Customer Service Sales

NICHOLAS J. VEGA

Cell: 305-***-****

Email: *************@*****.***

Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasjvega

SUMMARY

Senior-Level Executive with nearly 25 years of experience, demonstrating

progressive career growth within the fashion retail environment.

Proven success in building business through people by recruiting and

developing a team of fully empowered, highly skilled executives to

effectively execute corporate objectives. Highly intuitive with strong

ability to maximize behavioral strengths through ongoing mentoring and

coaching. Sets high standards of selling and service, leading the team by

example. Applied strong strategic and analytical abilities to effectively

identify and maximize business opportunities. Recognized as an

enthusiastic, highly energetic, motivating leader with strong communication

skills who effectively interacts and builds relationships within all

levels of the organization.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

NEIMAN MARCUS 6/2012-

5/2014

A luxury specialty retail department store owned and operated by Ares

Management and Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board with 41 full line

stores across the United States.

Assistant General Manager - Beverly Hills, CA

Recruited to build business in the company's highest profile, flagship

location. Effectively achieved sales plans through elevating the overall

customer experience, improving the quality of the team, developing

assortments appropriate for the Beverly Hills client, improving

merchandising standards, and elevating technology usage from the sales

associates. Managed a team of 8 department managers and over 150 sales

associates. Reported to the Vice President/General Manager.

Built the Ladies Shoe business to #1 store in company, +$4.0M/+16% over LY$

through staffing improvement and building and intensifying the overall

assortment, including introducing new designer brands.

Cosmetics business increased 1 rank; +1.2M/+8% over LY$, Mens Clothing #1

store in company, +$1.2M/+15% over LY$, and Men's Shoes, increased 3 ranks;

+.6M/+25% over LY$.

Developed unique, volume building events with luxury brands which

represented 30% of total volume increase.

Customer service metrics dramatically improved rank into the top 10 in the

company. Recognized with corporate award "most improved customer service"

for fall 2013.

Technology usage metric improved from 15-20% to nearly 60% in all areas.

Recognized for dramatically elevating and maintaining merchandising and

visual standards in all areas.

REIS NICHOLS

7/2011-5/2012

A luxury fine jewelry company operating stores in the Indianapolis metro

area.

Director of Stores

Recruited to manage a high volume, luxury jewelry and watch business.

Managed a team of 5 managers, 22 sales associates, and 6 guest service

associates. Reported directly to business Owner/President.

Exceeded fall 2011 sales objective, improving business by nearly $1.5M by

improving quality of the team, setting weekly/monthly goals, and creating

focused, meaningful events with community partnerships.

Implemented standards of customer service including staffing zones,

improved visibility of sales associates, customer approach standards and

elevated perception of friendliness of all sales associates.

Created job descriptions and review forms for management and sales

associates to clarify job responsibilities, ensure understanding of

expectations and to improve individual performance.

Implemented effective recruitment strategy to identify high caliber talent

in the market. Recruited 4 top sales associates and 1 manager who have

further developed the business.

Introduced a formal assessment process to identify strengths and

development opportunities for all sales associates and potential new hires.

Developmental plans created to improve performance.

BLOOMINGDALE'S 3/1991 - 4/2010

An upscale luxury full-line department store operating 33 full line stores

in 10 states. A division of Macy's Inc., a publicly held company.

General Manager and Operating Vice President [Miami, FL] (2000 - 2010)

Achievement of annual objectives in sales, EBIT, customer service, and new

account acquisition. Managed a team of direct reports including 5 Senior

Managers and 10 Sales Managers. Team managed 150+ sales and support

associates. Reported directly to Senior Regional Vice President.

Exceeded annual sales plan consistently. 2009 achieved annual sales plan.

Fall 2009; +12.0% over sales plan. Results driven by recruiting and

developing a fully empowered team of talented managers who led by example

and by identifying and executing effective merchandise strategies.

Exceeded annual EBIT consistently. EBIT range from a low of 5.1% and high

of 12.1% for all 9 years. Annual 2009; +$480K over $ plan, exceeded rate by

+1.6 ppt. Gross Margin and overall expenses exceeded plan.

Developed strong client loyalty, total sales from best clients represented

30.0% of total annual sales, one of the top performances in the company.

Improved proprietary sales penetration, 48.47% for annual 2009, compared to

45.26% in 2008.

Consistently exceeded proprietary account acquisition plan, exceeded fall

2009 plan +23%, and +3% over annual 2009 new account plan.

2009 service score: 88.7%; 5th best score in the company with consistent

improvement year over year: 2003:82.8%, 2004: 83.5%, 2005: 84.2%, 2006:

84.4%,2007: 85.1%, 2008: 87.4%, 2009: 88.7%.

Reduced shortage / shrink results to under 1.0% for past 5 years, 2009

result: 0.47%; the 2nd lowest shortage rate in the company.

Significantly improved employee engagement as measured through employee

opinion and Gallup surveys. Employee opinion survey alienation index

improved over 7.0 points from 2000 to 2006. Gallup grand mean improved from

3.14 in 2001 to 4.37 in 2007.

Developed successful recruitment program which rolled out to company best

practice, resulting in 40% of new associates hired through active

recruitment; the highest percentage in the company versus company goal of

25%.

Implemented monthly talent assessment program to review executive and staff

performance which improved the quality of team. Managed change by

identifying substandard performance, and effectively addressing issues by

developing individual performance improvement plans. Program was rolled out

as company best practice.

General Manager and Operating Vice President [Palm Beach Gardens, FL]

(1997 - 2000)

Promoted to Operating Vice President in 2000. Achievement of annual

objectives in sales, EBIT, customer service, and new account acquisition.

Managed a team of 4 senior direct reports. Senior team managed a group of

Sales Managers, and 120+ sales and support associates. Reported directly

to Senior Regional Vice President.

Exceeded sales and EBIT plans each of the 3 years.

Increased volume with women's ready to wear business by developing a new

brand not carried in other locations which grew to $1M business in 3 years.

Brand was subsequently rolled out to other Bloomingdale's locations.

Significantly improved employee engagement as measured through employee

opinion surveys. Alienation index improved from over 50.0 in 1996, to 43.0

in 1999.

Improved overall customer experience through sales professional empowerment

and improvement of merchandise presentation and standards.

General Manager [Kensington, MD] (1996 - 1997)

Newly promoted to General Manager. Managed a team of 4 senior direct

reports. Senior team managed group of sales managers, and 120+ sales and

support associates. Reported directly to Senior Regional Vice President.

Group Manager Ready to Wear and Fashion Accessories [Skokie, IL] (1995 -

1996)

Opened new store as Group Manager for the Women's Ready to Wear and Fashion

Accessory Divisions. Managed team of 8 Sales Managers and over 50 sales

associates. Reported to General Manager and Operating Vice President.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Milwaukee, WI - Graduated with honors

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