Thomas Lonsway

*** ***** ***** **** *********, Ca 92024 mufdec@r.postjobfree.com home 760-***-**** mobile 858-***-****

EDUCATION:

MBA, Finance & Business Strategy Concentration, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA May 1999

BS Agricultural Business, Marketing Concentration, CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY July 1991

SUMMARY: Consistent record of building business in diverse consumer-centric industries, marketing services retail management. Extensive experience in corporate re-engineering to accelerate profitability through improved customer loyalty, supply chain efficiencies and new products. Strong change agent, leading with sound strategic vision based upon consumer focus, inspiring ownership and profit growth accountability.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

DESIGNING HEALTH, VALENCIA, CA JULY 2011 – CURRENT

20+ year old pet supplement manufacturer and marketer of the Missing Link Brand along with contract Manufacturing.

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Lead manager to reinvent brand identity and strengthen brand identity. Equipped sales-force with improved collateral, products and programs to optimize new item placement and off shelf displays. Coordinated with operations, finance and company owners to adjust products and advertising for increased retail turns.

• Analyzed syndicated data to reposition current products and launch new items. Also used the data for sales collateral that successfully gained new item placements (Wakefern, Whole Foods, Petco, Petsmart, Petsence, Pet Supplies Plus) and countless off shelf displays. Porto Rico, Middle East and Europe launch via distributors.

• Developed distributor sales drives utilizing WebX trainings and customized programs to better incentivize field sales (Best Friends Products, Animal Supply, Mid-West Veterinarian Supplies, Southland, Zeus & Company)

• Oversaw creative agency to develop revised packaging. Instituted a process to coordinate feedback from internal management, customers and consumers. Roll-out strategy to gain new customers while minimizing confusion.

• New item development of Small Animal and Canine Small Breed supplement lines. Coordinating with formulators, operations, creative and testing via strategic alliance with 4-H.

• Instituted the creation and integration of social media (facebook, twitter, website, search engine optimization) with traditional print and radio advertising. This “Surround Sound Marketing” engaged consumer and improved business to business leads.

ORGANIC MILLING COMPANY, SAN DIMAS, CA SEP 2009 – JULY 2011

50+ year old manufacturer of breakfast cereals, granolas and oatmeal (branded, food service and private label)

Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Recruited by President to reenergize the product portfolio and reignite growth and profitability through restructuring of resources to maximize effectiveness across functions. Introduced disciplined, collaborative and results oriented performance standards; focused food service and branded produts to expand distribution; updated and improved relevance of Organic Milling branded products (Nutritious Living, Mill Select, Vitacrunch); and initiated a comprehensive forecasting system to enhance raw material/inventory planning and financial reporting. Direct internal staff of four and an extensive broker and distributor network.

• Designed and executed Organic Milling’s branded products revitalization strategy: updated sales collateral with consumer health trends/concerns and syndicated data, innovative product packaging and improved sales planning. Drove distribution gains in health food (Whole Foods, Sprouts, CAP) and grocery/mass market channels (Costco, Hannaford, Wakefern, Harris Teeter, Kroger West, Big Lots, Woolworth International & Stater Brothers).

• For all branded, foodservice and private label products: secured the Paperboard Packaging Council’s 100% Recyclable logo license at no charge. Reworked over 180 different product call-outs to meet new regulatory standards while still addressing key consumer concerns. Launched gluten free, GMO free, prebiotic, probiotic, yogurt coated and chocolate enrobed cereal lines. Also launched functional and premium flavored oatmeal lines

• Teamed with R&D, Production and Finance to focus food service and contract manufacturing efforts. Developed improved national brand equivalent to top selling granolas and cereals. Gained domestic distribution at: Aldi, Topco, Safeway, Sunflower., Big Lots, Wakefern, Bargain Wholesale, Earth Fare, Western Family, Price Chopper Harris Teeter and Sysco. Created category unique items for Fresh & Easy, Trader Joe’s, Gibbs & McCormick and Whole Foods. Developed brand contract manufacturing with Revolution Foods.

• Shifted sales planning from a data collection and mining function to a critical business tool with a strong solutions to minimize tying up capitol in raw materials while elevating customer service and sales development. Initiated retail category review tracking system that ensured timely, account specific presentations.

• Expanded to international markets: Woolworth Australia & South Africa, Coles Australia, Loblaw, Overweightea, Shoppers Drug Mart, Metro, Igea Life, N. American Tea & Coffee, Federated Coop and Back to Nature Australia

• Overhauled the corporate website to better communicate company capabilities and offerings. Incorporated user-friendly tools to attract potential customers via search engines. Segmented information to allow the relevant customer type to find their information within two clicks.

• Defined and enhanced forecasting and reporting systems to reflect item specific longest lead time raw material component, improved margin and customer/product profitability analyses. Ultimately this provides management with critical business data for decision support and accurate product line / operating expense capability.

