Christopher Stephen Kouzes

**** ******** **., *******, ** 60510

(c) 630-***-**** (e) adt5g8@r.postjobfree.com

Profile

Integrated Sales and Marketing Executive with 30 years of experience in developing Vendor Management, eCommerce business-to-consumer fulfillment (B2C), distribution and marketing strategies. Uniquely skilled at identifying new growth opportunities and establishing long-standing relationships with vendors and customers. Promotes a winning attitude and fosters accountability to consistently exceed performance goals and expectations.

Areas of Expertise and General Management Qualifications:

eCommerce Direct-to-Consumer Fulfillment

Integrated Sales and Marketing Strategies

Financial and Performance Analysis

Strategic Planning

Business Development

Budgeting and Expense Control

Department and Account Management

Project Management

Vendor and Supply Chain Management

Warehouse Systems and Fulfillment Processes

Category Management

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, SQL Server)

Online Analytic Tools (Google, Adobe, Salesforce)

Staff Development and Motivation

Professional Experience

Vice President of Vendor Management and Distribution 2022 – current

talkshoplive, North Hollywood, California (remote)

talkshoplive is the leading eCommerce live streaming selling platform in the U.S. Using proprietary software, realized conversion rates of views-to-sales are 8x – 12x that of the competition. Retailers and brands working with talkshoplive include Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Samsung, Mattel, as well as talent such as Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and hundreds of others.

Onboarded new vendors and distributors to provide additional margin as well as turnkey solutions for speed to market. As a result, those new business partners increased average net margin from 10% to 40%+.

Created and implemented enterprise analytics procedures and SLAs to provide better reporting and insights.

While at Readerlink, wholly responsible for introducing publishing industry to talkshoplive, establishing the company as a new and viable sales channel. Secured author talent for talkshoplive from 2019 – 2022 increasing sales 300% year-over-year during that period. This category continues to be the company’s largest contributor to annual sales.

Renegotiated more favorable terms with select existing vendors, while adding additional necessary requirements and service level agreements.

Increased distributor shipping and conflict resolution compliance rates from 73% to 96% within the first five months.

Assumed select financial and customer service responsibilities as well as revising related pricing schedule policies.

Director of Sales, Digital 2010 – 2022

Readerlink Distribution Services, Oak Brook, Illinois

Readerlink Distribution Services, at $1.5B in annual sales, is the largest book wholesaler in the U.S. Currently responsible for the Digital B2C fulfillment division working with customers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, Kroger, Kohl’s, Groupon.com, ShopDisney.com, National Geographic, Michaels.com, talkshoplive, Warner Bros, and others.

From 2016 – 2022, increased online sales from $2M to over $52M.

Vendor managed over 50 product and service providers to ensure most favorable terms, meet compliance standards, and create promotional and marketing opportunities to maximize co-op dollars.

Worked closely with multiple departments on a daily basis including inventory, marketing, IT, finance, customer service and warehouse to ensure flawless execution of the consumer purchasing process. 99+% of all orders shipped within 48 business hours; return rates are 0.2%.

Executed financial and performance analysis daily (through Excel and SQL reporting) to find opportunities and align operations to budget and expectations.

Lead initiative to expand warehouse capabilities to process and ship fulfillment orders through two additional warehouses just prior to the increased order volume in Q4 2019. Managed IT and Operations teams to ensure all deliverable dates were successfully met. As a result, order count increased over 150% in Q4.

Managed approximately online 15,000 active skus.

Thorough understanding of order transmission process via XML, EDI and .csv.

In-depth working relationships with integration companies CommerceHub, Radial, Shopify, BigCommerce and Salesforce.

Negotiated and approved all vendor agreements/contracts and authored all request for proposals (RFP).

Have also held National Account Manager and Senior Category Manager positions at Readerlink.

Negotiated revised terms with carriers such as UPS, FedEx, Mail Innovations and USPS.

Reduced Meijer returns from 42% to 27% resulting in a net savings of $1,500,000 while still achieving sales budget.

Director of Marketing 1998 – 2009

Baker & Taylor, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina

Marketing Executive for this $2.5B corporation, which throughout my tenure was the global distribution leader of books and entertainment products in public libraries, online retailers and independent retailers. Responsible for all corporate marketing strategies/execution for the institutional online fulfillment and institutional markets (public, school and academic libraries). Assumed Vice President of Marketing responsibilities when that position was eliminated in 2003.

Reported directly to the company’s President from 2003-2009.

Authored, implemented, and evaluated all integrated marketing strategies to support company’s corporate and divisional goals resulting in achieving sale budgets annually and exceed profit margin benchmarks.

Developed eCommerce content management systems, strategic marketing plans and customer turnkey marketing solutions for revolutionary new business-to-consumer direct fulfillment online services using proprietary programming allowing public libraries to become online retailers as additional revenue streams for the first time.

Created all strategic e-marketing programs for delivery of content and material via eBlasts and white label websites.

Established and managed the annual marketing budget of nearly $8M.

Directed and approved all marketing material (including catalogs, brochures, sell sheets, trade advertising, promotional material); approximately 50 new pieces a year.

P&L management for all marketing opportunities for vendors resulting in over $18.5M of annual net vendor advertising revenue (30% over revenue expectations).

Managed transition of 26 publications to new print facility resulting in net savings of nearly $4M in first 24 months.

Supervised over 220 trade shows, events, and sales meetings annually, both nationally and internationally.

Education

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

MBA in Integrated Marketing Communications

Bradley University, Peoria, IL

Bachelor of Science in Advertising

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