President Operations Assistant Store

Stephen G. O’Connell...

LinkedIn Profile • 940-***-**** • ************@*****.***

Highly successful Retail Operations Executive with extensive experience developing go-to-market strategies to drive sustainable growth, enter new/emerging markets, or turn around underperforming territories. Formulates and executes strategies that strengthen the competitive position, build brands, and generate exceptional returns in the North American region. Fair and firm leader, who instills a vision for growth, convey situational fluency, and who builds and develops sales organizations and retail operations for peak performance. Select accomplishments:

Revenue and Profit Growth: Transformed sales performance, increasing annual revenues more than 28% to $323M, while boosting profitability 12.5% over an eight-year period. Contributed more than

$80M total annual profits as region leader at Sally Beauty Supply.

Market Turnaround: Identified market challenges and opportunities, leading turnaround of key markets. Rebuilt leadership team of Denver, Colorado, market, positioning company to open 25 stores, and increasing revenue from $28.2M to $50.3M, now one of the company’s highest-volume territories.

Strategy Development and Execution: Designed viable business models and product strategies to drive sustainable growth. Spearheaded major initiative, Project Gigi, forcing merchants to increase inventory on select sales items, which routinely sold out, generating $1.6M incremental revenue.

Market Growth: Selected Buxton’s customer analytics as a foundation for all of our market planning, marketing, operations, and merchandising solutions. Directed expansion into new markets, identifying, and opening 20-25 stores annually, while improving the performance of existing locations.

Leadership Development: Recognized as a company leader in identifying and developing talent. Championed employee mentoring and training to increase core competencies, increasing productivity 3-5% annually.

Executive Leadership that Drives Competitive Advantage

Operations Start-up Transformation

Revenue Profit Generation

Market Development Expansion

Strategic Business Planning

P&L Management

Leadership Development

Retail Operations Management

Consumer Engagement

Sales Management

Employee Retention

Training Development

Merchandising

Inventory Management

Customer Service

A Career Delivering Revenue and Profit Growth for Leading Retail Brands Scheels All Sports, mega sporting goods retail store. 2020-Present Stephen G. O’Connell Page 2

Assistant Store Leader, The Colony, TX

Part of servant leadership team with over 400 associates and over $130,000,000 in annual revenue. Location is 330,000 sq ft with departments ranging from guns and ammunition to home décor. One of the most unique and amazing brick and mortar retailers in the United States! Deka Lash, fastest-growing Eyelash Extension Salon franchise. 2017-Present

Owner, Ft Worth TX

Sally Beauty Holdings, A $4B specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. 1997 – 2017 VICE PRESIDENT OPERATIONS, Denton, TX, 2004 – January 2017 Promoted to open new markets and to revitalize the growth of underperforming markets in 14 Central US states to accelerate revenue and profit growth. Leads strategic business planning, human resources, store operations, store design and merchandising, sales, shrink reduction, process improvement, and employee retention, training, and development. Directs 3,115 employees. Full authority for $333M P&L.

Designed retail stores and merchandising plans for 560 stores, increasing sales from $260M to $333M.

Recognized as #1 region eight of the last 12 years for sales growth.

Boosted net income from 24% to 27%, contributing $2.75M to the bottom line.

Partnered with the training team and other operations executives to develop professional six-module training programs for 500+ assistant managers and area managers annually, as well as a multi-year leadership development program for 20 high potential district managers. Successfully reduced manager turnover from 40% to 22%. Increased in-store procedural compliance scores from 92% to 95.2%. Reduced shrink from 1.7% to 1%, saving $2.7M annually.

Developed and opened first prototype store to access real estate sites with 35% less footprint. Redesigned every plan guide to maximize return-on-investment, achieving higher sales per square foot than standard vanilla box stores. Increased sales per square foot 31%, from $357 to $468.

Pioneered a pro-referral program to boost sales from professional salon clientele, leading to the purchase of an internet start-up that is now generating $4.5M incremental revenue annually. TERRITORY MANAGER, Orlando, FL, 1997 – 2004

Selected to rebuild sales results of declining territory and to develop professional leadership for 90 retail stores. Led sales, merchandising, shrink reduction, new store development, site location, and employee development and training. Directed 518 employees and a $36M budget. Stephen G. O’Connell Page 3

Developed merchandising strategies and plan guides for each store to optimize product mix and consumer engagement, increasing sales 44%, from $25M to $36M.

Maintained strict cost controls, improving net income from 19% to 22%.

Opened 14 new stores in Georgia and Florida, contributing $6.3M incremental revenue.

Trained 20 store managers and district managers on store operations, competitive sales techniques, and KPI reporting. Promoted nine managers to district managers.

Created quarterly shrink awareness week, reducing shrink from 2.4% to 1.7%, saving $200K annually.

Implemented company’s first assisted inventory management program, restoring missing SKUs, and boosting sales 3-4% year-over-year.

Education

Undergraduate Coursework, Computer Science and Physics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky Phi Sigma Alpha Fraternity

Community Affiliations

Board of Directors, Oakmont II Homeowners Association, 2009 – 2012 Advisory Board Member, Beauty Schools, Orlando FL, 1998 – 2001

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