Christine Pesola

** ****** ******, *********, **

914-***-**** actcpo@r.postjobfree.com

Versatile and Innovative Marketing Manager

Entrepreneurial-spirited and collaborative leader who builds and inspires teams to exceed expectations

and deliver exceptional results. Excels at project management and maximizing limited resources. Leads by example, motivating employees to push for greatness.

EXPERIENCE

TMP, INC November 2013 – July 2015

$40mm+ annual sales of manufactured musical instrument accessories and stands. National sales, including import and export.

Director of Product Development and Marketing

Responsibilities

Manage team consisting of 11 employees (2 off site). Department broken into 3 teams: R&D, Engineers, Project Leads and Creative Graphic Artist.

Track individual employee’s progress through the completion of multiple projects.

Provide project direction and scope of goals.

Work with team members to ensure projects are on time and work through challenges and delays of product development and creative process.

Create clarity for the team and stakeholders on project deadlines and statuses.

Maintain priority order and deadlines of 150+ projects.

Manage costs associated with the individual projects and cumulatively within the department.

Work with overseas team to resolve obstacles in real time.

Develop relationships with strategic OEM customers.

Identify when projects need upper management involvement in order to complete successfully.

Approve all pricing of new products to ensure profits are at acceptable margins for the company and the customers.

Art direct packaging, advertisements, e-blast, sales flyers, marketing collateral, social media etc.

Sign off on packaging press proofs and product final samples.

Review CAD drawings and 3D renderings to ensure all elements of product creation is being documented accurately.

Oversee time and labor for members of the team using an online payroll program called Paychex.

Build a rapport, mentor and motivate team members on an ongoing basis.

Annually provide team member evaluations and establish strategic goals that encourage personal development and align them with company objectives.

Develop documentation and strategies for disciplinary action including performance improvement plans, written warnings and terminations.

Trusted office key holder to lock up and set alarm on weekly basis.

Key Accomplishments

Organized efficient way to reformulate entire 600+ products manufactured to be compliant to California’s Proposition 65.

Implemented Web and Creative team weekly meeting to increase projects to enhance company’s websites and projects (paperless billing, dealer portal enhancements, etc).

Identified the need to hire a key team member to manage tradeshow and trips overseas for factory visits. Executive management recognized on numerous trips the success of this position.

Redesigned yearly employee evaluation format to include job descriptions and completed entire team’s evaluation within the first year of employment. Team member’s evaluations we delayed up to 4 years.

Increased communication between teams to create transparency for tracking projects.

Created a project COI (Cost of Investment) spreadsheet to track hours and expenses per project to be used to determine ROI on newly introduced products.

Eliminated team members that had long term performance issues.

Developed a more efficient R&D process that built a more collaborative relationship with factories and overseas office to increase productivity.

Created an employee management site to track HR issues allowing for simplified evaluation creation. Site was implemented to be used by other team’s managers.

Developed job responsibility matrix for all employees on the team. Used the matrix to create job descriptions for each employee.

Formalized data entering to allow for quick searches on project management site, allowing for easy identification of delayed projects.

Began monthly priority meetings with executive management. These meetings created transparency for executive management and allowed for monthly discussions of the teams priority.

Increased project completion by 40% in the first year.

Sweet Life, Inc Mount Kisco, NY, Yonkers, NY and New York, NY

$3mm+ gross profit multi-store small business with future expansion plans pending. Specializing in frozen desserts with concentration on customer service and customer experience.

General Manager June 2011 – November 2013

Responsibilities

Defined and implemented brand image and ensured it is consistent in all store locations.

Evaluated monthly P&Ls and determined cost saving opportunities.

Utilized labor effectively to meet budgets while ensuring a high quality of service.

Determined advertising and marketing strategies to increase customer flow, including maximizing social media.

Built company reputation by collaborating with community, customers and other local businesses.

Recruited and trained staff.

Set clear goals and expectation of all staff members.

Executed performance reviews and held employees accountable.

Ordered and maintained inventory.

Provided leadership and set example.

Encouraged and maintained a positive work environment.

Key Accomplishments

Doubled anticipated profit within the first year of store #1 being open.

Eliminated owners need to be present day to day in all 3 locations.

Implemented the use of a digital rewards program that set the stores apart and a step ahead of their competition.

Worked on approvals for Sunday Family Fun events with local town planning boards.

Implemented numerous procedures to improve workflow and communication.

Built a high-performing team by instilling company’s vision.

Promoted in August 2011 from Manager to General Manager. Took on responsibility of all stores in January 2012.

Allstar Products Group Hawthorne, NY

$300mm+ consumer products company who utilizes direct response television to launch brands. Brand portfolio includes Snuggie® blanket with sleeves, Topsy Turvy® tomato planter and Bendaroos® flexible building sticks.

Marketing Manager April 2008 – November 2010

Responsibilities

Led and managed department charged with launching new products and brands while managing a multi-million dollar budget.

Established a cohesive communication strategy for each brand. Ensured all marketing elements have a consistent brand message.

Led cross-functional team in the development and execution of new product development plans. Clearly communicated the brand vision, focused team on key objectives, stimulated innovation, ensured tasks were accomplished with excellence and in a timely manner, and led problem solving to remove obstacles and resolve issues.

Conducted consumer research to provide recommendations to revise product and/or positioning communication for launch and interpret test results to refine target audience and develop media strategies.

Developed profit/loss statement to develop the business plan for each new product launch.

Coach, train and developed staff to optimize productivity and their professional development.

Key Accomplishments

Drove creative development of Snuggie® blanket campaign which generated over $150 million in sales.

Developed Strap Perfect™ direct response television campaign which generated an ROI of 50%.

Collaborated with cross functional team to create project management spreadsheet to facilitate knowledge sharing of milestones and increase output of new products by 100%+ from previous year.

Performed concept testing for the Big Top Cupcake™ brand resulting in the launch of 2 additional products into retail for 2010.

Revitalized Bumpits® creative resulting in a lift in response by 30% in the US and 50% in Canada.

Promoted in December 2009 from Marketing Coordinator to Marketing Manager.

R.L. Albert & Son, Inc. Greenwich, CT

$10mm+ specialty candy and confectionery company which distributes to the mass retail channel.

Senior Product Development Manager May, 2005 – April, 2008

Responsibilities

Managed development and design of holiday lines and restage basic everyday product line twice each year.

Identified new products and opportunities for each category to generate incremental sales and achieve profit goals.

Managed new product development from concept through product life cycle. Designed, developed product line, negotiated pricing, coordinated logistics, managed regulatory, managed forecasts and inventory.

Developed sales presentations included all category selling data and created special programs for national accounts such as Target, Rite Aid/Eckerd’s, Walgreens, dollar store channels as well as private label programs.

Thoroughly and regularly analyze the business using retailer purchases and point of sale (POS) data to understand brand performance vs. historical, competitive and category trends.

Key Accomplishments

Led development of a comprehensive strategic re-plan, identifying more than $2mm of new revenue.

Reversed three-year negative volume trends with limited marketing budget by restaging Halloween product line profitability (+20% marketing margin).

Implemented cost reduction program that contributed $250K to operating profit in 2007.

Promoted in May 2006 from Everyday Product Development Coordinator.

EDUCATION

Pace University, Lubin School of Business, Pleasantville, NY May, 2005

B.A. in Business with Marketing Major

SUNY Cobleskill, Cobleskill, NY August, 2002

Associate in Applied Science

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