Vice President Director

Areas of Focus: Food and Supermarket Merchandising and Procurement

QUALIFICATIONS PROFILE

Growth-focused, results-oriented, and accomplished professional with proven expertise in leading business growth within merchandising and procurement industry.

Recognized for well-honed experience in all aspects of marketing, new product development, and advertising. Expert at overseeing wide range operations, administering sales, securing business, and managing company marketing initiatives. Known as a multifaceted executive with analytical problem-solving and critical-thinking aptitudes to develop and lead strategies and initiatives to achieve significant growth, higher revenue, and expanded visibility. Equipped with articulate communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills in forming and maintaining strategic partnerships with clients and professionals of all levels.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Business Processes Optimization

Sales and Marketing Management

Staff Development and Supervision

Program Administration

Cross-Functional Leadership and Collaboration

Client Handling and Retention

Rapid Conflict Resolution

Standard and Regulatory Compliance

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Metropolitan City Foods – Cranford, NJ

Vice President of Merchandising 2014–2015

Performed various merchandising functions, including vendor ad billing, negotiations, and store billing for various stores, including Met Foods, Pioneer Supermarkets, and Metropolitan Supermarkets.

Took charge of all the aspects of store support which included price change management, new item authorization, trends, consumer programs, and circular themes

Managed the supermarket chain headquarters for all independently owned stores and provided effectual support functions allowing stores to compete with the big supermarket chains.

Key Highlight:

Drove business growth by cultivating harmonious relationship with store owners; while promptly addressing daily issues.

White Rose Food – Carteret, NJ

Director of Merchandising 2009–2014

Administered all merchandising functions for Met Foods, Pioneer Supermarkets, Metropolitan Supermarkets, and Super Foods Supermarkets.

Provided leadership and guidance to a staff consisted of six-person to optimize their productivity.

Provided expertise oversight of store management, including price change management, new item authorization, trends, consumer programs, and circular themes.

Key Highlight/s:

Played a key role in implementing seminars and reward based trips for store owners.

Participated for the organization of the semiannual White Rose Selling Show as well as the Good Neighbor Program.

Succeeded in significantly surpassing all income budgets and goals.

Director of Procurement 2004–2009

Maximized bottom-line performance by creating and allocating a private label category and a buyer scorecard tying compensation to performance.

Spearheaded Corporate New Item Committee to consequently enhance the market speed; the new item performance; and better vendor support throughout retail setting.

Supervised a team of seven category managers and three administrative assistants with indirect organizational influence on a broader scale.

Key Highlights:

Ensured strict adherence to corporate goals and guidelines in overseeing approximately $32M to $40M of inventory, while maintaining 95% of service level for eight New York metropolitan supermarket chains supporting $1.3B of annual retail sales.

Made major contributions for the corporate merchandising programs, including the nationally recognized "Good Neighbor Program", while also administering the creation of special advertising themes for two major metropolitan voluntary co-ops.

Successfully improved vendor participation and increased revenue per store by conceptualizing and implementing strategies for the semi-annual selling shows.

Master-planned and implemented a category management programs, which supported the fact-based analysis and effective action plans, thus increasing the cost per case and warehouse turns.

Category Manager 1993–2004

Leveraged industry expertise in creating, implementing, and monitoring of joint corporate and manufacturer programs.

Served as a departmental leader in acquiring manufacturer and broker participation in all corporate programs.

Key Highlights:

Drove efforts in increasing the overall category profitability by 36%, while overseeing more than $5M worth of grocery inventory to successfully attain 95% of better service-level.

Fostered and maintained strategic partnership with some of the largest manufacturers in the industry for the development of strong consumer franchises.

EARLIER CAREER

Gristedes – New York, NY

Assistant Director of Purchasing

Cresco (Arbee Specialty Division) – West Nyack, NY

Buyer

Key Account Manager

Shopwell Food Emporium – Bronx, NY

Buyer Merchandising Supervisor

The Pezrow Corporation – Montvale, NJ

Sales Representative

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Iona College, New Rochelle, NY

ACTIVITIES

Former Board Member, Catholic Institute of Food Industry

Former Assistant Coach, Manalapan Parks and Recreation Girls Soccer U6-U11 Travel

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