Sales Manager

THOM BELFORD

**** **** *** ******, ********** ***68

Cell: 714-***-**** ****.*******@*****.***

W HAT (AN INTRODUCTION LETTER OF SORTS)

YOU NEED TO KNOW A BOUT ME AS A PERSO N

The following professional information may be what most recruiters want to read. While all of this is accurate, I would be remiss if a

few things were not noted in a more informal fashion.

First and foremost, I am a very hard worker and am usually the last to leave the office every evening. Why you may ask? Simply

put, the roles I have held have required strict adherence to timelines and project completion. If all elements for a trade show are not

in place, disaster happens. If a product launch is late, investors become edgy. If the product does not meet customer needs, it will

fail. Thus effort above and beyond is required to properly get the job done. Literally, in every role I have played, the better I perform,

the better the company and my co-workers look.

I also hold to some tenets that are time tested and go beyond SCRUM, AGILE, and whatever the product development,

management/marketing trend of the day is.

I work by the acronym of S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Based). If a process such as Agile or Scrum

adheres to this then it is used, otherwise innovation creates remarkable, and competitively unexpected results.

I practice similar simple and time proven tactics for Product Marketing, Management, and Development. There are only two rules: 1)

Design and Develop the best product at the right time and price. 2) Merchandise that product like there is no tomorrow. Oh yes,

there is another rule in my theory of marketing; product lifecycles are circular, not linear. Today’s product can always be improved

upon and lifecycle planning should include multiple generations in planning.

I always adhere to the corporate vision. (All companies should have one). Every action I take must both adhere to that vision and

provide profit while fulfilling the vision statement.

Profit, above all else is the requirement for achievement. Innovation, Flexibility and Rapid Adaptation are rules to live by in my

corporate vision. Profit cannot be achieved without this somewhat Darwinian concept. Corporations and companies that don’t

realize this die off like the dinosaur.

So this is Thom Belford in a nutshell. I’ve never failed at any challenge from Web based commerce, to designing products (even if

told I could not), and fulfilling customer needs. My CV follows.

P ROFILE

Resourceful and inventive Product Marketing/Management Professional with extensive experience creating and

managing brands. Possess a strong background in product development, marketing, product portfolio management,

and sales management. Proven ability in team development and strategic planning. Provide innovative leadership and

vision to maximize profit, sales growth, and corporate expansion.

C AREER A CHIEVEMENT S UMMARY

Twenty years of experience translating customer needs into revenue generating products and services utilizing

consultative processes.

Experienced developmental project manager and product manager. Products range a gamut from hardware

devices to software and imbedded processing components.

Have conducted intensive market studies geared to generate profits from Niche markets and regional or

corporation purchasing cycles.

Initiated relationships and negotiated contracts with domestic and international vendors and CMs.

Extensive experience crafting, managing, and implementing product collateral, PR and launch programs.

Facilitated continuous customer panels focused on “Voice of the Customer” concepts.

Product and Marketing Manager of line portfolios with up to 300 individual SKUs.

Active consultant to customers in system designs and product implementation.

Established budgets, pricing, profit, and discount guidelines for key products and business units.

Developed cost effective, results-oriented product sales training programs for groups of 10 - 300.

Improved bottom line profits by prudent portfolio management and established monthly manufacturing cycles

geared to provide 100% inventory turn on a monthly basis.

Devised and implemented product cyclic evolution programs (Often refereed to as Life Cycles).

Established realistic achievement incentives for regional staffs and direct reports.

Recruited, developed, and managed teams of business development specialists.

Produced, funded, and managed over 100 multiple venue Product Launch “Road Shows.”

Thom Belford Page - 1

P ROFESSIONAL E XPERIENCE

2 009 - P resent

C ONTRACT CONSULTANT, Dublin. California

Consultant

Beginning in 2009 I have performed a variety of tasks on a contract basis, under Non-disclosure agreement for

companies with diverse markets and core technical capabilities. Clients include, but are not limited to the following:

Industrial and Consumer Electronics manufacturers and subsidiary companies.

•

Consulting for major integration and design projects utilizing clients products

o

Design of Pin Hole Robotic (PTZ) Camera System with IP Streaming, RS-232 and Ethernet control.

o

PRD Product Requirement Documents for diverse Portfolios including Robotic Systems, Precision

o

LCD Video Monitors, Audio Monitors supporting Dolby and Metadata, IP streaming products,

Broadcast and industrial Video Cameras.

Interfaces to control systems designed by other manufacturers

o

Video Scaling systems

o

Sourcing for off-shore contract manufacturers

o

Sourcing for outside design firms

o

Project management for sourced product line start-ups

o

Extensive Market research.

o

Competitive analysis for product lines

o

Business development and Marketing campaign planning

o

User Guides for new products

o

Trade Show presentations

o

Industrial Fire and Combustible Gas Detection and Safety companies

•

o Consulting to design firms on detection and prevention systems for Oil/Gas and Chemical Industries

o PRD for Combustible gas sensors using electromechanical, Ionization, and infrared spectrum

detection systems.

o PRD for interface for HART control and monitoring standardized systems

o Factory Mutual (FM) product certification programs

o User Guides for above

o PRD for PLC (Programmable Logic Control Systems)

Life Science Manufacturers

•

o GUI designs for Critical Care patient monitoring systems utilizing Hemodynamic Technologies

o GUI simulators

o Customer focus panels for above GUI projects

Television Broadcast Manufacturers

•

o PRD for LCD Driver PCB with advanced monitoring functions for color correction applications

including reference frame library, LUT storage and control of color temperature, Automatic LCD

Monitor Calibration systems using colorimeter and spectroradiometer Probes

o PRD for Driver PCB of LCD products with advanced RGBY backlight systems and image projection

technologies. (3D, Super Sampling, Gamma and color spectrum)

Thom Belford Page - 2

2 006 - 2 009

W OHLER TECHNOLOGIES I NC., Hayward, California

Director of Marketing / Director of Product Management and Development

Director of the marketing department consisting of product managers, technical writers, graphic artists, web

design, and IT specialists plus marcom, and trade show managers.

