Linda Nolan adsqet@r.postjobfree.com 236-***-****

Senior level business leader skilled in strategic planning and managing financial budgets with a business-minded approach that demonstrates solid and creative ways to generate revenue and maximize EBITDA. Strong communication skills with clients, staff, and senior management including C-Suite and board directors.

A champion of understanding the workforce including wise practices in equity, diversity, and inclusion. Success in developing teams of capable and committed leaders, with a proven ability to attract, retain, develop, motivate, and engage with a diverse group of talent. Highly effective at delivering on short, mid-range, and long-term strategy objectives.

KEY SKILLS

Strategic Planning Team Building & Talent Development Visual Merchandising

Budgeting and Forecasting Innovation Revenue generation

Buying and Pricing Negotiation and closing Inventory Management/GMROI

Cost controls Continuous Improvement Omni Chanel

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Regional Manager 2022-present

VetCare Canada, Vancouver, BC

Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, developing strategic business plans to aid in planning for future acquisitions of veterinary practices; improving operations of 10 existing acquired practices with total revenue volume of 20M.

Working with Business Development team with future planning, and ensuring smooth transitions of privately owned veterinary practices to corporate ownership.

Leading strategic change initiatives, developing and implementing operational plans.

Working with People and Culture, Finance, and IT departments, providing support and guidance to the practices to assist in short-term, mid-term and long-term growth initiatives.

Understanding client needs by analyzing Net Promoter Scores and client feedback.

Achievements:

Leading the successful transition of 3 new practices to corporate ownership.

EBITA improvement of 10% in comparative practices through controlling costs and inventory purchases, and driving revenue through identifying gaps in the promotion of key services such as wellness exams, lab diagnostics, surgeries and dental services.

20% improvement in NPS scores by coaching and training superior customer service skills and conducting face to face interactions with clients to gain in depth understanding of their needs.

Ranking second in overall Employee Satisfaction scores through engaging with staff during frequent practice visits.

Recruited 2 DVMs, filling key vacancies in an extremely challenging recruitment market.

General Manager 2020-2022

PetSmart, Coquitlam and Richmond, BC

Hands-on leader with full P&L and operational accountability. Accountable for the profitable performance of the Retail Store, Salon, and Dog Training businesses, and adoptions of pets with revenue accountability of $5-8 M. Leading Leaders (managers) to ensure success on key measurables, and collaborating with multiple external leaders within the organization to improve operational standards.

Achievements:

Grew sales over plan, Increased NPS scores (customer service satisfaction rates), and delivered on all KPIs, resulting in increasing sales over forecast, and delivering improved EBITDA of 7%.

Led the Dog Training business: increased revenue by 10% by coaching the trainers on customer service and delivering a value-added service to the pet parents.

Overseeing the Grooming Salon business, driving sales and improving safety scores and customer satisfaction scores through coaching the Salon Leader (manager) and being an available resource for the Salon team.

Working with local Adoptions agencies, led the increase in number of cats and kittens placed into loving homes.

General Manager 2019-2020

Coast Spas, Langley, BC

Reporting to the CEO and Board of Directors, accountable for the strategic planning and direction of the retail and after-market service division. Created the strategic roadmap for growth of the retail division across the lower mainland of BC to a total of $100M in revenue. Accountable to create strategies and lead implementation to maximize revenue generation and EBITDA in the retail and service divisions.

Studied the market space, built business plan, identified locations for new stores, and innovated ways of reaching consumers through custom events, to build market share in a highly competitive market space.

Negotiated with vendors to maximize revenue and gross margin return on all non-spa product lines.

Led the creation of a new updated website.

Streamlined the floor merchandising of spas and non-spa inventory to maximize “total backyard” sales.

Achievements:

Increased EBITA by 30%, driving revenue by just under 50% YoY through strategic merchandising, and coaching commission sales people to drive “total back yard” sales.

Decreased non-essential non-spa inventory by 50%, freeing up $1M in cash.

Created CRM tool that resulted in 30% increase in number of potential clients.

Increased service calls by 20% through increasing customer contact and improving customer relationships.

Merchandising and Planning Manager, 2007-2019

Regional Manager

Giant Tiger, West Stores Division, The North West Company

Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, this new role in the organization was created to formulate strategic plans to drive revenue, optimize GMROI, and improve EBITDA for 47 Giant Tiger stores with total revenue of $250 M. Accountable to assist the VP in communicating strategic plans to the Regional Managers and to coach the RMs to optimize results. RMs had a dotted line accountability to this role.

Created the budgets for all stores in the division and presented to VP and C-suite for approval.

Wrote business cases for the addition of new product lines to improve novelty and drive incremental sales.

Analyzed market demand and trends, assisted RMs with merchandise ordering to optimize sales and Gross Margin.

Assisted in building proformas for new store openings. Project Manager for all store renovation and new store opening projects, led Head Office teams in Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal, and led the set-up team for execution.

Achievements:

Working through RMs, drove sales, managed costs, and improved visual presentation and inventory management resulting in EBITDA improvement of 10% in comp stores for the division.

Introduced 2 new product lines which generated $20 M in incremental revenue when introduced. Product lines built up to a total of $40+M in revenue each year across the division. Giant Tiger Limited adopted one of the product lines to introduce to the rest of the chain of stores.

Developed and implemented Visual merchandising plans resulting in improved customer satisfaction rates and increased sales in Softgoods and Hardgoods of 15% across all Giant Tiger West stores.

Led all store renovation projects and new store openings; all came in on time and under budget.

District Manager, 2003-2007

Cotton Ginny, Northwestern Ontario / Manitoba / Saskatchewan

Reporting to the Vice President of Sales and Operations, I reopened eleven stores in Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Southern Saskatchewan within my first 90 days, and drove the profitable operation of the district.

Achievements:

Improved efficiencies in scheduling, consistently surpassing Wage Cost ratios, while surpassing sales goals.

Planned and implemented Expense controls in each store, surpassing expense to sales ratio objectives.

Managed Inventory levels and seasonal product in each store improving turns and reducing markdowns and keeping shrink in line at 0.5%

Working with the Visual Merchandising team, created a simplified Visual Presentation Guide for 80 stores in the company.

Award winner for District with best sales increase, best customer service, and best visual merchandising 2005.

EDUCATION

B.A. Psychology (hons.), University of Manitoba

MBA candidate, TBD

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