Sales Manager

Kelly Pizzirusso

*** ****** ***** ( Cary, IL ****3 ( 847-***-**** ( ***********@*****.***

Marketing Professional

Dynamic, inquisitive, and direct marketing leader with record of driving

revenue and maximizing profit through creation, development, and launch of

products via strategies that identify the intersection of consumer needs,

product, and service attributes.

> Marketing leader with 14-year track record of driving brand-building,

profit-boosting strategies across full marketing mix. Devise innovative

initiatives that cut costs and improve process efficiency. Proven ability

to anticipate market trends, align strategy with corporate vision, and

interpret the Voice of the Consumer (VOC) to lead meaningful product

progression.

> Effective manager and project leader with exceptional ability to build

and facilitate team vision and decision making. Employ sense of humor and

active listening to bring out the best in people, build strong

relationships, and inspire teams and individuals to exceed standards of

excellence for competitive edge. Valued for energetic "can-do" attitude,

personal integrity, and team player approach.

> Breadth of management experience and business acumen attest to ability to

develop solutions and introduce new concepts at the highest corporate

level with outstanding business results despite challenges from internal

and external forces. MBA and MS in Managerial Communication.

Experience includes:

( Consumer Research & Behavior ( Sales & Retail Strategy (

Brand Management

( Data-Driven Decision Making ( Product & Market Analysis (

Public Relations

( Sales & Customer Training Programs ( Strategic Partnerships &

Alliances ( Web & E-Commerce Marketing

Professional Experience

NORTH AMERICAN CORP. (NAC), Glenview, IL ( 2010-present

Privately-held leading provider of specialized business distribution and

marketing services with 3 lines of business-Commercial Products, Packaging

Systems, and Marketing Supply Chain.

Director, Sales Strategy & Process (4/10-present)

Recruited to newly created position based on stellar reputation as

marketing expert. Drive short-/long-term strategic goals, leading all

marketing efforts across 2 of 3 units. Tasked to maximize gross profit and

product/customer margins.

. Developed strategic plan to drive sales growth, establish product

differentiation, strengthen supplier relations, and expand product mix.

Anticipate 14% increase in sales and 20% net income growth.

. Drove 4% sales increase in 30 days of launch for core category product

line via "Beyond the Product" strategy aimed at differentiation via

client-specific assessments. Forecasted growth of 20% over next 12

months.

. Minimized margin erosion, reducing price change management cycle time 50%

via e-tool enhancements.

. Continuously boost gross profit margin by average order size; created

customer segmentation, reducing order frequency, generating cross selling

through customer portfolio analysis and offer generation.

. Direct NAC Quality Black Belt program to reduce process inefficiency and

establish procedural controls. Realized $50K+ in cost savings, 2010. On

track for $200K+ cost savings upon completion of projects, 2011.

. Refined and launched new Web site in 90 days (prior stagnant 3-year

project). Managed QA testing and added consumer retail functionality.

Currently leading transition of 7-year-old e-Commerce store (B2B retail),

integrating marketing hooks to increase sales, traffic, and offers,

leveraging VOC, voice of business and voice of market.

MOTOROLA, INC., Libertyville, IL ( 1996-2010

Delivers leading-edge technology solutions worldwide for consumers.

Rapidly promoted ten times based on stellar contributions across all 4

Business Units. Consistently ranked among the top 20%. Earned 10 Employee

Recognition Awards and a Business Division Leadership Award.

Director, Chief of Staff & Category Management (2007-2010)

Promoted to highly visible position to assist in running entire Companion

Products Business (CPB). Served as the Corporate Vice President's confidant

and voice. Vigilantly managed Handset Integration Team, leading

collaborative efforts across global sector to define and implement out-of-

box consumer experience. Managed memory card and personalization

categories. Executive Voting Member for Companion Products.

Kelly Pizzirusso 847-***-**** ( Page 2

. Managed Droid accessories launch, selling 50K desk top chargers (DTCs) in

7 days-the highest attach rate for DTCs in company history. Secured

funding and facilitated cross-functional collaboration.

. Led product category management of $120M for memory card and handset

personalization, attaining profitability targets by establishing

licensing strategy that capitalized on sales trends and market

opportunities.

. Created Accessory Ecosystem strategy and process for $140M+ worth of in-

box accessories targeted toward a holistic consumer experience. Overcame

organizational resistance while leading team of product managers,

marketing, and sales.

. Structured and steered quarterly business reviews, facilitating quality

interaction among leadership teams to review historical business and

actionable plans to achieve future goals and 9-12 month strategic

planning.

. Created governance structure that instilled management accountability and

ensured best-in-class processes.

Senior Manager-Global Retail Portfolio Strategy & Marketing (2006-2007)

Recruited to start-up unit to bring development expertise for go-to market

initiatives. Led cross-functional marketing and product group in driving

meaningful business cases to grow retail channel 25%. Facilitated strategic

collaboration between North America and Europe. Ensured consistent

communication via baseline tools for portfolio planning.

. Defined strategic portfolio roadmaps that delivered $5M+ worth of

agreements in global sales.

. Developed repeatable offers for retail engagement that resulted in $500K+

of retail sales.

. Created 9-12 month strategic roadmaps and plan of action for key retail

accounts in North America.

Executive Communications & Internal Marketing Manager (2005-2006)

Challenged to create and manage communications structure and internal

marketing post merger of 3G and GSM business units for 3,000+ employees.

Developed common tools and delivered consistent messaging, promoting

information transparency and improving overall communication effectiveness.

Reported to the Senior Vice President.

. Created communication plan for SVP and leadership team, including town

halls, employee chat sessions, weekly newsletters, web chats, and

intranet site targeted at fostering improved relations, increased

employee engagement, and alignment of global understanding of 3GSM

strategy and goals.

. Developed and implemented first-ever Mobile Devices communication audit

that established baseline measurement for communication effectiveness,

resulting in 200% increase in communications channel growth.

Marketing & Front-End Manager (2003-2005)

Recruited to develop marketing team to strengthen external/internal global

portfolio marketing and establish front-end planning process to support

tactical/strategic product tiering for Motorola's 3G cellular technology

($300M+).

. Led VOC and market segmentation initiatives that reduced handset product

overlap 30% in part by identifying consumer requirements for feature,

product, and roadmap development.

. Ramped up industry awareness of Motorola 3G technology, leading all 3G

portfolio tradeshows and events, educating consumers, media, and industry

partners via product demonstrations, sell-in/sell through presentations.

Product Marketing Manager (2002-2003)

Promoted to spearhead all aspects of product marketing of Motorola's first

3G mobile handset. Defined and managed product feature set, anticipating

consumer needs while maximizing Motorola's strengths in software and

industry. Developed packaging strategy that effectively represented both

Motorola and Motorola Operator.

. Led strategic marketing contract negotiations with Siemens, Inc.,

resulting in first 3G ODM agreement.

. Elevated global understanding of 3G products and placement through

platform positioning, value proposition, go-to-market strategy, and

overall consistent brand messaging resulting in sell through of 250K

handsets and creation of Motorola's first 3G market consumers.

Prior positions at Motorola:

Customer Marketing Manager (2001-2002) Product Marketing Planner (2000-

2001)

Product Planner-Worldwide Brand Management Team (1998-2000)

Inside Sales Representative (1996-1998) Customer Service Representative

(1996)

Education

M.S., Managerial Communication, Executive Program, Northwestern

University, Evanston, IL

M.B.A., Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, Chicago, IL

B.A., Public Relations, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

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