BRENT KENNINGTON

**** ********* *** 615-***-**** LinkedIn: brentkennington

Nashville, TN 37204 aczaom@r.postjobfree.com

CAREER OVERVIEW

Data-driven consumer products marketer with broad experience across categories, but rooted in a classical CPG category management approach to building brands and businesses. Extensive track record of identifying issues, applying relevant consumer insights and strong analytical skills to solve problems creatively, while positively impacting bottom-line results for companies both large and small. Action-oriented and flexible team leader who delivers. Focal skill sets include:

Category Management Product Management Brand Management

Team Leadership Strategic Planning FDM Expertise

Applied Consumer Insights Asian Sourcing Fashion and Trend

Process Improvement New Product Branded and Private

P&L Management Development Label Expertise

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Master of Business Administration Category Management Bachelor of Science Wake Forest University The Partnering Group Lipscomb University Winston-Salem, NC Winston-Salem, NC Nashville, TN

Marketing Concentration, 2002 Training Seminar, 1999 Marketing Major, 1987 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CANSON, South Hadley, MA 2015-2016

$80 million French manufacturer of fine art papers selling primarily to the Mass, Craft and Specialty Art Store channels in the United States and Canada. The Italian F.I.L.A. Group acquired Canson in 2016, with all sales and marketing functions absorbed into existing F.I.L.A. organizational structure.

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North America Consolidated disparate Sales and Marketing functions into one fifteen-person strong Commercial Team accountable for driving sales of Canson’s product portfolio within the Unites States and Canada. Set marketing, product and sales channel strategies, prioritized all initiatives against available budgets and introduced best-practice processes and procedures to the organization. Member of the Canson Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to Division CEO.

Restructured sales organization by channel to facilitate increased emphasis on Mass and Craft, where incremental opportunities were plentiful. Realigned and increased Product Management functions to support new sales organization. Both Walmart and Michael’s grew topline sales +10% in 2016 largely driven by this increased focus.

Quadrupled the amount of New Product Development in the pipeline, balancing traditional fine art innovations important to Specialty Art channel with new product formats designed to increase penetration in Mass.

Improved managerial control by introducing: Cross-Functional Account Teams; New Initiative Profitability Analysis; Strategic Pricing; S&OP Meetings; Annual Account Planning.

Invested in personnel and team development with professional training, formalized feedback and performance management.

BRENT KENNINGTON, Page 2

CSS INDUSTRIES, Nashville, TN 2012-2015

$400 million marketer of social expressions and seasonal celebrations; the C.R. Gibson brand develops and markets stationery, gifts, holiday and back-to-school supplies across consumer channels. Director of Marketing for C.R. Gibson Brands, Mass Channels Led team of seven (three Product Managers and four Designers) responsible for all product development and management activities within Mass, Drug, Office, Craft and Club stores. Set category strategies; monitored and reacted to global fashion and design trends where appropriate; interacted with Asian sourcing team to identify and qualify new categories and sources.

Successfully combined two separate teams into one with common goals and metrics, increasing total productivity and efficiency.

Escalated Journal innovation and new product development, positioning CRG as the category expert within a crowded field of competitors, resulting in closer retailer relationships and new product placement at retail.

Implemented a Back-to-School strategic focus emphasizing new licensed partnerships, doubling category volume in 2014.

Developed and placed new Gift programs for Mother’s Day, Graduation and Holiday, generating

+$1.5MM in incremental sales volume in 2015.

XYRON, Scottsdale, AZ 2010-2011

$25 million division of Esselte, a $1.4 billion leader in the office supplies industry; Xyron markets adhesives, laminates, and associated tools across professional and consumer markets in North America. Director, Marketing and New Product Development

Led team of sixteen spanning all marketing and product development functions including: research, innovation, industrial design, mechanical engineering, product management, graphics, advertising, public relations, trade and consumer outreach. Member of the Xyron Leadership Team, reporting directly to division president. Set all key product initiatives, annual sales and spending budgets, and managed the P&L to deliver targeted results within a functional organizational structure.

Implemented a comprehensive strategy to rejuvenate the Xyron brand and re-launch across markets; re-designed all consumer-facing brand elements; secured corporate support to fund an aggressive five-year Product Roadmap positioning Xyron as the premier brand and leading innovator within its competitive space.