Achieved an average 20% revenue growth by creating innovative domestic and international marketing programs

using skills in business development, product development, and product portfolio management.

Led the design engineering team in a repackage of low selling products that innovatively leveraged customer

applications and legislated requirements. Efforts resulted in large customer orders and improved profits by 50%.

Conceived and developed many products in the current portfolio incorporating technologies for Dolby® surround

and metadata monitoring.

Represented the corporation in industry-related magazine and multimedia interviews.

Designed “mobile showrooms” that presented hundred item SKU product portfolios to end-users. Used mobile

showrooms for exhibitions in lieu of booth structures, saving hundreds of thousand dollars.

Utilized Sales Force CRM

2 003 - 2 006

M ARSHALL ELECTRONICS I NC., El Segundo, California

D irector of Marketing

Directed marketing efforts for consumer, B to B, and vertical market business units.

Maintained growth of 27% annually with effective advertising and business development programs.

Expanded customer base into European and Asian markets.

Created effective advertising within the confines of low budgets.

Led website development and added E-Commerce component.

Expanded and diversified the product portfolio.

Converted product lines from discrete designs to platforms with multiple variations.

Designed all trade show exhibits including structures and graphics.

Personally generated all marcom and user guide documentation.

Authored articles published in trade periodicals.

1991 - 2002

S ONY ELECTRONICS, Park Ridge, NJ

S enior Product Manager for Production Systems Products and Business Unit

Manager of television and film production products that were intended for the global changes to digital and HD

television signals 18 years ahead of implementation.

Organized multiple product launch programs with an average budget of $7,000,000.00.

Managed and or Participated in Systems Integration projects for Industrial, Production, Post Production, Broadcast

and Satellite customers. (NBC, MSG, Direct TV)

Devised, funded, and managed several multiple venue “Road Shows” bringing products to the customer in realistic

demonstrations. Shows centered on new product launches and often had operational training elements for end

user, eliminating all operator fear of new tools and diminishing any competitive elements.

Led multi-national teams of business development managers and specialists.

Doubled global sales annually over 12 year’s period of time.

Generated yearly sales and expense budgets for seven sales companies.

Established cost of sale, pricing, profit, and discount guidelines that exceeded target requirements.

Generated effective product sales training programs for direct and international distribution sales teams.

Devised and implemented product cyclic evolution programs in place of traditional life cycle management.

Managed industry specific and consumer product lines.

Thom Belford Page - 3

1976 – 1982 / 1984 - 1991

P ALTEX, Irvine, Ca

D irector of Sales, Marketing and Product Development

Started as a field service engineer growing in position as the company grew

Developed the first micro-processor time code based video editing systems, video switchers, audio mixers.

Developed advanced servo and robotic control modifications for video and audio tape machines

Managed 12 person direct sales and field service staff.

Incorporated relationship with JVC for distribution of products.

1982-1984

C INETEL PRODUCTIONS / H GTV, Knoxville, Tn.

M anager of Production and Post Production Services

Designed and constructed state of the art studio and post production facilities.

Produced and directed award winning documentary, episodic programs.

Produced Television and Radio Commercials.

1974-1976

T RW, Redondo Beach, CA

T est and Instrumentation Engineer

Designed and operated test beds for rocket propulsion, high-energy laser, and weapons systems.

E DUCATION

San Francisco Institute of Architecture (AA) Architecture Design (Drafting, Cad, Energy Audit, Ecological Systems)

San Francisco Institute of Architecture (In process BS Architecture Grad June 2012)

Saddleback College – Radio/Television/Film Production (AS)

NROTC

C OMPUTER A PPLICATIONS

Microsoft/MAC-Power Point, Excel, Word, Visio, Project, Keynote, Pages, Omniplan, Omnigraffle, Outlook

Design – Vectorworks, AutoCad, Renderworks, SketchUp

CRM – Saleforce, SAP-360, ACT

Cloud Storage and Sync Systems – GoogleDrive, ICloud, Bitorrent Sync, Vectorworks Resolve, AutoDesk 360 Cloud

C ERTIFICATIONS

Electronic Technology – Saddleback College

Sales Management – AMA

Program Management – AMA

Project Management – AMA

Product Management – AMA

Negotiating Skills – AMA

Architectural Design Documentation –San Francisco Institute of Architecture

P ROFESSIONAL O RGANIZATION M EMBERSHIPS

United States Green Building Council (USGBC)

American Institute of Architecture (AIA)

Society of Television and Film Engineers (SMPTE)

Product Management and Development Association (PDMA)

Society for Information Display (SID)

Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE)

Silicon Valley Product Management Association (SVPMA)

Thom Belford Page - 4

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