Walter Anthony (“Tony”) Abourezk

San Pedro Macoris, Dominican Republic n 809-***-**** n ac1ayi@r.postjobfree.com

Fresh Food Operations Regional/District Manager

Results-proven, internationally experienced regional/district manager of fresh food operations, merchandising, purchasing, replenishing, and quality control, whose 21-year career with Wal-Mart and PriceSmart has been distinguished by excellent performance and fast-track advancement. Effective builder and manager of high-performance teams and divisions, with strong success propelling sales and margin growth by focusing on exemplary service, industry best practices, and bottom-line results. Adept negotiator, communicator, and decision maker who is effective in both startup and turnaround initiatives.

Key Skills

Multi-Site Operations

P&L Management

Capital & Operating Budgets

Purchasing & Procurement

Shrink Reduction/Loss Control

Product Sourcing/Selection

Merchandising Strategies

Quality/Safety/Sanitation

Vendor Negotiations

Inventory Tracking/Reporting

Teambuilding & Supervision

Training/Staff Development

Professional Experience

PRICESMART Caribbean

2008 to Present

U.S.-style membership warehouse club with 39 locations in Central America and the Caribbean.

Regional Fresh Foods Manager, 4/08 to Present

Recruited to direct all aspects of $111M regional fresh foods program (e.g., purchasing, quality, packaging, merchandising/presentation, shipping/logistics, inventory management, daily operations) for 11 “big-box” warehouse clubs spanning six Caribbean countries (Dominican Republic, Aruba, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, St. Thomas). Support operations and buying teams at each club and country, driving continuous improvement, providing solutions to assorted issues, and leading ongoing training on safe food handling programs and procedures. Accountable for meeting all sales, gross profit, and margin goals. Key Results:

Elevated regional fresh food sales to $111M (double-digit increase) with a gross margin of $17M through continuous improvement initiatives (detailed below).

Developed and implemented safe food handling and corporate sanitation programs that significantly improved product quality/shelf life and workplace safety/cleanliness by educating employees on best-practices and industry standards (e.g., National Restaurant Association, Food Marketing Institute).

Wrote meat/fresh food manuals with clear, country-specific, and step-by-step procedures for all product lines carried. Commended for efforts that enhanced eye appeal and product presentation for correlating sales gains. Develop many efficiencies for operations from carcass to case ready meat programs.

Worked closely with each country’s buyers and suppliers to increase the quality, delivery frequency, and inventory turns of fresh foods while simultaneously lowering costs and minimizing waste.

Assisted in developing employee website for fresh food departments that has proven to be an effective communication and educational tool used as a key resource region-wide.

Consistently earned top marks on performance reviews, with repeated praise for developing programs, policies, and training that have improved operating and buying efficiencies.

WAL-MART STORES, INC. (NYSE: WMT) Puerto Rico, U.S., and Germany

1996 to 2008

Progressed through a series of promotions during 12-year tenure with this leading retail/grocery chain ranked #1 on the Fortune 500. Assigned to locations in Puerto Rico, Germany, and throughout the U.S.

District Manager: Food Operations & Quality Control (Wal-Mart Puerto Rico), 9/03 to 3/08

Promoted to oversee Fresh Food departments (Meat, Seafood, Service Deli, Self-Service Deli, Produce, Floral, Bakery, and Commercial Bread) of 37 stores (31 acquired Amigos supermarkets and six Wal-Mart supercenters). Directed Fresh Food quality control and all aspects of daily operations, ensuring assigned stores were in line with company guidelines (e.g., sales, margins, expense control, identified and “hidden” shrink, safety, and sanitation). Supervised seven district food merchandisers and four quality control inspectors. Responsible for P&L results for all stores (total of $235M in annual revenues) and capital budgets ($950K total). Key Results:

Consistently exceeded gross margin and comp sales targets for four consecutive years. Improved inventory tracking and in-stock metrics, launched new fresh food items that generated record sales growth, and implemented “legendary customer service” program throughout district.

Innovated expedited produce-receiving program that hastened all DSD produce to the sales floor without any receiving delays. Prevented breaks in the cold-chain process and resolved out-of-stock and quality issues.

