Senior buyer/category manager food distribution

MICHAEL GRAHAM

724-***-**** • *********@************.***

PROFILE

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS MANAGER with 15+ years of progressive experience in category strategy and management in Food Service and Retail. CHANGE AGENT with demonstrated success in identifying opportunities for improvement and delivering best practice driven solutions which drive profitability, control quality, ensure customer satisfaction, and optimize performance across the business entity. ADEPT LEADER skilled in building rapport with diverse audiences and cultivating lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with clients, vendors, and colleagues through a consultative, collaborative approach. Core competencies in:

CATEGORY MANAGEMENT • CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT • PURCHASING & PROCUREMENT • PRICING

STRATEGIC PLANNING • INVENTORY CONTROL • VENDOR RELATIONS • DATA / BUSINESS ANALYTICS • NEGOTIATION LOGISTICS • TERRITORY SALES • OPERATIONS • CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT • ESCALATION & ISSUE RESOLUTION

HIGHLIGHTED EXPERIENCE

PERFORMANCE FOODSERVICE /MT PLEASANT PA

BUYER/ MERCHANDISER / FROZEN PREPARED FOOD PRODUCTS

THE ZIDIAN GROUP / BOARDMAN, OH

National food manufacturer specializing in retail food products

National Buyer, Zidian Specialty Foods 2018-2020

Independently orchestrated buying services for an Italian specialty foods retailer / brand with national and global reach.

Implemented purchasing life cycle with international vendors in Italy and Greece, setting pricing and continuously analyzing partner performance to ensure quality and profitability of end products.

Collaborated regularly with VP of Purchasing and VP of sales to inform executive strategy, provide subject matter expertise (SME), and plan retail purchasing up to 8 months in advance.

Managed components private label, Gia Russa, including procurement of corrugate packaging, labeling, and logistics between Zidian and packer.

Selected Accomplishments:

Within first 2 months, raised Zidian Specialty Foods’ service level from 75.3 to 93.5 while maintaining company inventory turns.

Adeptly and successfully handled 35-40% demand increase across tenure as brand rapidly grew.

US FOODS – WESTERN PA REGION (FORMERLY ALLIANT FOOD SERVICE) / GREENSBURG, PA

A national food distributor serving restaurants and healthcare, hospitality, government, and educational institutions.

Senior Division Buyer, Perishables: Produce & Dairy Category 2001-2017

Designed and improved category strategy customized for 2 distribution centers (DC), with service to 30K+ customers across Western PA, representing $500M revenue annually.

Reviewed product assortment and gauged product penetration, noting overstocked or dead SKUs; managed inventory levels to ensure forecasted service levels while maintaining sell-through and reducing shrink.

Researched and selected suppliers; developed and maintained supplier partnerships.

Deployed sales to vendors, averaging $1M weekly.

Served as main point of contact for 100+ sales representatives for the category.

Supervised and developed 2 Quality Control Specialists.

Interfaced with dock staff to check orders and resolve delivery issues.

Regularly analyzed technical reports on wide ranging key performance indicators (KPI; stock level, service level, inventory evaluation for market commodities) and market trends to inform competitive pricing and assortment and identify deficiencies and opportunities for improvement.

Orchestrated logistics and tracked freight for high-volume, fast-paced distribution orders; dispatched loads to appropriate carriers and managed inbound arrivals.

Selected Accomplishments:

Reduced shrink down from 1% to .5% while maintaining 99.5% service level.

Launched twice weekly truckloads from California at both DCs, stimulating an immediate $150K+ additional logistics income in first six months of implementation.

SELECTED ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Sales Representative US Foods – Western PA Region (formerly Alliant Food Service) / Greensburg, PA / 1997-2001

EDUCATION

BS, Hotel, Restaurant, & Institutional Management Indiana University of Pennsylvania / Indiana, PA

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