Sales Manager

BETH MURDOCH

*** ******** ***** ********, ** ****9 330-***-****

abvcat@r.postjobfree.com

PRODUCT MARKETING / GENERAL MANAGEMENT / P&L ACCOUNTABLE

A Marketing Executive with P&L/general management, strategic planning, category management, and product lifecycle management experience who delivers increased profits, market share, EBIT, customer loyalty, and revenue performance.

- Thrives in high volume, complex, matrixed work environments requiring strong communication and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to persuade and influence others.

- Assumes broad fiscal P&L responsibilities with annual gross sales of $700+ million.

- A solid business leader known for influencing decision-makers, managing teams, developing staff, and inspiring collaboration to achieve results.

CAREER HISTORY

American Greetings, Cleveland, OH (2000 to 2013)

Fortune 1000 manufacturer and retailer of innovative social expression products with revenue of $1.7B and 17,000 employees.

Business Solution Architect - Internal consulting (2012 to 2013)

- Implemented processes and designs to integrate software solutions into business needs, resulting in the adoption of JDA tools integrated into the corporate SAP environment.

- Developed change management plans to promote efficiencies in business solutions aimed at preparing the Merchant teams for the implementation of new tools and processes.

Director, Value Segment (2010 to 2012)

- Directed P&L responsibility for all brands sold into dollar and discount channels in US and Canada. Aligned closely with sales to aggressively pursue new business.

- Reduced go-to-market costs 16% through the development of a unique dollar channel business model and brand positioning strategy.

- Grew POS comp sales 4% in Dollar General and 7.5% in Dollar Tree through improved mix, visual merchandising, and pricing strategies.

Director, GMM Walmart (2008 to 2010)

- Directed P&L responsibility for product lines sold exclusively in Walmart with gross sales totaling $224 million.

- Increased EBIT on sluggish sales from $1.4 million to $3.8 million, through improved distribution and reduced return rates.

- Developed strategic, collaborative partnership with the Walmart Buyer and Senior Category Director for aligning business strategies, leading to the development of marketing strategies aimed at delivering market share growth for Walmart.

Director, Birthday and Everyday Cards (2007 to 2008)

- Managed a departmental budget of $5.5 million while managing the product life cycle to deliver volume and profit growth within a mature market segment.

- Influenced senior management and decision makers for key accounts (including Walmart, Target, CVS, and Wegmans) to adopt my proposals by using excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.

- Improved retention rates in a key department from 41% to 75% and developed key talent that resulted in the promotion of more than 12 employees by improving communication, empowering individuals, and implementing recognition programs.

Director, Funny Cards (2006 to 2007)

- Leveraged consumer insights about what women find funny and aggressively pursued new content partners to address gaps in the lines, positioning American Greetings as the industry leader in woman-to-woman humor.

- Received the 2007 Chairman's Award in “Product Innovation” category for product development and launch of "The Ellen Collection" greeting card line created in partnership with Ellen DeGeneres.

Product Manager (2004 to 2006)

- Developed a price tailoring strategy that drove revenue with minimal loss of pieces.

- Increased kids birthday sales 2.6% through development of a new go-to-market strategy.

- 2006 Chairman's Award finalist in category of "Innovation - Process Improvement" for "Speed to Retail" project team.

Associate Product Manager (2002 to 2004)

- Improved productivity by 3.2% through introduction of innovative product concepts and an improved product and merchandising mix.

- Grew sales from $161.5 million to $166.1 million annually via product/mix improvements and pricing increases.

Assistant Product Manager (2000 to 2002)

- Evaluated assets related to the acquisition of the Gibson brand of everyday cards and made recommendations relating to pricing and product opportunities.

- Saved over $1 million while maintaining productivity by rationalizing SKUs via de-marketing poor performing items and adjusting product mix to enable direct SKU sharing across brands.

Weatherchem Corporation, Twinsburg, OH (1997 to 2000)

A fully owned subsidiary of Weatherhead Industries Inc., a privately owned, ISO 9001 certified manufacturer and marketer of plastic dispensing closures and controlled access packaging.

Marketing Manager (1999 to 2000)

- Produced quarterly sales forecasts and tracked performance against the business plan.

- Served as the primary contact for corporate communications and created the corporate web page.

- Crafted/analyzed the results of a customer satisfaction survey and made recommendations that increased overall satisfaction 15% year over year.

Marketing Assistant (1997 to 1999)

- Assisted Product Managers by conducting store surveys, qualifying leads, and analyzing sales data. Performed variety of market research functions in competitive analysis and regulatory requirements.

EDUCATION

Graduate

Weatherhead School of Management

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

MBA Marketing and Information Systems

Undergraduate

The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

B.S. Business Administration

INTERESTS

Outdoor Enthusiast Foodie and Oenophile Travel Cooking

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