Southeast Regional Sales Manager / Key / National Account Manager

Peter Formato

Regional Sales/Account Manager

**********@*****.*** • 954-***-****

LinkedIn • Coral Springs, FL 33071

Accomplished, award-winning sales professional with 20+ years of expertise in CPG sales and marketing leadership for consistent organizational development and business growth. Highly skilled in brand management, distributor/broker management, and key account development. Demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and execution, fostering brand equity, and driving private label sales. Equipped with a successful track record in achieving national accounts growth and development, with talent for creating and executing annual operating plans.

Areas of Expertise

Sales & Key Account Management

Revenue & Business Growth

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Brand Presence & Management

Team Building & Leadership

Direct Store Delivery (DSD)

Market Trends Research

Budgeting & Forecasting

P&L Management

Market Expansion

Client Retention

Stakeholder Relations

Professional Experience

Strategic Sales Solutions, Florida 2019 – Present

Business Development Specialist – 1099 Contract Work

Provided client sales program support and consultation in the consumer products industry. Collaborated with wine and spirits companies to formulate sales development and distribution strategies, both short-term and long-term. Conducted training sessions for wine business owners, focusing on marketing and retail sales tactics, with a key emphasis on customer service and nurturing lasting distributor relationships to foster repeat business.

Client Journey Hemp Co. – FIZZY Infused Delta 8 & 9 Soda: 2023

oFormulated diverse pricing strategies tailored for deployment across both ON (On-Premise) and OFF (Off-Premise) trade channels.

oCrafted compelling and influential distributor presentations designed to effectively engage Beer distributors, as well as Wine & Spirit distributors, ensuring clear communication of key product information and strategies.

Client: Ettore Galasso from Abruzzo Italy: 2020

oConducted comprehensive competitive pricing analyses for each brand targeted for the U.S. market, enabling data-driven pricing decisions.

oPioneered introduction of new Prosecco product by meticulously collecting competitive data on packaging and pricing to ensure strategic market positioning.

oCrafted innovative distributor presentation tailored for Wine & Spirits distributors in the United States, enhancing communication and engagement with potential partners.

Client: Wines of Brazil: 2019

oDevised distinct pricing strategies for various brands the company represents, optimizing pricing structures for each brand.

oInnovated novel distributor presentation aimed at engaging and informing diverse Wine & Spirits distributors operating in the Southeastern United States.

BG Products, South Florida 2021 – 2022

Regional Sales Manager

Spearheaded regional sales expansion for a comprehensive selection of automotive maintenance products targeted at car dealerships and automotive service centers. Oversaw development of regional sales accounts, crafted strategic sales and marketing initiatives for both small and large commercial clients, and cultivated new relationships with pivotal aftermarket customers. Managed all facets of client training, business plan formulation, and implementation, fostering enduring partnerships aimed at driving growth.

●Delivered an outstanding 42% boost in first-year regional sales, increasing from $844K to $1.2M compared to the previous year.

●Expanded account base, adding an impressive 22%, and secured a total of 33 active accounts, contributing significantly to regional growth.

Luneau USA, Florida 2017 – 2019

Southeast Regional Manager

Expanded revenue across 9 states in Southeast, securing new business deals and strengthening relationships with existing customers and distributors, including Lukens and Whole Foods. Optimized processes to enhance customer satisfaction and workflow efficiency. Crafted and executed strategic regional sales plan to meet and exceed objectives. Fostered strong distributor relationships, serving major clients like Opici-FL, NDC-GA & LA, and Johnson Bros/Mutual NC.

●Determined precise sales forecasts, providing critical revenue potential insights for customer management within the sales cycle.

●During the 2017-2018 Rose boom, elevated distribution of Amie Roquesante in Food Lion stores from 18% in North Carolina to an impressive 91% across all states where Food Lion operates.

●Developed and Executed a Private Label Wine brand for a Regional On-Premise Chain, managing the entire process from concept to product launch.

●Boosted sales by 36.4%, growing revenues from $2.1 million to $2.9 million, achieved by increasing SKU distribution across all regional distributors.

●Significantly increased SKU distribution across all regional distributors, from 26% to a robust 80%.

Marketing Specialist of Florida, South Florida 2015 – 2017

Event Marketing Leader

Provided comprehensive information on the advantages of vacation condominium ownership and the benefits of partnering with Vacation Village. Collaborated with a regional partner at Vacation Village Resorts to coordinate consumer events, attracting qualified customers for luxury property visits and vacation package sales.

