Customer Service Sales

ALEXANDROS KOTSONAROS

TEL: 416-***-**** e-mail: ****.**********@*******.***

OPERATIONS

Innovative thinker with broad-based experience in operations, finance and business development

Proven ability to quickly analyze key business drivers and develop strategies to grow the bottom line

High-integrity, energetic leader known for ability to in vision and create successful outcomes on complex situations. Diverse industry and financial expertise, with tenacious commitment to driving sales, profit and market share growth. Areas of excellence include:

Leading Change

Developing New Business

Managing Budgets and P&L

Redesigning Business Process

Positioning Companies

Leading and developing teams

Negotiating & Closing Deals

Growing Revenue & Profits

Creating winning Business Plan

Raising Capital

Forming Strategic Alliance

Building Shareholder Value

EXECUTIVE HIGHLIHTS

wNew Enterprise Management: career history of success in planning, launching, and steering newly-established business entities in a variety of economic sectors to operational profitability within short timelines.

wFinancial Stewardship: proven talent for sound planning and administration of multimillion dollar capital and operating budgets, with a solid track record in full Profit/Loss ownership and accountability.

wProject Management: considerable skill in the planning and end-to-end execution of large-scale acquisition, renovation, and construction projects, with a strong record of cost reductions and efficiency improvements.

wMergers & Acquisitions: plentiful knowledge of best practices in managing financial and strategic due diligence, assessment, and auditing in support of the acquisition and integration of new business entities.

wStaffing & Talent Development: proven success in the recruitment, training, and development of highly-capable workforces in diverse technical, and customer service environments through extensive coaching and mentorship.

wCustomer Service & Work Culture: Proven leader bring a demonstrated history of championing, direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing, bar-raising customer service improvements, and fostering high-performance workplace cultures.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Operations Manager (2003 – 2017)

OPAP Group of Companies – Argos, Greece

OPAP is Greece’s the leading gaming company and is the largest social contributor in Greece operating under the World Lottery Associations (WLA) one of the most renowned in its industry worldwide. The company, founded in 1958 as the country's national lottery and listed in the Athens Exchange in 2001, is the exclusive licensed operator of all numerical lotteries (7 games), sports betting (4 games) and horse racing. It also operates exclusively, as a controlling shareholder (67%) through a joint venture, the passive lotteries and instant (scratch) games in Greece.

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS

wTapped to take on this state-franchised gaming operation, piloting the launch and development of the enterprise from the ground up and playing a critical role in the company’s strategic success through consistent reinforcement of customer service values, earning and maintaining an annual revenue performance of €1M+ despite a challenging 1:2000 population ratio.

wAdministered an operating budget while driving customer service improvements to support revenue increases from €140K in 2003 to €1.5M in 2012, regularly incorporating new gaming options in response to customer demand.

wImproved customer service through online promotions and advertising, and created tools to keep customers informed on events being wagered on, while offering complimentary beverages and lottery draws to bolster customer satisfaction.

wDesigned the internal layout of the environment in conjunction with an interior decorator, in addition to shouldering authority for human resources including staffing, selection and vetting, scheduling, and performance management.

wLed training on customer management and customer service, tracking and measuring performance through customized client surveys, and made strategic adjustments in order to continue to develop and retain the customer base.

ALEXANDROS KOTSONAROS (Page 2 of 3)

COOPERATE EXECUTIVE (1998 – 2003)

Alma-Atermon Advertising Company – Athens, Greece

Atermon Dynamic Communication Advertising Commercial and Constructing Societe Anonyme provides outdoor advertising services in Greece. The company offers advertising services through various media comprising street furniture, such as standing poles, panel on pole, bus shelters, and towers; road side posters on television, billboards, posters, and monopoles; transport advertising on trams; and at airports on airport baggage carts.

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS

wBrought on board in an executive leadership capacity with this multifaceted group of companies specializing in street-level advertising to play a lead role in overseeing the entire network of operations in street advertising, printing, corporate fixed assets, and a company-owned football team, in addition to orchestrating the company’s acquisition of a new construction firm.

wTook the lead in overcoming delays and managing the timely completion of a construction project in bus-stop advertising, and worked with the construction contractor to improve standards while reducing completion time by 45%.

wAssumed a key leadership role on a project involving company fixed assets, devising and executing improvements to the layout of the firm’s head office, allocating resources, supervising construction, and lowering maintenance costs by 20%.

wAdditionally redesigned and renovated head office electrical systems to reduce energy expenditures by over 35% by using transformers to increase the efficiency of energy use within the facilities.

wPlayed an instrumental role in the acquisition and integration of a company contracted to provide construction for the 2004 Olympic Summer Games, and led merger and acquisition assessment and audits in collaboration with legal teams.

wManaged the execution of the takeover and identified gaps in management staff and resources, and subsequently directed a turnaround restoring the newly-acquired entity to operational profitability.

wReduced maintenance costs for the company’s newly-purchased rental shipping assets by 30%, while staffing to improve operations in ship maintenance and administration and lowering purchasing and maintenance expenses.

