Sales Manager

Mark Waks

** ***** *** **** ** Caza, California *2679

714-***-**** (cell) email: abltb5@r.postjobfree.com

Hands-on, results driven Industrial Sales Professional with a broad

business background and competencies in marketing, operations & finance.

Twenty years of accomplishments with positions of increasing sales

responsibility including Account Manager, District Sales Manager, Business

Unit Manager, Regional Sales Manger and General Manager with large global

organizations. Recognized for leading high performance sales teams, driving

sales growth, margin improvement and cost reduction. Exceptional

communicator adept at identifying needs/opportunities, positioning products

for deep penetration & profitability, eliminating barriers to success,

forging strong relationships, negotiating favorable outcomes and resolving

issues. Key skills & qualifications include:

Revitalizing Stagnant or Declining Strategic Marketing & Program

Sales Teams Development

Leading Direct & Indirect Regional Creating High Impact Training Programs

Sales Teams

Penetration & Development of National Successful Contract Negotiations

Accounts

Optimizing Distribution & Channel P & L Responsibility & Financial

Management Reporting

Professional Experience

Airgas, Inc. Radnor, PA, Regional Sales Manager

2009-Current

Responsible for redirecting an underperforming industrial sales team of 8

direct reports with revenue of $36 million. Identified chronic problems

with on time delivery performance (apply rates of < 70%) which was driving

declining sales & customer attrition. Presented findings/recommendations to

senior management & implemented corrective actions with support of

operations team that improved apply rates to 90% in 120 days. Realigned

sales territories for improved coverage, identified target accounts,

developed new marketing materials, implemented a selective price increase,

set growth objectives & introduced a new compensation plan to redirect the

behavior of the team by rewarding for long term sales growth and margin

improvement.

Star Financial Services, City of Industry, CA President

2005-2009

Assumed responsibility for the turnaround of a finance company owned by my

disabled Father in Law. Repositioned sales & marketing efforts, increased

credit facility from $12 to $20 million, expanded revenue and achieved my

goal of an exit strategy through the sale of the business.

Saint-Gobain, Paris France

1992-2005

In 13 years with Saint-Gobain was promoted to positions of increasing

responsibility from Account Manager, District Sales Manager, Business Unit

Manager, Regional Sales Manager & General Manager with this $50 billion

industrial producer of high performance engineered materials and MRO

products.

Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Fullerton, CA, General Manager, Construction

Products, N.A. 2001-2005

Promoted to troubled $50 million division, with 12 direct reports,

producing diamond tools & equipment for industrial, construction, rental &

DIY markets.

. Given mandate by Group President to "turn the business around or shut it

down in 18 months".

. Directed sales efforts with Home Depot which increased sales $3 million

in 1st year of agreement.

. Led effort to become a preferred supplier to United Rentals resulting in

$2.7 million sales gain through a rebate program tied to vendor

consolidation & sales growth, product training and a branch merchandizing

program.

. Managed the introduction, promotion and training for a new high

performance product that generated $3 million of sales at 70% margins in

its first year in the market with only 6 SKU's.

. Reduced SG&A cost by $1.2 million through the restructuring of the sales

teams, re-deploying resources in realigned territories, eliminating

redundant and ineffective sales coverage.

. Responsible for redirecting our supply chain for key raw materials,

finished commodity products and the assembly of equipment from

U.S./Europe to Korea/China which reduced our product cost by up to 60% &

enabled us to reposition our product portfolio to compete effectively in

North America.

. Reduced inventory investment from $10.8 to $6 million through improved

planning tools, product rationalization and the deployment of semi-

finished inventory to support four brands under the division.

. Improved on-time delivery performance of stock products from 88% to 98%,

which was critical to meeting the service requirements of the DIY and

Industrial channels.

. Improved operating profit by $6.4 million generating an ROI of 26%,

versus a 2004 budget of 9%.

Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Regional Sales Manager

1998-2001

Responsible for leading two Industrial sales teams comprised of 9 direct

reports and 12 Rep agencies with $43 million in sales in the 14 Western

States.

. Increased regional sales from $34 to $43 million by restructuring the

sales teams of the Norton & Carborundum brands. Recruited and trained 8

new Rep Agencies to implement/support revised marketing strategies

intended to minimize brand conflicts & redundancy while stimulating the

sales of both brands.

. Created highly acclaimed training programs used to successfully train 350

distributor sales reps from Grainger, Fastenal, MSC, Fergusson and Airgas

and many other regional/local distributors. The training was designed to

provide a direct, hands-on comparison of the performance of competing

products in order to instill increased product knowledge and confidence

in our distribution partners while increasing our exposure to their sales

teams.

. Increased sales $3.6 million by appointing 60 additional distributors to

support channel development in metal fabrication, aerospace, marine,

composites, and tool reconditioning markets.

. Generated incremental sales of $2.9 million annually through conversion

rebate programs rewarding existing distributors for consolidating their

purchases of competing product lines.

Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Ontario, CA Business Unit Manager Western Region-

Carborundum Brand 1996-1998

Promoted to $22 million business unit with responsibility for sales,

distribution, inventory, manufacturing and P&L. Responsible for 6 direct

reports and 8 Rep agencies.

. Increased regional sales from $18 to $22 by improving our distributor

training program, upgrading the caliber of our sales team and expanding

our distributor base to support sales growth in composites & marine

channels.

. Reduced total selling cost by $460,000 by eliminating overlap/redundancy

in our direct & indirect sales teams.

. Reduced inventory investment by $2.1 million by rationalizing and

automating requirements planning. Improved operating performance by $1.8

million generating a 16% return on investment.

Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Mission Viejo, CA District Sales Manager, Norton

Brand 1995-1996

. Promoted to district sales manager with responsibility for 4 direct

reports while maintaining responsibility for major accounts in original

territory assignment. Increased district sales by 11% in 12 months.

Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Mission Viejo, CA Account Manager, Norton Brand

1992-1995

. Increased territory sales by 50% from new product sales of $1 million to

Callaway Golf and share gains of $500K at Solar Turbines. Received the

"Winners Circle Award" for sales accomplishments in 93, 94 and 1995.

Cherished Beginnings, Inc., Costa Mesa, CA, Founder 1988 - 1991

Started retail store with a $25K personal investment and a $150K SBA loan &

grew business to sales of $1.6 million with gross margins of 50%.

Successfully sold the corporation in 1991.

Allied Signal, El Toro, CA, Regional Sales Manager-Semi-Alloys Div 1984 -

1988

. Increased sales of semiconductor packaging materials from $7 million to

$26 million via rapid growth of Intel's Pentium processor & increased

sales to Motorola, TRW, Rockwell, Hughes Aircraft, Silicon Systems,

Western Digital and Medtronic.

Norton Company, Worcester, MA Account Manager,

1979-1984

. Promoted & relocated to California, after initial assignment in Chicago,

to develop sales in electronic markets targeting the production of

silicon, semiconductors, magnetic media & recording heads. Generated $3

million in sales via penetration of, IBM, Intel, AMD, National

Semiconductor, Shugart, Seagate and Verbatim. Received the "Winners

Circle Award" for sales accomplishments in 81, 82 and 1983.

EDUCATION

B. S. - Marketing, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 1979

Select graduate level coursework at Northwestern & Pepperdine

Universities

Attended Executive Education Programs at the UCLA Anderson

School in Finance & Strategic Management

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