Developed a new organizational structure focused on cross-functional teamwork and staffed it with a combination of new and existing talent; reallocated marketing spending to fund significantly increased research and outreach activities.

AMERICAN GREETINGS, Cleveland, OH 2005-2010

$1.9 billion manufacturer, marketing the second-largest brand of greeting cards in North America. Director, General Merchant Manager, Alternative Cards 2008-2010 Led $300MM card department, growing revenue by 8.2% in 2009 in a declining market. Headed a team of twelve including two other members of key management. Managed P&L, departmental spending and key initiatives within a matrix organizational structure.

Applied deep research-driven consumer insights, a new consumer segmentation and extensive data-mining at a sku-level to develop relevant product and programs for a new generation of greeting card buyers.

Restaged Alternative brand portfolio by launching two new programs, eliminating four existing programs, and rationalizing the sku base. Retail productivity increased by 11% in 2009.

Conceptualized new product line targeting Gen Y consumers and implemented new strategic partnership with Taylor Swift ($10MM in 2010).

Re-defined the Spanish-language target consumer and re-launched a revitalized La Rosa brand

(+28% in 2010).

Implemented new behavioral-based interviewing processes to differentiate between candidates that improved new-hire quality and lowered personnel turnover within the Division. BRENT KENNINGTON, Page 3

AMERICAN GREETINGS, continued

Product Manager, New Product Innovation 2007-2008

Established new six-person merchant team focused on innovating within and across the greeting card category, primarily through the incorporation of technology. Grew revenue from less than $8MM in 2007 to more than $115MM in 2009.

Launched new Lights Sound Action program, securing +10,000 points of distribution in the first full year. Retail productivity indexed at 115 vs. core card department.

Conceived and led organizational process improvements with Product Fulfillment and Global Sourcing reducing total supply chain inventories by 27% in 2009, and improving organizational negotiating power resulting in +$800K cost savings. Product Manager, Everyday Cards 2005-2007

Managed all product development activity for one-third of the Everyday Card department across all Food/Drug/Mass (FDM) brands. Led a team of eight and multiple cross-functional initiatives spanning creative studios, manufacturing, product fulfillment, research and sales. SARA LEE INTIMATE APPAREL, Winston-Salem, NC 1998-2005

$1.5 billion division of Sara Lee, marketing the two leading brands of Hosiery (L’eggs and Hanes). Sara Lee spun off it’s apparel businesses in 2006, most of which are now operated under Hanesbrands, Inc. Marketing Manager, Sara Lee Hosiery 2000-2005

Led several FDM brand initiatives before assuming ownership of all divisional private label initiatives across all channels. Concurrently managed cross-functional teams spanning manufacturing, production planning, package development, research and sales. Category Manager, L’eggs Products 1998-2000

Oversaw L’eggs retail category management initiatives for major FDM accounts utilizing syndicated data

(IRI, Spectra, Nielsen, etc.) with Sara Lee’s proprietary research and each customer’s sales. Built consultant-based relationships with retail buyers and internal marketing managers focusing on identifying product gaps, setting efficient assortments, planograms and promotions. Supervised staff of data analysts. BRUNO’S INC., Birmingham, AL 1997-1998

$2.3 billion grocery retailer then operating a 200-store multi-format grocery chain in the Southeast. Category Manager, Grocery Division

P&L responsibility for a $150 million portfolio of categories; managed product assorting, pricing and all promotional activities through newly implemented category management processes. KMART, Troy, MI 1987-1997

Then the second-largest US retailer ($35 billion) operating 2,400 mass merchandise stores. Kmart merged with Sears in 2005 and is now operated under Sears Holdings.

Assistant Category Manager 1995-1997

Responsible for all merchandising and buying functions for this $370 million category. Grew topline sales of Laundry Detergent by +32% in 1996, with significant strategic changes to category. Category Analyst 1994-1995

Piloted and implemented first category management initiative within the Consumables Division. Merchandise Planner 1991-1994

Managed inventory and budgeting for Hardware, Home Improvement and Kitchen categories. Kmart Field Assignments 1987-1991

Managed Apparel and Softlines businesses of three increasingly larger retail units.

Contact this candidate