Vice President Sales & Marketing
Resume:
John Rowland
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
***********@*****.***
Management Executive
Accomplished Business Executive with a successful track record in delivering results and increasing profitability. A visionary and strategic thinker with extensive experience in: brand management, product development, marketing, and salest. I have successfully built brands at major food companies during the past two decades with emphasis on creating new products, new marketing programs, and product improvements to create leverage against competition and continue positive growth. My successful career is supported by my ability to accept multi-faceted departmental responsibilities while fostering positive work environments and employee growth.
Expertise
• Brand Management • Sales & Marketing • Product Development
• Strategic Planning • Project Management • Category Management
• Packaging Design • Team Building • Co-Packer Management
• Product Leverage • Market Research • Budgeting – P&L Responsibility
Professional Experience
2013 - 2016 Italian Rose Gourmet Products – Riviera Beach, FL
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Have lead the Sales & Marketing of Italian Rose through a major restructuring in both our retail and foodservice businesses. This included creating the New Sales Team, the Overall Strategy, the Marketing Plans, Development of the Sales Materials, the Promotions, the Presentations and establishing their targets and goals. Have called on all of the major retail and foodservice accounts personally from Sam’s/Walmart to Aldi to Sysco and Aramark and everyone in between. Growth has been substantial and will continue with the organization and systems created.
Italian Rose now has the #1 & 2 selling refrigerated salsas in the United States
Italian Rose is a major supplier to Sysco private label and other national restaurant chains
Sales have increased over 10%/year
New retail broker network established focused on major chains
New foodservice broker program created to train and incentivize
2005 – 2012 Hormel Foods Corporation–Diamond Crystal Brands Division
Savannah, GA
Vice President - Marketing and Research & Development
Sales and profits at this $600MM division increased each year I was the number two executive. My responsibilities had gradually increased until I managed 8 different areas of the company. They were Marketing, R&D, Graphics, Pricing Contracts, Quality Assurance, Co-Packer Management, International Sales and Digital Media (websites, facebook, twitter).
During my tenure I have:
Increased our Healthcare Product Line sales from $108MM to $190MM
Increased our Liquid Portions business from $25MM to $90MM
Improved our profitability at a 7% CAGR year over year
Increased international sales 100% in seven years with a 10% increase expected this year
Created marketing programs and advertising to obtain and then maintain our leadership positions
Lead the R&D effort to create innovative, distinctive products that deliver meaningful customer benefits that have driven the growth noted above
Created websites for our various product segments and created an e-commerce business
Improved management of all 14 of our co-packers (for those products that we don’t manufacture in our own plants) – converting them to turnkey status and setting up an index protocol to manage costs
In the past few months alone, have successfully increased major GPO contract prices over $4MM, reduced distributor programs $4MM and have over $2MM in cost savings – all going straight to the bottom line for 2013.
2004 – 2005 Bolthouse Farms – Bakersfield, CA
Senior Director - Research & Development
Responsible for all R&D, from new product development, to processing technology development and new plant design/construction. I was only at Bolthouse for a 9 months as I was commuting back and forth to Florida to meet family commitments. In fact that is why I left – to move back to the Southeast.
However, during my tenure I:
Created and introduced a line of fresh refrigerated health/wellness beverages that quickly became the #2 selling brand behind Coca Cola’s Odwalla brand. Selling at the rate of $100MM/yr
Was responsible for building a manufacturing plant in Brazil to process Acai – a high anti- oxidant fruit from the rainforest. Completed on schedule, on budget, overcoming significant Brazilian governmental issues.
Had a number of other new products in the development process that were eventually launched and have further solidified the #2 position which continues to be very profitable for Bolthouse Farms
1988 – 2004 Tree Of Life, St. Augustine, FL
Vice President – Natural & Organic Brands
I had responsibility for all 22 brands of the Tree of Life Natural & Organic product program. My responsibilities included: Marketing, R&D, Sales, Package Design, Co-Packer Management, and full P&L responsibility.
During my tenure I:
Developed one of the most respected brand programs in the industry - a line of 565 Natural & Organic products under Tree of Life’s 22 brand names co-packed at 67 manufacturing plants across the country.
Sales grew 728% over my 16 years. Profits likewise grew at double digits every year.
Launched 12-15 new concepts a year – with multiple products per concept – in each case - innovative products that delivered real benefits and drove our sales growth.
Developed and trained personnel to create the most efficient organization in the company
Developed marketing programs and advertising platforms to combat competitive positions and bundle our broad portfolio
Created data analysis systems to provide deep insights into where each product was selling, why it was successful in some markets and not others to provide invaluable information for future planning
1977 – 1988 Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH
Group Leader - Project Management
Worked in three areas in each case assuming greater responsibilities: Detergents, Diapers, Crush//Hires Soft Drinks. Received tremendous training at P&G and my final assignment was as a mini-GM to manage a multi-disciplinary team including Advertising, Sales, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Finance and R&D to create and introduce Lemon-Lime Crush in less than 3 months. Project completed in 87 days. A world record at Procter & Gamble where 3 years is the norm.
During my tenure I:
Was selected for the fast-track Advanced Learning Conference to be trained & groomed for a future in upper management. Only 20 people are selected per year to participate in this program
Received a patent for a concentrated liquid detergent that had 67% solids but still looked and poured like a liquid - and won all comparative laundry tests
Created new thin diaper products with leverage utilizing super sorber technology
Developed computerized model to determine DPP (Direct Product Profits), based on diaper count and orientation inside each bag and its pallet configuration. Model took in all aspects of cost from packaging material needs, corrugate, freight efficiency and material costs. Model was then expanded throughout Procter & Gamble to all other product divisions
Developed and introduced Crush with 10% juice to combat Slice which had launched the first 10% carbonated beverages
Developed and introduced Lemon Lime Crush in 87 days. If Procter was to keep Crush they had to have a Lemon Lime. Test was successful, Crush was preferred vs Sprite and 7-Up.
Education:
Bachelor of Science – Chemical Engineering – University of Dayton
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