Michael Hersh
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
********@*****.*** 973-***-****
www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhersh1/
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Senior Buyer/Global Operations
Infragistics – Cranbury, NJ April 2013-Present
Responsible for worldwide operations and procurement for US, Bulgaria, Uruguay, UK, Japan, India
Saved $20,000 annually through negotiation and relationship building with new and existing suppliers
Purchase all marketing and trade show materials, office supplies, IT hardware, software licensing, wireless phone service, promotional items, building materials and contracts, audio/visual equipment and other key materials resulting in annual savings of 45%-55%
Implemented Uber For Business Program to reduce employee travel expenses by 35%
Trained all global employees on Concur, the internal financial program for purchasing and expenses
Create, produce and direct a weekly internal audio podcast focusing on US and global employees which led to an increased overall collaboration within the company, recruited new talent, and reduced the cost of turnover by 30%
Develop internal training programs which enhanced employee skills for sales and marketing; coordinated employee “lunch and learns” to facilitate the exchange of information between and within departments
Sales; Audio/Visual Equipment; Installation Hardware & Materials
IAVI – Ft. Lauderdale, FL/Succasunna, NJ March 2012 – April 2013
Reached $1.8 million in sales; exceeded goal by 20% in less than one year
Added 150 new customers per strong follow ups
Championed various projector lines including NEC and Hitachi to help drive sales for our organization and provide the best value for customers
Trained and certified as Digital Signage Expert
Registered opportunities with manufacturers to add more value and savings to customers
Buyer; Audio/Visual Equipment; Installation Hardware & Materials
Audio Visual Associates – Denville, NJ March 2010 – March 2012
Conducted price analysis, sourced new vendors and negotiated competitive rates resulting in $120,000 in savings in two years
Registered Audio/Visual Associates as a dealer in the USAV Buying Group; Became preferred group dealer in one year, enabling company to utilize better pricing model and gain rebates
Developed new vendor relationships to restructure purchases of install stock material resulting in $8,000 in savings and $45,000 in sales
Analyzed QuickBooks report data to manage purchasing department daily operations; Trained 22 employees and upper management how to analyze data to identify sales trends, available inventory, and job status which increased efficiencies and improved daily planning
Re-engineered inventory control process and partnered with accounting to resolve material costs on P&L Report
Buyer; Consumer Electronics, Accessories, and Toys
Hudson Group – East Rutherford, NJ August 2008 – November 2009
Spearheaded setup of three new “Tech On The Go” consumer electronics airport stores resulting in 25% total sales increase over budget
Negotiated pricing, returns, rebates, and price protection with 60 vendors resulting in a 10% gross margin increase
Developed new sales opportunities with vendors to keep up with current market trends enabling stores to have the latest products available to sell to consumers
Attended trade shows including International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and International Toy Fair in New York; Developed new relationships and sales opportunities with global suppliers
Buyer; Video Games, Accessories, Consumer Electronics
Baker & Taylor - Bridgewater, NJ November 2006 – August 2008
Implemented new procedures for product purchasing and tracking for new releases to increase efficiency
Created weekly conference calls to drive sales and review upcoming product release information with high-volume customers such as Amazon, Buy.Com, and Game Stop
Established Computer Accessories division that distributed the latest products resulting in 3% incremental sales and acquisition of two new customers
Assistant Buyer; Consumer Electronics, Accessories, Art and Medical Supplies
Barnes & Noble College – Basking Ridge, NJ October 2002 – November 2006
Drove 20% sales increase for computer products & electronics division in two years for 550 stores through education on how to merchandise and sell unique products; Developed assortment plans, planograms, and other tools to help stores drive sales
Managed 50 key product lines and collaborated with cross-functional sales and merchandising teams to guarantee monthly programs included the most popular products
Analyzed crystal sales reports to identify trends and new store rollouts needed for sales growth
Drove merchandising strategy and presented new company initiatives to 800 store managers at the annual Barnes & Noble College Back To School trade show; increased sales volume by 20%
Published new merchandise programs and sale strategies in the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore monthly store planner reaching all regional and store managers and booksellers
EDUCATION:
State University of New York at New Paltz – BA Communications and Media
ADDITIONAL:
Produce original quality photo collages and audio/video projects focusing on family life and work culture
Proficient in key creative software applications including Garage Band, IMovie, Kizoa, Podtrac, Adobe Photo Shop, Adobe Premiere
Proficient in business software including Microsoft Office, Lotus Notes, Concur, SAP, QuickBooks, Southware, Great Plains, Crystal Reports, and Fox Pro Database, AS400, JDA, Everest, Smart Bridgit Office Suite, Indigo Studio, Report Plus, Share Plus, Sharepoint
Trained per Dale Carnegie Institute