●Successfully executed consumer-driven events, effectively collecting and qualifying warm leads for the sales department.

Elixir Wine Group, Florida 2014

Southeastern Regional Sales Manager

Oversaw comprehensive sales and marketing of product portfolio through a network of 21 distributors across seven states in the Southeastern US. Established key business relationships with major chains, including the largest one, Whole Foods, and prominent distributors such as Empire Distributors and Georgia Crown. Led end-to-end category strategy, execution, and integration. Formulated and executed region-specific tactical plans to achieve predefined objectives, collaborating with Sales Engineers to identify potential new customers. Monitored customer satisfaction levels through surveys, reports, and personal visits.

●Boosted regional sales from $122K to $212K, marking a significant increase in revenue.

●Identified lucrative sales opportunities through category and customer-driven insights, meeting key targets for category revenue, volume, growth, profit, and market share.

●Effectively guided sales brokers to achieve financial and volume objectives, fostering strong relationships and ensuring the realization of financial targets.

●Strategically onboarded six new distributors in the Southeastern US within span of six months, representing a substantial 40% expansion of our distributor network to close distribution gaps.

Additional Experience

●Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Wilson Creek Winery, Florida

oSpearheaded remarkable sales growth from zero to over $397,000 within less than 3 years in the Eastern Region.

oExpanded region's reach from a single state to encompassing 8 states, including Puerto Rico, facilitating an extensive geographic footprint.

●State Manager – Florida, Buena Cepa Wines LLC, Florida

oAchieved consistent monthly growth, increasing depletions by an impressive 70%.

oSuccessfully secured prominent key accounts and orchestrated the addition of over 300 new placements within the region.

●Territory Sales Executive, Opici Wine Company of Florida, South Florida

oDevised and executed a novel marketing strategy resulting in a revenue boost of more than 17%.

oDeveloped and conducted persuasive sales presentations, integrating supplier/brand heritage, product attributes, competitive pricing, empirical sales data, and value propositions.

oExpanded account base by 28% and gained a larger market share.

●District Sales Executive, The Gambrinus Company, South Florida

oExceeded yearly sales targets by 56% on Modelo portfolio, achieving the milestone of 4 million cases one year ahead of schedule, resulting in sales of $98 million (at an average case cost of $24.70 per 4 million cases).

oElevated Corona Light to the #1 Imported light beer in Miami Market, resulting in a 118% sales increase and a 126% volume growth.

●Market Manager – On-Premise, Brown-Forman Corporation, South Florida

oIncreased Bolla sales by 41% through the development of special marketing events, enhancing brand recognition.

oAchieved a +23% increase in Nielsen's for Fetzer, equating to a $3.4 million rise or +26% equivalent to 35,956 cases over 12 months.

oReceived ‘5 Employee's Choice’ awards for driving business growth of key Halo brands in top On-Premise account, leading to increased brand equity and inclusion of multiple SKUs in key account Ritz Carlton.

●Market Manager – Off-Premise, Brown-Forman Corporation, South Florida

oSurpassed market shipment and depletion goals by proactively managing inventory and addressing logistical challenges, leading to an impressive 26% annual growth rate.

oElevated Fetzer Wines to the #1 position in Miami Nielsen's display incidence rating services by adapting national programs to align with local market's needs.

oAchieved the prestigious President's Choice Award in recognition of outstanding retail execution for Bolla Wines during Publix Italian Days.

●State Area Coordinator - Off Premise Retail Account Manager, Seagram Americas, Florida

oLed and coached 5 Area Managers to drive high performance and foster a collaborative team culture, resulting in increased sales through distributors and revenue growth across all channels.

oImplemented statewide monthly sales and marketing programs, mentoring distributor sales teams to enhance product knowledge, share ideas, address challenges, and develop effective sales strategies, leading to team growth and improved profitability.

oAchieved retail dominance by surpassing competitors in distribution and floor displays, due to strategic collaboration with channel partners and retail clients.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Social Science

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

Technical Proficiencies

Adobe Acrobat CRM Database Management Drop Box DVR’s Diver eLearning & Instructional Design Excel IRI Learning Models Microsoft Access Microsoft Office Suite Micro strategies Monday.com Nielsen Photoshop Point of Sale equipment (POS) POS/Cognos Cognos VIP Product Management QuickBooks Skype HubSpot

Contact this candidate