VP, Business Development Executive level sales & marketing leadership

RICK L. DEPEW

*** ********** ***** ********, ** 49230

517-***-**** **********@*****.***

SALES, MARKETING & EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Senior level visionary executive with significant accomplishments and expertise in both strategic commercial/business leadership and functional leadership roles in domestic and global markets. Proven ability to drive bottom line results and grow strong supplier and customer relationships. Inspirational leader with strong interpersonal and motivational skills.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Vice President, Business Development

Executive Polymer, LLC Northborough, MA 2019-Present

Thermoplastic Resin Distribution, Start-Up

Reporting to the CEO/Owner, responsible for leading the business forward into the resin distribution space while providing senior level expertise and business opportunities.

Leading the company’s activities in successfully negotiating supply agreements with global resin suppliers

Brought on board as the senior, business/market expert in the area of plastic resins, supplier relationships and customer growth

Providing strategic guidance and leadership to the company’s approach toward market entry and participation

Leading the effort toward the utilization of sales agents, moving toward direct hires as appropriate

Sales and Market Development Manager

Southern Polymer, Inc. Atlanta, GA 2017-2018

Thermoplastic Resin Distribution Division of Audia Plastics, with $150M in revenue.

Responsible for leading the strategic effort to expand Southern Polymer (SPI) access to producers of specialty and engineering resin products.

Successfully negotiated with two suppliers, one a leading global producer of engineering resins, the other a Mexican-based global supplier of polystyrene products, to partner with SPI in the representation of their full product line to the distribution market in the US and Canada

Led the development of the sales organization targeted at the sale of these specialty/engineered resins

Brought on board a key sales/business development expert to facilitate growth in this new business segment to SPI

Led the growth of new supplier relationships with engineering resins compounders, nylon producers, POE and TPE producers

In 2018, captured new business from 18 customers, with products supplied by 8 specialty/engineered resin producers

Sold in excess of 2M lbs of product at margins more than double the standard margins from the commodity PE and PP business.

Commercial Director, Styrenics Business Unit (2015-2017)

Sales Director, Midwest & Northeast (2013-2014)

Premier Polymers, LLC 2013-2017

Thermoplastic Resin Distribution, Division of Vinmar International, with $175M in revenue.

As Commercial Director, responsible for the introduction of Premier Polymers into the Styrenics business. Led the organizational launch into new resins like Polystyrene (PS), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), and Engineering Resins (ETP).

In its introductory year, met and exceeded 2015 business plan for PS, selling 8.8M lbs

Met and exceeded second year sales plan for PS, growing the business volume by 48% year over year to a level of 13.1M lbs

Introduced and led Premier Polymers into the imported EPS business, utilizing an industry expert hired as an exclusive agent

Successfully negotiated multi-year supply agreements for PS, EPS and ETP for imported products

As Sales Director, led a team of account managers focused on selling commodity PE and PP resins to customers in film extrusion, injection molding, thermoforming and compounding market segments.

Led the assigned sales team to year over year growth of 26%, responsible for a regional sales level in excess of 75M lbs of products sold

Led and motivated the team toward strengthening the essential customer relationships in order to meet and exceed business volume and margin objectives

Vice President, Client Development

Resin Technology, Inc. 2009-2013

Boutique Plastics Resin Consulting, Focused on Plastics Convertors and OEM’s

Responsible for driving/leading clients toward significant operational improvement, along with providing knowledge, chemical and plastics industry expertise and customer focus to the entry into a new business arena.

Led the Resin Technology team on all customer engagement activity focused on Fortune 500 companies

Responsible for development and implementation of all client strategic and tactical planning activities

Working in concert with the co-owners to identify opportunities for enhanced processes and tools; then driving them throughout the organization

Successfully led the Resin Technology team in contract negotiations with new clients, resulting in significant levels of savings for clients, and tremendous growth in revenue for Resin Technology, resulting in over $4MM in gross profit to Resin Technology’s bottom line profitability

Vice President, Global Sales, Performance Specialties

Chemtura Corporation 2008-2009

Global Specialty Chemicals Producer, with over $3B in revenue.

Led the global sales and marketing organization, comprised of seventy-three sales/marketing professionals.