Chosen as key member of management leading the post-acquisition assimilation of 31 Amigo supermarkets.

Walter “Tony” Abourezk

Phone: 809-***-**** n Page Two

Professional Experience (continued)

WAL-MART STORES, INC. (continued)

Developed locally grown and special demo programs that boosted overall sales.

Selected by senior management to travel to Mexico and Canada to conduct inventory tracking seminars.

Launched hourly associate expense-reduction programs that lowered fresh inventory costs by 25% monthly.

Introduced production tools that elevated in-stock and minimized shrink to benchmark new district “bests” without compromising daily inventory variety or quality.

Created and implemented employee mentoring program to foster the professional development and advancement of associates.

District Food Merchandiser (Wal-Mart Supercenter: Big Rapids, MI), 12/02 to 9/03

Managed food merchandising program and daily activities for seven supercenters in the district. Participated in performance evaluations of all Fresh Food assistant managers (21 meat, produce, and bakery managers) and implemented store layouts and modulars exceeding corporate expectations. Key Results:

Assisted with the rollout of case-ready meat program in the U.S., which was subsequently implemented across all U.S. Wal-Mart supercenters and piloted under personal leadership in Puerto Rico.

Instituted inventory tracking report that served as a daily P&L document and was upheld as the model standard companywide.

Led the turnaround of several struggling Fresh Food divisions, resolving numerous issues (e.g., staffing, merchandising, management integrity). Transformed bottom-ranked stores to exceed gross margin goals.

Developed and launched a locally grown produce program district-wide. Cultivated partnerships with area farmers, created sales-driving displays and special events, and generated record-high produce revenues.

Senior Buyer: Meat & Seafood (Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc.), 9/00 to 12/02

Managed $9M+ purchasing budget, directed all meat and seafood procurement for one supercenter and nine Wal-Mart stores in Puerto Rico, negotiated contracts/pricing, and developed relationships with vendors/suppliers. Supervised two merchandise assistants and indirectly supervised 17 associates. Key Results:

Opened the first supercenter in Puerto Rico with a special frozen bulk seafood program. Within first year, catapulted total seafood sales to #1 worldwide throughout all Wal-Mart stores during Lent and maintained consistent Top 5 rankings worldwide every year thereafter.

Instrumentally involved in the launch of the first supercenter in Wal-Mart history to carry USDA choice beef.

Built meat and seafood purchasing program from the ground up for Wal-Mart’s grand opening in Puerto Rico, and successfully rolled out perishable meat items to Wal-Mart general merchandise stores.

Product Food Manager (Wal-Mart Supercenter Germany/North Region), 9/99 to 9/00

Supervised seven food merchandisers covering 30 stores in northern Germany. Led training on company procedures, performed inventory tracking, and handled month-end reports and P&L reviews. Key Results:

Co-led major remodels of six stores, introduced hot deli concept that was new to the German supermarket industry, and rolled out inventory tracking program with associate training in 30 stores.

Led Fresh Food divisions of 30-store region to consistently meet or exceed gross-margin targets during a period when other divisions within the region were underperforming.

Previous Wal-Mart Positions: Served as Assistant Manager and Fresh Food Merchandiser of Wal-Mart Supercenters in KY and PA (1996 to 1999). Hand-selected to assist with numerous new store setups nationwide.

Early Career: Excelled in early fresh foods career (1986 to 1996), holding various positions including Meat Cutter and Assistant Meat Manager for employers such as Winn Dixie (Orlando, FL) and Food Lion (Chattanooga, TN).

Credentials, Training & Technology

Certifications: National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (Certified Food Safety Manager, 2016) Certified Food Safety Manager (SAFEMARK), 2010; Registered ServSafe International Exam Instructor and Proctor, 2014

Additional Professional Development: Graduated from intensive Walton Food Institute and Walton Institute. Also completed numerous trainings covering meat, produce, and fresh food throughout course of career.

Computers: Assorted inventory and POS systems (e.g., SMART, Retail Link, Document Direct); MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

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