Sales Manager

Ryu Tono

***** ** **** ** ******** WA *****

**********@*******.*** • 425-***-****

International Business & Marketing Management

Driving business development in Japan/ Asian markets for +10 years

Veteran senior manager with extensive experience positioning IT technology companies and food ingredients companies for success in highly competitive Japanese and Asian market; highly adept at forging valuable alliances with major account partners in Asia, and managing cross-functional groups and multicultural teams, and spearheading all phases of business development, sales, product and marketing research, planning, and execution. Bilingual (fluent Japanese and English)

Highlights of expertise:

•Product Management

•Business Development

•Account Management

•Market Penetration Strategies

•Release / Launch Management

•Program Management

•Requirements Definition

•Product Localization

•Contract Development

Professional Experience

PGP International, INC. Woodland, CA / Issaquah, WA

An ABF Ingredients Company

International Sales Manager, 10/2013 – Present

Foster good relationships through personal service to customers and prospects and develop strategies and action plans to maintain and grow sales to key accounts.

Initiate sales efforts to new and existing customers to insure timely development of new products and applications, sample preparation and follow up to customer’s requests for products to meet the needs of evolving markets.

•Grow the business overall in Japan and Korea

•Develop marketing strategy

•Manage International Sales activities and expenses with the set budget

•Maintain sales and maximize volumes and profitability with existing accounts

•Expand markets and customer base required for increased sales and new product opportunities for PGP products and related services

•Manage accurate sales forecasts on time

Tono Inc, Issaquah, WA

President (Founder), 10 /2011 – 9/2013

Provided strategic and tactical consulting services to startup companies in North America

to deploy business in Japan as well as companies in Asia to expand business in North America.

BlackBerry (Former Research In Motion) Limited, Bellevue, WA

Director, Product Marketing - Japan/Korea, 7/2006 – 8/2011

Championed successful launch of new BlackBerry products and services into lucrative Asian market segments; identified technical requirements unique to local operators (e.g. NTT DoCoMo, SK Telecom) and accounts, and worked with cross-functional R&D / engineering team and local vendors to localize global specifications and features. Collaborated with regional Managing Directors and teams from Manufacturing, Logistics, Purchasing, and Marketing to develop channel strategy, price, and schedule.

Key Achievements:

•Developed product roadmap and strategy, and executed launch plan for first BlackBerry product and service in both Japan and Korea, paving way for market introduction of five new devices since initial launch.

•Facilitated successful regional launches by driving improvements in Japan and Korea documentation, logistics, user interface (UI), and related localization processes.

•Built, organized, and led regional product team to streamline communication with HQ-based groups.

•Helped drive business development by coordinating executive meetings at HQ or trade shows with major account holders; partnered with business and legal teams to prepare contracts and amendments, and provided management with clear reports of product and market status.

America Online, Inc. / Tegic, Seattle, WA

General Manager - Japan, 7/2003 – 6/2006

Directed development and execution of business strategy and tactics that enabled penetration of Tegic’s patented predictive text technology into Japanese OEM market. Built and managed Tokyo office, holding accountability for P/L of entire Japan operation; provided oversight for hiring, revenue, expenses, office tenant negotiations, product marketing, and sales operations. Guided team in Japan and legal / business affair teams at HQ for T9 licensing term to meet quarterly quotas. Prioritized OEM projects with engineering team based on business condition, and visited major OEMs to nurture close relationships with their senior management.

Key Achievements:

•Expanded product reach beyond mobile market by developing new distribution channels with automotive and game companies.

•Deployed English T9 to all major Japanese OEMs, and orchestrated launch of Japanese T9 to the first Fujitsu Smartphones and NEC FOMA handsets.

America Online, Inc. / Tegic, Seattle, WA

Senior Product Manager, 11/1999 – 6/2003

Facilitated acceptance and eventual market dominance of Tegic’s T9 mobile phone text entry software. Created educational and promotional programs that influenced key OEMs to adopt company’s innovative products; defined new product features and roadmaps, and worked with R&D team to develop requirements documents and ensure release deadlines were met.

Key Achievements:

•Planned and directed marketing efforts in Japan and Korea that captured business from leading mobile companies including NEC, Panasonic, and Samsung.

•Performed usability research to identify strategies that ensured smooth implementation of new features into next-generation mobile products, and championed adoption of those strategies among licensees.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Prior experience driving cell phone product management, advertising, marketing, and sales strategies in Japanese market for Motorola as Program Coordinator (Automotive Segment), Sales Manager (NTT DoCoMo Account), and Marketing Manager; additional experience as Sales Representative with Chiyoda Corporation.

Education Background

Master of Business Administration (MBA), focus in International Marketing & Management

Thunderbird School of Global Management, Glendale, AZ

Bachelor of Arts in Economics

Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan

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