Dynamic Strategic Sales and Operations Executive

JUSTIN J. GRYGIEL

**** ********** *****, ***********, ** 60490

Cellular 630-***-**** *************@*****.***

DYNAMIC STRATEGIC SALES AND OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

Passionate, dedicated, and self-motivated leader with over 23 years of business acumen in developing new business and overachieving profit targets, while enhancing the customer experience. Proficient in penetrating new markets, building trust, uncovering needs, while cultivating buy-in to forge long-term collaborative relationships. Expert businessperson in negotiating strategic contracts to mitigate risk and propagate value. Bolsters team members to exceed goals and adept in developing others. C ORE C OMPETENCIES

Discovering Opportunity ● Cultivating Relationships ● Customized Sales Proposals ● Building Consensus ● Presentations ● Tracking Market Trends ● Sales Strategy ● Profit & Loss Management ● Developing Action Plans ● Project Management ● Attention to Detail ● Identifying Trends ● Team Building ● Ability to Work Independently ● Mentoring Others ● Adaptability P ROFESSIONAL E XPERIENCE

Durham School Services (National Express LLC) Lisle, IL - Director of Business Development, Midwest Oct 2019-present x Relentless hunter who initiates pipeline planning for long term growth to deliver wins in multiple regions and markets throughout Midwest. x Adept in Question Based Selling and other methods to identify and develop strategic value proposition with C-level school and business execs. x Lead all parts of the sales cycle from prospecting, cold calls, development meetings, proposals, presentations, negotiations, and selection. x Specializes in negotiating revenue contracts diminishing risk to company and routinely delivering contracts with more favorable terms. x Utilizes Salesforce CRM database to manage pool of potential sales opportunities and clients, collecting and analyzing competitive intelligence. x Directs cross-functional teams in fast paced competitive environment with limited resources to meet time sensitive deadlines. x Builds staffing plans, compensation packages, and pricing strategies for operating locations to over deliver on service, value, and profits. x Coordinates transition, startup, and handoff of new partnerships and nurtures relationship to assure successful transition for the long term. x Facilitated in year price increase at Carpentersville CUSD 300, 60% greater than planned, increasing wages and prevented profit erosion. x Propagates early renewal of contracts and assisting and coaching operators and new team members on strategic commercial initiatives. Durham School Services and Septran (National Express LLC) Lisle, IL – Region Manager, Western Suburbs Oct 2017-Oct 2019 x Oversaw region with 10 operating locations, $75.3M annual revenue 1,125 vehicles, dispatching 900 daily routes, and nearly 1,800 employees. x Lead team of 9 general managers, 60 full-time ops staff and 60 full-time maintenance staff supporting 1,100 drivers and 560 bus monitors. x Directed intricate customer service and employee development for portfolio where nearly 70% of service is special education transportation. x Continued acquisition integration of Septran, further increasing customer satisfaction, reducing safety risks, and improving employee retention. x Nurtured and enhanced relationships for 20 revenue contracts serving nearly 50 school districts including three Special Education Cooperatives. x Through leadership and supporting region team improved majority of region customer satisfaction from 4’s in 2017 to 4.6 in 2019 on five scale. x Championed renewals of portfolio surpassing budgeted increases and executive goals. Notable renewals in 2018 achieved 26%, 63%, and 64% increases, for 2019 achieved notable increases of 7%, 11%, and 3.5% vs. potential CPI limiter in initial contract. Area typically aligned to CPI. x Improved revenue 15% & profit 32.4% from 2017 to 2019 in region & improved revenue 13% & profit 58.3% from 2017 to 2019 at IL Septran. x Turned around profit at one CSC from -6.3% in 2017 to 27.7% profit in 2019 and -$83K in 2018 to $690K at another CSC in region. x Identified as high potential leader and selected for Advanced Leadership Program with MBA modules and leadership development certificate. x Provides leadership, development, and mentorship including developing two general managers for promotion to region manager. Justin J. Grygiel – Resume Page 2

