purchasing, scheduling and inventory control.

• Drove new company strategic shift to traditional retail channels including mass, food, drug, home

specialty, auto accessory and car wash retailers.

• Successfully expanded product offering from 12 to 50 SKUs in first 6 months.

• Gained distribution at key retailers including Pep Boys.

• Developed and launched second new product initiative; a children’s activity product branded

Powder Art. Gained placement in key art material retailers.

• Directed corporate strategy back towards core art material product category.

Director of Marketing (1/03-9/06)

Directed all marketing and product development efforts for Crescent products. Managed and mentored

three Product Managers in the department and reported directly to the Sr. Vice President of Marketing.

• Increased market share lead by estimated 5% in key custom framing matboard product category.

• Spearheaded dramatic expansion of contract framing product offering and successfully positioned

Crescent as the color and style expert. Achieved 55% sales growth in 4 years.

Group Product Manager (1/02-1/03)

Led all product and marketing activities for core matboard product line. Managed two Product Managers

and reported to Sr. Vice President of Marketing.

• Developed “Good, better, best” product strategy which directly attacked key matboard competitor.

• Introduced “Select” product line which has generated incremental $5.3 million in sales in four

years.

BLAIR WORLDWIDE, INC., Chicago, Illinois 1999-2001

Chicago-based marketing communications agency. Privately held with annual billings of $3-5 million.

Vice President, Account Services (11/99-7/01)

Primary account manager for agency, reporting directly to President/CEO.

• Spearheaded strategic planning efforts for key accounts including Hoover and Tone Brothers.

• Formulated and presented many of agency’s new business presentations.

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FELLOWES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Itasca, Illinois 1997-

1999

Leading manufacturer of office products serving both the consumer and commercial markets. Privately

held with annual sales in excess of $600 million.

Director of Marketing, Records Storage Division

Led all strategic marketing and product development efforts for $70 million Records Storage business

team. Managed two Product Managers and reported directly to Vice President/General Manager of

Records Storage Business team.

• Repackaged and implemented new planogram at OfficeMax, resulting in 14% increase in sales

and displacement of key competitor.

• Introduced 66 new products in 1999, generating $3.2 million in sales.

FIRST ALERT/BRK BRANDS, INC., Aurora, Illinois 1989-1997

World’s leading manufacturer of consumer and commercial fire and home safety products. At times both

privately and publicly held; annual sales of $200 million.

Sr. New Products Manager

Established and directed new product development initiatives for First Alert retail business. Managed one

Product Manager and three Purchasing Managers and reported directly to the President.

• Established corporate new product goals and directed internal and external cross-functional teams

from product inception through launch, including Asian sourcing.

• Developed and launched two new categories for First Alert: child safety and elder safety. Child

safety new account distribution included Target and Toys R Us.

Sr. Product Manager/Product Manager, Fire Safety Products

Directed all marketing activities for U.S. retail smoke alarm, fire extinguisher and fire escape ladder

product lines. Managed one product manager and reported directly to Vice President of Marketing.

• Developed and launched redesigned fire extinguisher line instrumental in regaining Wal-Mart

business, generating $8 million in first year sales.

• Repackaged and re-merchandised smoke detector and fire extinguisher lines which helped

generate double-digit growth in mature categories.

HELENE CURTIS, INC., Chicago, Illinois 1986-1989

Product Manager/Associate Product Manager, Professional Division

HALLMARK CARDS, INC., Kansas City, Missouri 1982-1986

Sr. Product Planner/Product Planner, Ambassador Products

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, Champaign, Illinois

MBA-Marketing

AUGUSTANA COLLEGE, Rock Island, Illinois

BA-Business Administration

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