Customer Service Manager

DENNIS M. HILLERUD

** ******** *****, *********, ** 07043

Cell: 973-***-**** Home: 973-***-****

Email: **************@***.***

PROFILE

International Operations Manager with extensive global production, sourcing, import and shipping

expertise. Self-starter with success at managing production in 60+ factories and creating procedures and

systems to improve production, order control and customer service. Accomplished at project

management from concept through completion. Skilled at researching, analyzing and reporting decision-

making data. Excellent multitasker, communicator, coach and staff developer with proven ability to

transfer job knowledge and skills to all levels.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

FOOTSTAR CORPORATION, MAHWAH, N.J. 1986 – 2008

Footstar Global Sourcing Operations Manager, 1999 - 2008

Managed external production and shipping of 50+ million units of footwear and apparel annually.

Problem solved to maximize on-time production and deliveries. Supervised initial and ongoing

evaluations of suppliers. Researched and analyzed data for special projects and utilized analytical

expertise to become the primary resource for ad-hoc reporting within the company.

• Improved customer service and tightened business controls of a wholesale packaging and footwear

business ($5+ million in annual sales) by creating and implementing procedures and systems tailored

to each customer’s individual requirements.

• Created a monthly, comprehensive factory report that enabled upper management to make better

decisions when reviewing factory programs and future factory business.

• Identified high theft items and worked with product developers and factories to determine optimum

internal security sensor placements and to implement the program which reduced store theft up to

50% for those items.

• Reduced labor by 75% and improved efficiency by developing a simplified billing system for

Footstar’s testing lab and price ticket center that ensured all completed testing and production were

promptly and easily invoiced and tracked until customer payments were received.

Meldisco Far East Purchasing Operations Manager, 1993 - 1998

Managed purchase orders, external production and shipping of footwear annually and resolved problems

to maximize on-time production and deliveries. Supervised initial and ongoing evaluations of suppliers.

• Cut annual, non-compliance charge backs from over $250K to less than $10K by training 60 factories

to ensure that new vendor compliance requirements were fully understood and followed.

• Improved sample turn-around and order tracking by working with consultants to create an internal

tracking system. Thoroughly tested and debugged new system and trained 20 staff to use the

finished system.

• Reduced product costs by $3 million annually by analyzing factory production levels to identify

potential opportunities for special container loading. Implemented loading program by traveling to

China to train 8 high volume factories and supervise initial loadings.

• Evaluated email systems to determine and recommend best choice and traveled overseas to train three

offices on best use of that system and additional software for increased day-to-day productivity.

DENNIS M. HILLERUD

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (continued)

International Logistics Operations Manager, 1986 - 1993

Tracked 6000+ containers of footwear annually and resolved problems with shipping companies,

steamship lines, air freight forwarders, customhouse brokers and distribution centers. Monitored

shipping tariffs and audited freight bills to ensure cost accuracy.

• Resolved problems during the initial year of a new consolidator’s service by playing a major role in

the transition team created to set up, test, problem-solve and implement the communication flow,

electronic interfaces, systems and reports.

• Monitored start-up service of new consolidator in China. Successfully supervised initial loading of

freight and ensured company’s loading and shipping standards were fully understood and

implemented.

COMPUTER SKILLS

Microsoft Office (Access, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook); Seagate Crystal Reports

EDUCATION

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION, New York, NY

Certificate of International Management

MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY, Millersville, PA

B.A., German Studies

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