MANAGING DIRECTOR (1991-1997)

Technoardeftiki – Argos, Greece

Technoardeftiki’s mission is to be the leader in advice and solutions for irrigation, plastic mulch film, floating row covers, greenhouse & nursery equipment, vineyard & orchard equipment and the effective use of plastic picking basket, harvest containers, and harvest bins.

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS

wEnlisted by this manufacturer of irrigation systems for use in agricultural operations to take on a Managing Director position with oversight of production along with a mandate in restructuring the organization to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

wDrove a dramatic restructuring of the company by implementing new scheduling and strategic direction, while reducing turnover from 4.5% to 1.5% by realigning shift schedules and resource allocation.

wImproved profits by over 65% by converting the enterprise to 24/7 operations with minimized downtime, and spearheaded a massive national hiring effort targeting technical staff to complement the majority-unskilled labour force.

wServed as team leader for development of the “Technostall” drip irrigation system product launch strategy, successfully capturing over 55% of the national market share in agricultural irrigation systems.

GENERAL MANAGER (1989-1991)

Marks & Spencer – Athens & Thessaloniki, Greece

The M&S Company opened its first store in Athens in 1989. It quickly became one of the richest retail history collections in the country. Soon after the successful venture 3 more stores were opened in Athens and Thessaloniki.

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS

wAs General Manager for this high-end retail boutique chain, operated by Marks & Spencer, I developed and launched three Greek locations, and created a business plan yielding a 400% in sales and 200% in margin within eleven months of launch.

wDeveloped and launched three Greek locations, and created a business plan yielding a 15B$ in sales and 55% in gross margin within eleven months of launch.

wInitiated program that standardized employee training and led to increase in customer satisfaction by 12%.

wCreated and implemented a pickup and delivery schedule in the warehouse after a detailed presentations and negotiations with vendors(Coco Cola, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson & Johnson etc.) improving delivery times to stores by 12h, ability to restock daily and reduced overtime by 20%.

wCreated a CS training program for employees, designed the uniforms and created floor layouts.

wDefined strategy and business plan for Marks & Spencer boutiques.

wSurpassed revenue goals in four consecutive quarters reaching the 100M$.

wLaunched three Marks & Spencer stores in the second Year

ALEXANDROS KOTSONAROS (Page 3 of 3)

OPERATIONS MANAGER (1987-1988)

DHL Hellas S.A. – Athens, Greece

DHL takes pride in connecting people and improve their lives by being uncompromisingly customer-centric and delivering excellence day in and day out. Their vision is to be The Logistics Company for the World with a mission that includes excellence.

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS

wTook on an Operations Manager position with this multifaceted organization, shouldering authority for all operations in Greece, while surveying various areas of the country for expansion opportunities, initiating and managing the introduction of an online system to reduce errors and improve customer service capabilities, netting a 23% increase in sales revenue.

wInitiating and managing the introduction of an on-line system to reduce errors and improve customer service capabilities, netting a 23% increase in sales revenue.

wIntroduced WPX, which boosted sales by more than 25%in a subserviced market.

wInitiated program that standardized employee training and online tracking that led to increase in customer satisfaction by 50%.

wDeveloped department's first courier route which motivated staff and resulted in 23% increase in productivity.

wNegotiated and acquired a new H.O.

wIntroduced the first intercity courier service in Greece increasing sales by 40%.

STORE NIGHT MANAGER (1977-1987)

Miracle Food Mart Ltd. – Toronto, ON

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS

wDeveloped department's first incentive performance plan which motivated staff Surpassed revenue goals in four consecutive quarters. Made innovations in Merchandizing, leading to increase in sales and profit margin utilized the information systems to reduce shrink

wDeveloped department's first incentive performance plan which motivated staff Surpassed revenue goals in four consecutive quarters.

wMade innovations in Merchandising, leading to increase in sales and profit margin utilized the information systems to reduce shrink.

wDeveloped department's first incentive performance plan which motivated staff and resulted in 19% increase in production.

wInitiated program that standardized employee training and led to increase in customer satisfaction by 18%.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Marketing Strategy (2015) Cornell University NY-online

High-Performance Leadership (2015) Cornell University NY-online

Store Management and Layout (1989) 3 months at Marks &Spencer London England

Logistics for Corporations (1987) DHL Brussels-Belgium

Effective Communications & Marketing (1986) Cornell University-York University Toronto

Industrial Electronics Technology (1985) - McGraw Hill Toronto

Executive Program (1983) Harvard Business School Boston

Programmer / Systems Analyst (1981) Herzing Institute- Toronto

Studies in Civil Engineering (1975 – 1977) University of Pennsylvania-Philadelphia

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