Drove “transformational change” with the goal of building a World Class Organization in support of Chemtura’s Petroleum Additives and Urethane chemicals business units

Led the effort to re-energize the organization around a common set of business goals and priorities

Fostered improved employee motivation and morale due to strong interpersonal skills and business knowledge

Brought improved professional standards/tools to the organization in the form of account plans, call reports and performance metrics

Led the upgrade of talent in Europe, Asia/Pacific, and North America

Aggressively pushed for and promoted organizational change within the business unit

Global Business Director, ARCEL Advanced Foam Resin (2006-2008)

Commercial Director, Polyethylene (2003-2006)

NOVA Chemicals 2003-2008

Producer of Polyethylene and Styrenic Products, with over $5B in revenue.

As the Global Business Director, ARCEL, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for volume growth and financial performance of the ARCEL resin business, a strategic product within NOVA’s Performance Styrenics business unit.

Member of NOVA Leadership Team, comprised of top 50 senior leaders representing business units and functions

Built new organization from the ground up, including commercial, marketing, engineering, and support staff

Led sales efforts via a multi-pronged channel strategy aimed at molders (purchased products) and brand owners like Dell and HP (product pull through)

Chairman of the ARCEL multi-functional business team

YTD (2006 vs. 2007) sales growth of ~30%

Lead the development of new ARCEL related product introductions

Served as Vice President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of IoPP (Industry of Packaging Professionals)

As the Commercial Director, Polyethylene, responsible for maximizing the profitability and growth of NOVA’s Polyethylene resin business to achieve overall business strategies and goals. Authority to lead/manage all customer issues relative to price management, contract terms and conditions, competitive response strategies for 1.6B pounds of Polyethylene.

Responsible for Polyethylene business unit EBITDA performance vs. plan

Accountability for assuring sold-out conditions for all Polyethylene production facilities

Led the business unit’s Olefins feedstock supply strategy

Leadership role for Polyethylene Sales & Operations Planning process (S&OP)

Led company-wide, cross functional initiative focused on process improvements in price management

Various Director Level Roles in Sales & Marketing

The Dow Chemical Company 1995-2003

Global Plastics and Chemicals Producer with over $50B in revenue

Director of Sales: Polyolefins & Elastomers

Responsible for the management and leadership of Dow’s thermoplastics distribution business in North America. Accountable for sales and profitability of both prime and off-grade products in the commodity resin arena. Annual volume in excess of 1.5 billion pounds and $600M in annual sales.

Responsible for executive level and divisional level interface with distributors, agents, brokers, and traders

Led the redesign of the sales organization, resulting in new sales force model and resource upgrade

Negotiated North American contracts with key distributors across various product lines

Led sales efforts with telesales activities and e-commerce initiatives

Mentor and coach for a number of junior level field sellers

Developed and implemented a sales program to move generic products to the marketplace, allowing Dow to maintain plant capacity in support of a major capacity expansion

Group Market Manager: Off-grade Products

Responsible for the sale of off-grade and wide-spec resins produced by three thermoplastic business units in North America. Broker/trader selection, supply chain improvement programs, management of appropriate credit approvals and on-time payment, and development of off-grade and generic marketing programs with selected channels.

Chaired off-grade/supply chain task force for polyethylene business, resulting in working capital savings of $5M

Led/managed six sales personnel in the accomplishment of above tasks, selling in excess of 800MM pounds of resin

Negotiated supply positions with North America’s largest off-grade brokers

Developed, directed, and led business and market strategy for this business segment

Regional Sales Manager: Polyurethanes/Epoxies

Responsible for the leadership and management of an eight person sales team covering half of the United States and Eastern Canada.

Utilized strong leadership skills to drive the sales effort to revenue growth of 16%, while volume growth increased 13%

Member of the North American leadership team

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Western Michigan University: BBA, Industrial Marketing

Extensive participation in a number of training courses, including a twelve-day Management Essentials class, Presentation Skills, Conceptual and Strategic Selling, Negotiating to Yes, Channel Management, and many others.

Veteran of the United States Air Force. Top Secret Security Clearance while working for the U.S. Air Force Security Service as a Morse Code intercept operator.

Contact this candidate