Marketing Manager/Procurement Specialist

LORI CONTE

** ***** ********, *** ****, White Plains, NY 10601 • 914-***-**** • ****.*******@*****.*** PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Procurement specialist with 20+ years of diversified skills in print production for Direct Marketing and Consumer Packaging. Proficient at commodity purchasing and comprehensive promotional projects. Successful team player adept at planning, managing multiple projects and maintaining solid relationships with colleagues, clients and suppliers. Experienced in JDE, JBA, Oracle, Immedia, Microsoft Office. EMPLOYMENT

Williams Lea/Tag Worldwide New York, NY 10/2007 – 12/2015 Sr. Account Executive – Onsite Procurement Specialist for various Williams Lea Accounts: Time Inc Account (7/2015 – 12/2015) New York, NY Direct Marketing

Assigned to Time Inc. to help facilitate the Williams Lea purchasing process. Managed Direct Marketing campaigns from inception to final execution. Monitored all aspects of production, purchasing, execution, maintained timetables and daily status of all current projects ensuring client’s requirements are adhered to. Elizabeth Arden Account (11/2009 –7/2015) Stamford, Ct. Packaging Procurement Assigned to Elizabeth Arden Account to oversee and manage procurement of all labels, inserts, onserts, vial cards and other flexible components for basic and promotional business encompassing all brands company wide. Support Elizabeth Arden sites in NY, Stamford and Miramar Fl., including new launches, new development and rebranding initiatives. Administer costing and vendor selection for 10 external manufacturers. Determine future demand thresholds while monitoring purchases and providing support to each turnkey facility.

Initially reduced costs by $500/m plus for label and insert commodities.

Generate annual cost savings ranging from 29% to 37% on spend of $8.5MM.

Analyze client specs to gauge accuracy against final artwork and package requirements.

Collaborate with Vendor Manager on best practices and cost effective strategies.

Partner with incumbent suppliers to negotiate costs and schedules.

Standardize specs, create combination print runs, and engage client to develop economic formats while ensuring quality and contractual targets.

Prepare and analyze benchmark data, track results on a daily basis for Tag Finance Team.

Manage workflow between Project Managers, Planning, Package Engineering, Art, & Finance Departments.

Train and supported one team member providing direction on systems and standard procedures.

Procurement of Collateral Material for Marketing and Sales Division including commercial print of brochures, posters, blotter cards, model hand out cards and direct mail promotional postcards for retailers and bill inserts.

Prepare value added analysis and establish individual standard costs for annual budget. Reader’s Digest Account (10/2007 – 11/2009) Pleasantville, NY Direct Marketing Assisted in the transition of purchasing from Reader’s Digest to the Williams Lea Print Procurement Model. Met all client expectations and dates during the transition. Proficiently managed procurement of Print, Laser and Lettershop for the RDA Attached Mail and Direct Mail programs across all product lines. Estimated yearly volume: 100,000,000 – Estimated yearly spend: $10 -15/MM conservatively.

Led the new savings initiative by delivering an aggregate gross savings of 45% on all purchases.

Initiated cost savings incentives for marketing and vendors.

Coordinated and created co-production schedules across six different product lines.

Produced the print for all monthly magazine inserts with an estimated yearly volume of 300MM.

Selected appropriate suppliers, negotiated costs and schedules.

Prepared budgets for marketing client and create cost analysis for vendor management.

Initiated standardization procedures, consolidated and standardized package formats across campaigns to achieve higher savings.

Managed two junior Account Executives.

Supervised and trained individuals on procurement procedures and provided daily guidance for daily tracking and analysis of benchmarking purchases.

Provided direction and motivation for obtaining goals and objectives within the team. Reader’s Digest Publications/Association Pleasantville, NY 04/2000 – 10/2007 Account Executive

Managed the Direct Mail for five RDA Publications and Attached Mail for the monthly RDA magazine. Programs included billing, renewal, Donor and Acquisition Promotions. Interfaced with individual marketing clients to formulate schedules for each publication by campaign in an on demand environment. Combined production tasks to gain cost efficiencies for all magazines.

Provided fiscal year budgets/estimates to marketing.

Ensured that all projects were executed and completed within original budget costs.

Conducted final reconciliation with finance and marketing.

Interacted with Creative Department to ensure postal requirements compliance.

Issued instructions, purchase orders and final specs and negotiated costs and schedules with suppliers.

Translated production problems and delays into practical solutions.

Managed the Alternative Media Program for the Readers Digest Magazine: Inserts for Newspapers, specialty stores and cooperative agreements.

Collaborated with marketing and outside company to coordinate, create and schedule deliveries to 200+ locations, adhering to specific delivery instructions and specs for each destination. AT&T Basking Ridge, NJ 09/1996 – 04/2000

Project Manager, MCDM

Aligned with Marketing teams from AT&T Local Service in Basking Ridge and AT&T Wireless in Paramus, New Jersey.

Managed Acquisition and Retention Direct Mail efforts from development to final completion of mailing.

Interacted with AT&T Internal Marketing Clients, outside Creative Agencies and various resources. MorCom, Inc. (dba LaSalle Industries) Carlstadt,NJ 09/1986 – 07/1996 Account Manager

First employed as Client Service Production Representative in 1986.

Managed monthly Direct Marketing campaigns for the CitiBank Account. Including print, laser, lettershop and postal regulations.

ACHIEVEMENTS/AWARDS

Received Client Focus Exceptional Award in 2014, Tag Worldwide, Account Director, Lainie Foran Received High Performer Exceptional Award 2010, Williams Lea, Account Director, Valerie Plue Received Personal Letter of Achievement 2009, Williams Lea, CEO Frank Appel, CEO DEUTSCHE POST, Germany.

Received Verbal and Written Accolades 2008 -2011, Williams Lea Vice President, Frank Oliveri EDUCATION

Saint Barnabas High School, Yonkers, NY

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