Durham School Services (National Express LLC) Lisle, IL - Director of Business Development, Midwest Aug 2011-Oct 2017 x Focused on building school bus contracting market share by converting 13 school district ran operations with over 729 buses. x Developed strategy to penetrate and convert seven suburban Detroit MI school districts establishing highly profitable region. x Orchestrated targeted strategy to convert two school districts in Northeastern PA (Erie) market in segment with three future conversion targets. x Targeted suburban Coppell TX (DFW) and Andover KS (Wichita) solving management and capital challenges, while delivering exponential profit enhancement with added volume due to population growth. x Majority of all converted business delivered with limited capital investment using district owned assets. x Regularly called upon to assist operations with troubled operations and customer relationships. x Coordinated due diligence efforts and prepared the recommended enhancements for two bolt on acquisitions. The complex Septran special education bus company in IL and MN and Trinity in MI and OH with intertwined business including school bus, coach, and cab service. x Trained new business development directors, account managers, analysts, and proposal managers on school bus industry, commercial and customer retention strategies, and developing pipelines for low volume contracts and tuck-in and under opportunities. x Championed renewals with the Western Suburbs Region Manager and other areas with several renewals achieving greater than budgeted increases that would otherwise not be attainable by operations alone. x Sold over 20 contracts with over 1,300 buses. 14 contracts won where NELLC was not the lowest cost proposer. x All new business secured over achieved first year profit targets. First Student, Naperville, IL - Business Development Manager, Midwest 2008-2011 x Routinely over achieved sales targets. In 2009-2010 season earned sales person of the year. x Regularly called upon to assist operations with troubled operations and new business startups. x Sold over 15 school district contracts with nearly 1,000 buses. Converted 5 school district operations with 160 buses. First Student (formerly Laidlaw Education Services, Inc.) Naperville, IL - Branch Manager 2003-2008 x Directed high profile operations of 4 separate operating locations with over 400 buses in the growing Southwest Chicago suburban market. x Coordinated successful bid of 250 buses for Plainfield Dist. 202, Feb. 07, initiated startup activities and lead customer collaboration efforts. x Found and secured two facilities without realtors and negotiated leases to accommodate growth routes and new business tuck-under contracts. x Instituted new safety programs to reduce the Accident Frequency Ratio per 1,000,000 miles (AFR) from 8.02 in 2004 to 3.93 in 2005. x Improved profitability from an Income Before Interest and Taxes (IBIT) margin of 14.42% in 2004 to 19.87% in 2005 with $230,000 increase. x Directed the operations of the transportation for the fourth largest school district in Illinois, transporting over 14,000 students. Laidlaw Education Services, Inc. Villa Park, IL - Branch Manager 2000-2003 x Improved profitability from a negative IBIT margin of -10.50% in 2000 to a steady and positive IBIT of 16.70% in July 2003. x Instituted new safety programs to reduce the Accident Frequency Ratio (AFR) from 0.40 in 2001 to 0.18 in 2002, to 0.13 for 2003. x Detailed oriented change agent who facilitated the successful merger of two branches that included the transfer of the School Association for Special Education in Du Page County (SASED) Contract with 75 vehicles and 90 employees in fall of 2000. x Aggressive opportunist, that has secured over $550,000 in incremental charter revenue above the original customer base. x Direct school bus operations of 165 vehicles and 230 employees serving 7 contracts with over $8M budget. x Initiated “computerization” of detailed Sp. Ed. billing to ensure equitable invoice calculation for a multiple district cooperative. Vancom-Laidlaw Transit, Inc. Westmont & Glen Ellyn, IL; Atlanta, Georgia - Manager-In-Training; Supervisor 1996-2000 x Acted as branch manager during interim periods. Planned and directed multiple Event Transportation including PGA tournaments. x Modeled and managed a temporary parking lot and assisted in the operations of the Event Transportation for the 1996 Olympics. E DUCATION

Indiana University, Bloomington IN 2018-present

x Advanced Leadership Program, Business Leadership Certificate Courses include: Finance, Business/Data Analytics, Operations, Leadership, Marketing, Business Strategy, Leadership Strategy. Millikin University, Decatur, IL 1995-1999

x Bachelors of Arts Degree, Majors in Human Resource Management and Spanish. (Bi-lingual)

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