Operations/Retail

JOHN BEN PECTOL

Chattanooga, TN

865-***-**** ***.******@*****.*** LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ben-pectol-070587a

SUPPLY CHAIN DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Experienced operations and supply chain professional with 20+ years of experience across inventory management, procurement, distribution, forecasting, product allocation, retail replenishment, business analysis, and process improvement.

Proven track record managing complex product assortments, improving inventory and distribution processes, supporting high-volume retail operations, and developing practical solutions that improve efficiency, product availability, and profitability. Previous leadership experience includes supervising supply chain analysts, managing supplier relationships, supporting distribution to thousands of retail locations, and improving underperforming operations.

Hands-on, analytical problem solver with the ability to quickly understand operational challenges, identify root causes, coordinate across functions, and implement practical solutions. APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) with extensive experience working across retail, consumer products, manufacturing, and distribution environments.

CORE SKILLS

Supply Chain Operations • Distribution • Inventory Management • Inventory Control • Procurement • Purchasing • Replenishment • Product Allocation • Demand & Supply Planning • Forecasting • S&OP • Supplier Relations • Logistics • Assortment Management • Process Improvement • Operational Analysis • KPI Reporting • Team Leadership • Cross-Functional Collaboration • Microsoft Excel • Tableau • Alteryx

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Pathfinder Analytical Solutions

Owner & Lead Consultant

Chattanooga, TN 2021 – Present

Provide independent analytical and operational support focused on helping organizations improve inventory performance, business processes, reporting, and operational decision-making.

●Evaluate operational performance to identify opportunities to improve inventory, efficiency, costs, and profitability.

●Analyze product movement, customer demand, and business performance to support inventory and operational decisions.

●Develop reporting and analytical tools that help managers identify issues, monitor performance, and take corrective action.

●Support inventory management, process improvement, and operational planning initiatives.

●Work directly with stakeholders to understand business needs, troubleshoot problems, and implement practical solutions.

●Independently manage multiple projects, priorities, deadlines, and stakeholder requirements.

Walmart

Business Analysis Senior Manager

Bentonville, AR 2022 – 2023

Supported Walmart Private Brands operations through business analysis and performance reporting across sales, profitability, product availability, inventory-related performance, traffic, and other operating metrics.

●Monitored sales, profit, in-stock performance, market share, traffic, conversion, and category performance.

●Identified business and product availability issues requiring management attention.

●Enhanced monthly P&L reporting to provide greater visibility into operational and business performance.

●Analyzed changing product demand and purchasing patterns to support assortment and product decisions.

●Partnered across functions to provide timely information supporting business planning and operational decisions.

McKee Foods Corporation

Data Scientist

Collegedale, TN 2018 – 2020

Supported business operations, logistics, reporting, and decision-making through analytics, process automation, and optimization.

●Designed an optimized routing workflow considering distance, delivery timing, and destination profitability to improve logistical efficiency and support cost management.

●Built and automated business reporting systems that reduced manual workload and improved access to timely operating information.

●Developed and deployed more than 24 automated reports supporting five business departments.

●Worked across functions to identify operational requirements and develop practical analytical solutions.

●Managed enterprise reporting systems, user support, training, and process improvements.

Category Development Lead

Collegedale, TN 2012 – 2018

Supported product assortment, inventory availability, retail execution, and business performance across major national retailers.

●Developed product assortment recommendations using sales, demand, shopper, and retailer performance information.

●Identified distribution gaps, out-of-stock opportunities, assortment issues, and underperforming products.

●Developed shopper-specific assortment programs across four retailers that contributed to an average 12% increase in base sales.

●Integrated retailer POS and internal business data to improve visibility into product and category performance.

●Collaborated with sales, marketing, category management, and retail partners to implement business initiatives.

●Trained and coached interns and team members on reporting, analytical projects, and business problem solving.

Decision Support Analyst

Collegedale, TN 2009 – 2012

Supported supply chain planning, forecasting, S&OP, inventory optimization, and operational decision-making.

●Integrated external freezer costs into the company's S&OP optimization model to improve 52-week production and product transfer planning.

●Developed tools to optimize seasonal product freezing and inventory plans across manufacturing facilities.

●Developed a promotional forecast adjustment application supporting forecasting for the company's top 20 retail chains.

●Maintained and enhanced optimization models using RiverLogic Enterprise Optimizer.

●Used cost, capacity, demand, inventory, and operational data to support planning decisions and improve resource utilization.

Anderson News Company

Supply Chain Manager

Knoxville, TN 2008 – 2009

Promoted into supply chain leadership after progressive roles in purchasing, distribution, allocation, merchandising, and inventory management.

●Supervised a team of four Supply Chain Analysts responsible for procurement, product allocation, and distribution activities.

●Developed a proprietary procurement system improving visibility and control over purchasing and inventory decisions.

●Expanded purchasing responsibilities to integrate procurement, allocations, and distribution planning for more than 2,000 titles.

●Coordinated across purchasing, distribution, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to support product availability and efficient inventory movement.

Magazine Buyer

Knoxville, TN 2006 – 2007

Managed procurement, supplier relationships, inventory, product allocation, and distribution for a large retail product portfolio.

●Managed purchasing, distribution, and supplier relationships for more than 396 titles generating approximately $209 million in annual retail sales.

●Led development and implementation of a streamlined procurement process supporting an assortment exceeding 3,000 products distributed to approximately 16,000 retail locations.

●Maintained inventory turns averaging approximately 11 times annually.

●Assumed responsibility for an underperforming product portfolio and restored profitability within seven months.

●Balanced sales opportunity, inventory requirements, distribution efficiency, and supplier relationships in purchasing decisions.

Distribution Analyst / Seasonal & Regional Specialist

Knoxville, TN 1999 – 2006

Supported retail distribution, product allocation, merchandising, inventory efficiency, and promotional planning.

●Improved product sales by 12% and efficiency rates by 6% through implementation of front-end planogram management.

●Developed distribution and targeting strategies that increased sales of regional and specialty products by approximately 40%.

●Built a methodology for identifying optimal retail locations for promotions using product sales, traffic, promotional themes, historical performance, display capacity, and class of trade.

●Used store-level performance information to improve product allocation and distribution decisions.

SELECTED OPERATIONS ACHIEVEMENTS

●Supervised a team of four Supply Chain Analysts responsible for procurement, allocation, and distribution.

●Managed procurement and distribution for products generating approximately $209M in annual retail sales.

●Supported product distribution across approximately 16,000 retail locations.

●Managed large product assortments while maintaining approximately 11 annual inventory turns.

●Restored profitability to an underperforming product portfolio within seven months.

●Supported 52-week production and transfer planning through S&OP optimization.

●Developed forecasting solutions supporting top retail customers.

●Created logistics optimization solutions incorporating delivery distance, timing, and profitability.

●Improved sales and operational efficiency through inventory, allocation, merchandising, and distribution improvements.

EDUCATION

North Carolina State University

Bachelor of Science, Business Management

Marketing Concentration

CERTIFICATION

Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) – APICS

TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft Excel • Tableau • Alteryx • Power BI • SQL • RiverLogic • JDA • Retail POS Systems • Microsoft Office

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