Val J. Slicho

**** ***** **. **********, ** *****

985-***-**** ad00y1@r.postjobfree.com

Sales-Driven, District-Level Management

Strategic Planning Abilities Program Development Coaching & Mentoring Skills

Leadership & Innovation Business Development & Merchandising Increasing Profitability

Results-driven professional with extensive senior-level retail management experience in multi-unit operations,

merchandising, strategy, staff development, sales growth, and business expansion in major retail firms.

District Sales Oversight

Shrink & Inventory Control

Reviewing P&L Statements

Extensive Customer Relations

Category Management Expertise

Strategic Planning Skills

Staff Training & Leadership

Sales & Profit Improvement

Opening & Launching Stores

MANAGEMENT Skilled in operations and business management, logistics and planning, P&L accountability, managing vendor relations, increasing revenues, motivating employees, inspiring excellent customer service, ensuring consistency in operations, maintaining quality standards, implementing budgetary and cost controls, changing store culture, and managing sales in challenging markets.

Experience: CubeSmart Self Storage, Mandeville La / Malvern Pa * 2017-2023

[CubeSmart is one of the largest Real Estate Investment Trust in North America. They own approximately 600 self-storage, parking garages & office locations as well as managing 700 3rd party self-storage & office locations.

District Manager

Recruited by CubeSmart to manage 15 to 20 stores throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.

Responsible for staffing all stores in my district, driving occupancy, developing teammates, P&L review & increasing revenue. Supervised 1 to 3 teammates per store (GM & SM’s) Actively recruited and maintained an updated succession plan to be better prepared if a staffing issue arose.

Developed and held teammates accountable to achieve specific metrics & standards. I was required to conduct four store audits a year, one each quarter. Monday office day & visited stores Tuesday through Friday.

Mentored new District Manager’s on the intricacies of establishing a great working relationship with new 3rd party owners.

Honored as the National DM of the month in May 2018.

Company reputation of making 3rd party owners happy. Required to speak on this topic to my DM peers and the entire company during our National DM meetings.

Consistently increased square foot occupancy & store revenue through diligent customer service / sales training and follow through of our aggressive reservation follow up expectations.

Team Player who is always willing to take on additional responsibilities when asked by my supervisor, DM peer or a store manager in need of additional support.

Created “Store of the Month” contest as well as other monthly contests to recognize the top performing stores & teammates creating a competitive culture within the district.

Earned annual merit increases each of the 5 years I was employed as well as exceeding the expectations to earn every quarterly bonus. We were evaluated on square foot occupancy, revenue growth, insurance sales, reservation conversion, accountability, customer service, leadership, staffing & retention, communication and collaboration.

Things Remembered; Mandeville, LA / Cleveland, OH 2013-2017

[Things Remembered is North America’s leading retailer of personalized merchandise and products for all of life's occasions, with 600+ stores in 48 states and in 4 Canadian provinces.]

District Manager

Recruited by Things Remembered to turn around underperforming operations and consistently produce sales that exceeded the sales plan using initiative, innovation, team contributions, and leadership skills. Managed stores in 6 states (LA, TX, TN, AR, FL & AL).

Drove sales of up to $600,000 per store in a challenging market. Consistently ranked in the Top 25% of Districts in KPI by prioritizing store visits, instituting effective 1-on-1 training, coaching for results, P&L statement analysis, and detail-oriented review of sales reports.

Supervised managers and associates, prepared strategic annual plans, developed promotions, and enhanced assortment, pricing, promotion, and effective visual presentation strategies to maximize sales and promote product awareness.

Received Annual Merit Pay Increases & Performance Bonuses on a consistent basis for improvements in Sales, Gross Margins, Payroll Control, Staffing, Employee Engagement, Merchandise Presentation, Store Standards, Loss Prevention, and Customer Experience.

Utilized critical thinking and creative problem solving skills to drive sales and resolve store issues. Consistently monitored operations to generate staff and customer feedback for change. Ensured that all goals and standards were met.

Areas of responsibility also included internal security, conducting inventory audits and loss investigations, motivating staff for shared values and teamwork, and overall education in the area of risk management.

Refined SOPs for best business practices and training with an emphasis on both hands-on and systems training. Ensured that all stores were staffed properly with an emphasis on recruitin succession planning, interviewing, and developing future store manager candidates.

EXPERIENCE Gamestop, Inc.; New Orleans, LA / Dallas, TX 2004-2013

(continued) [GameStop is a global retailer of multichannel video game, pop culture collectibles, consumer electronics and wireless services, operating more than 7,500 stores in 14 countries.]

District Manager

Supervised up to 16 stores with $24 million in annual sales and met all company standards for Sales, Customer Service, Recruiting, Hiring, and Training. Dramatically improved District and Store financial audits while significantly enhancing the overall customer experience.

Heavily recruited for position to drive District sales of telecom, electronic, gaming, video, and entertainment items. Duties included coaching Store Managers in overseeing personnel management, hiring, training, scheduling, payroll, and employee development.

Generated comparable store sales gains and increased profits via daily store visits, leading by example, monitoring the selling techniques, and meeting with personnel and store managers after each store visit. Recruited and trained 2 Store Managers.

Identified and proposed real estate opportunities for new profitable store locations by contacting both the local real estate agent as well as the corporate real estate department. Reviewed operations, payroll, P&L, shrink, and visual standards during each store visit.

Coordinated major releases to ensure ROI for partnering retailers, enhance customer experience, provide superior service for releases, and exceed company goals for the District. Recruited 3 external DMs, and trained and developed 2 store managers for DM positions.

Foot Locker, Inc.; New Orleans, LA / Louisville, KY 1990-2004

[Foot Locker is a leading global athletic footwear and apparel retailer featuring 1,015 in the U.S. with an average of 2,500 selling square feet.]

District Manager

Promoted to District Manager overseeing 28 stores in the New Orleans District, driving sales of up to $53 million annually. Directed managers and associates, coached staff, controlled shrinkage and inventory, and coordinated displays and resetting of stores.

Additionally responsible for opening new locations, merchandising and displays, vendor relations, marketing and promotional campaigns, customer service, coordinating with corporate managers, community relations, P&L accountability, and overall management.

Accountable for recruiting and training a quality management staff. Trained and developed two store managers for District manager positions with Foot Locker. Reviewed store training program, promoted staff selling skills, and controlled payroll budgeting.

Analyzed market in relation to competitors concerning product needs and price points, customer service, competitor activity, changes to marketing, and sales opportunities. Directly managed customer service issues to ensure needs and expectations were met.

Named National & Regional District Manager of the Year. One of only 3 DMs chosen to train store managers in Germany. Produced a $1 million dollar sales gain in 1999 & 2001. Selected by Foot Locker corporate for Regional Vice President training.

EDUCATION Undergraduate Studies;

Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA

Major: Business Management Activities: Intramural Football

High School Diploma;

Archbishop Rummel High School; New Orleans, LA

Activities: Rummel Football Team (Running Back)

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