Sales Marketing

Mark Porwit

Arlington Heights, Illinois • 847-***-**** • **********@*****.*** • http://www.linkedin.com/in/markporwit

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE

Product Management leader with 20+ years of experience demonstrating success in growing revenue and profit in four unique industries: material handling, software, manufacturing and consumer goods. Possesses a strategic view of the global marketplace by utilizing an in-depth understanding of product and customer segmentation, trend analysis, industry disrupters, and the competitive marketplace. Results include transformative strategies and turnaround leadership that: launched automated and autonomous material handling equipment, tripled divisional sales and set all-time profit records, realized four consecutive years of double-digit annual growth and nearly doubled annual sales in five years. Core competencies include:

•Product Management

•Product Roadmaps

•Marketing Research / VOC

•Cross-Functional Leader

•New Product Development (NPD)

•CPG, B2C, and B2B

•Strategy Development

•Project Management

•Vision & Innovation

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

UNICARRIERS AMERICAS CORPORATION (UCA), Marengo, Illinois 2014 – 2020

UniCarriers designs, manufactures and supports a complete line of material handling equipment distributed through national accounts and a network of nearly 125 dealers and 250 locations across North and South America. Acquired by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, in 2017 UniCarriers became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Logisnext. Together they are the 4th largest forklift company with annual sales of $4.3 billion.

Director, Corporate Planning – Strategic Planning, Product and Program Management / Executive (2016-2020)

Director, Marketing and Product Management (2014 - 2016)

Directed a staff of product and program managers that managed a portfolio of over 150 forklift models. As Director, Corporate Planning, responsibilities included: strategic planning, corporate KPIs, primary and secondary market research, product strategy and vision, portfolio management, product roadmaps, life-cycle management, stage-gate, product and market requirements, positioning, business cases, pricing (including RaaS), cost targets, budgets, P&L, ROI, sales channel, sales forecasts, sales operations, business analytics, schedules, new product launch plans, extended warranties, sales readiness and customer support. Marketing responsibilities included: branding, advertising, ad and public relations agencies, web site, digital marketing, trade shows, marketing budgets, media buys, brand awareness research, sales process, promotions and incentives, sales training and technical publications.

•Promoted in December 2016 to the UniCarriers’ Executive Leadership team and directly reported to the President and CEO. UCA’s executive team provided corporate operational and strategic leadership. My responsibility was to lead and develop corporate strategies that achieved future objectives and growth targets. Also, represented UCA on the Americas’ post-acquisition integration team.

•Managed company performance by developing and monitoring enterprise key performance indicators (KPIs) that included: financial, sales, customer satisfaction, operations, safety, environmental and quality.

•Created and implemented transformative product strategies that included a new line of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). Partnered with Rocla to distribute 13 of their advanced AGVs in the America.

•Led joint effort that leveraged Vecna Robotics’ navigation technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to convert UCA’s material handling equipment into AMRs. Similarly, our alliance with Brain Corp, an AI company creating transformative core technology in the robotics industry, resulted in the recent announcement to develop autonomous material delivery robots for use in retail, warehouses, airports and other dynamic environments.

•Launched 36 new products that consisted of: 32 new forklift models, 16 AGV/AMR models, 7 product refreshes and 3 major component redesigns that impacted 85% of UCA’s business.

•Oversaw brand transition from Nissan Forklift to UniCarriers Forklift. Conducted qualitative and quantitative research to define and create UniCarriers’ branding and reliability positioning.

•Increased UniCarriers’ brand awareness by 3x. Launched UCA’s “Never Quit” digital, social and print advertising campaign, supported by an industry leading two-year warranty, that significantly increased UniCarriers’ brand awareness in less than two years.

WMS INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED, Chicago, Illinois 2006 – 2013

From 2006 to 2013, WMS’ worldwide sales grew from $450 to nearly $800 million. WMS was a leading innovator and technology company that was traded on the NYSE. Scientific Gaming acquired WMS in October 2013.

Senior Director Product Management (2010 - 2013)

Director Product Management (2009 - 2010)

Led a product management team that oversaw a portfolio of over 600 products, domestic and international. Responsible for all product management activities, that included: market analysis, product strategy and vision, business cases, ROI, market/jurisdictional requirements, pricing (including SaaS), product portfolio, positioning, licensed brands / licensing, product roadmaps, life-cycle management, stage-gate, launch plans, sales forecasts, sales operations, business analytics, sales readiness, RFP responses and channel support.

•Launched several new major gaming platforms that included: hardware, software, electronics, operating system (OS), firmware and applications. A single platform generated over $1 billion in global sales.

•Increased average sales price (ASP) by 40% since 2006. Value-added pricing strategies included new premium positioned products and new pricing models. Improved gross margins from 50 to 60%.

•Implemented business process improvements, such as: Stage-Gate, Agile Development, New Product Innovation (NPI), Roadmapping, Product Portfolio Planning, and Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP).

•Directed business process design, integration and implementation of Oracle R12 and Siemens PLM Software.

•Awards: Above and Beyond (annual individual award given to the top 1% of WMS’ work force), and twice awarded Team of the Quarter.

Senior Product Manager (2006 - 2009)

FIBRE-CRAFT MATERIALS, INCORPORATED, Niles, Illinois 2002 – 2006

A leader in the creative activities/toy business for over 50 years and a vendor to Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, Michaels, Jo-Ann, Costco and Walgreens.

Senior Product Manager

Managed all divisional marketing (including catalog, trade and digital advertising), CPG product/category management, product development, sourcing, vendor negotiations/management, sales forecasts, syndicated retail data, sales operations, business analytics, P&L, ROI and licensing efforts. This division staff consisted designers, project, marketing and product managers.

•Drove annual double-digit sales growth for four consecutive years. As a result, the Creative Hands brand was the second fastest growing Arts & Crafts brand.

•Developed, marketed and positioned the Creative Hands brand to secure new channels of distribution at: Target, Walgreens, Toys R Us, and Costco. New channels accounted for nearly 25% of total divisional sales.

•Produced line review strategies that resulted in sales increases of up to 92% at Target and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s line review strategy increased per SKU efficiency by 22%.

•Awards: Outstanding Team Performance, FCM Leadership Award, and Best Three Years Ever.

MIDWAY AMUSEMENT GAMES, LLC, Chicago, Illinois 2000 – 2001

Midway designed, published and marketed interactive entertainment software played in both the coin-operated and home markets. Sales exceeded $300 million globally.

Director of Marketing

Supervised an 11 person staff in the areas of marketing, public relations, licensing, marketing research, marketing services, and sales administration. Responsible for all print support, product promotions, direct mail, database marketing, packaging, public relations and on-line activities. Marketing efforts were primarily business-to-business (B-to-B) via 30 national distributors.

•Awards: Diamond Sales Achievement Award winner and Platinum Sales Award winner.

EDUCATION and CERTIFICATION

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY, Chicago, Illinois • Masters of Business Administration – Marketing

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, Evanston, Illinois • Bachelor of Arts – Economics

NISSAN V-UP & V-FAST, Marengo, Illinois • Trained and Certified LEAN 6-Sigma GREEN Belt

PRAGMATIC MARKETING, Scottsdale, Arizona • Certified Product Management and Product Roadmaps

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