RAINBOW LIGHT NUTRITION SYSTEMS, SANTA CRUZ, CA OCT 2007 – SEP 2009

$50MM Leader in Branded Natural: Vitamins, Nutrition Supplements and Protein Powders

Vice President, Sales

Member of the Executive Team with customer relationship management responsibility. Accountability included managing the sales organization, channel/customer strategy, pricing, customer marketing and trade relations. Created and implemented short / medium / long term business planning and performance analysis. Reviewed sales, marketing and financial models to identify opportunity gaps and created solutions to issues or plans to further positive momentum. Designed and executed go-to-market strategies including planning, advertising, promotions, cost management, customer service, sales forecasting and new product, business and account development. Led a team of five Sales Directors, eight Regional Managers, supporting staff and the broker / distributor network.

• Managed sales strategy and national sales teams for Rainbow Light’s business units: Natural Channel, Mass Market, Pet Specialty, Direct to Consumer and E-Tailers. Grew sales revenue from $38MM to $50MM

• Initiated rigorous sales development program to advance account penetration, including clear directives, standards and objectives. Segmentation framework to focus priorities and resource allocation around profitable growth potential, channel expansion and improved customer insights.

• Achieved national vendor partnership at Whole Foods and category captain status at several regional food retailers. This resulted in achieving optimum shelf placement while reducing promotion, training and event costs by 6%. Secured GNC distribution, added 50 SKUs at Sunflower Market and expanded Vitamin Shoppe distribution from 8 to 22 SKUs.

• Expanded Rainbow Light branded products into Mass Market (food, drug & mass merchants). Developed spending matrix to quantify distribution ROI to executive team and accurate forecast sales volumes. Utilized syndicated data and account specific intelligence to negotiate distribution and retail price points at: Rite Aid, Target, CVS, Kroger, Walgreens, WalMart, SuperVal, Publix and countless regional chains.

• Pioneered launch of GreenDog Nutrition brand, gaining Pet Specialty Channel distribution at Pet Supplies Plus, Holistic Pet Source, RFG, Petco and independent pet specialty retailers. Drove new channel sales to $4MM.

• Redesigned inside sales compensation plan to more effectively motivate staff and increase focus on revised corporate imperatives (outlying “Vacant House” territories, International, e-commerce accounts) without cannibalizing traditional retail sales within the various Rainbow Light business units.

• Introduced sales support team Standards of Performance and created reports with tracking tools to ensure timely, accurate dissemination of critical data, collateral materials and images.

• Collaborated with marketing to provide customer/market feedback fueling the product development process. Shaped interactive system for pre-launch mock-up selling to gain early distribution agreements from key retailers that delivered solid production runs and immediate sales upon launch.

THE COROMEGA COMPANY, VISTA, CA NOV 2003 – SEP 2007

Manufacturer and marketer of premium brand of supplements and vitamins

Vice President, Sales

Appointed to accelerate penetration of key U.S. health and mass market retailers for this privately-held supplements provider. Launched the company’s inaugural sales organization, policies and programs and installed classic consumer goods sales disciplines. Customer partnership business model that set the standard for solutions selling, integrated business planning and long-term customer-driven alliances. Coordinated with operations, finance and marketing to attain profitability and ensure adequate inventories and strong sell-through. Recruited and hired two Regional Managers, one Marketing Manager, an Assistant, and built a network of brokers and distributors.

• Doubled or tripled distribution at existing health food and specialty accounts (Vitamin Cottage, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, Super Supplements, Richards Whole Foods, Sprouts, AZ Health Foods) and expanded distribution to new accounts (Whole Foods, GNC, Wild Oats, Sunflower, Earth Fare, Hi Health, Akins/Chamberlains, Mustard Seed, New Seasons, Vitamin Adventure, Mrs. Greens, Fruitful Yield, Peachtree Natural Foods, Better Health). Drove channel sales up +450% while maintaining profitability and inventory levels.

• Instituted Independent Health Retailer Prepack Promotions that tripled distribution at 2100 independent stores and doubled distribution at another 1800.

• Penetrated the mass market channel and brokered strong relationships at key accounts including: Supervalu (All Banners), Big Y, Hannaford, Ahold, Publix, HEB, Marsh, Lowes, Spartan, Hy-Vee, Winn Dixie, Wegmans, Kroger, Ahold, Giant Eagle, Meijer, USA Drug, Kerr Drug, Harris Teeter, Ingles, King Kullen and Lewis Drug. Negotiated placements that removed costly flat rate advertising fees to profitably grow channel sales from $100K to $3.5MM.

• Crafted a new national go-to-market model comprised of brokers, distribution centers, wholesalers and direct-store-door-distribution.

• Pioneered with negotiations; avoiding flat rate fees for retail distribution/promotions along with no broker retainers.

• Launched fact-based category management presentations via syndicated data, health science white papers and consumer trends data.

• Worked with customers to develop customized retailer-specific promotional plans, initiatives and off-shelf display activities to drive incremental growth and sell-through. Conceived, sourced and launched versatile floorstands-wingracks, counter displays and clip-strip style gravity feed displays. Each of these displays offered an inexhaustible Coromega product combination of assortments. Sold 8,500+ pre-filled shippers.

• Devised system to ensure retailer promotions execution in exchange for discounts. The system also allowed accounting to quickly clear promotional bills/deductions and immediately dispute erroneous deductions.

KASHI COMPANY, LAJOLLA, CA (ACQUIRED BY KELLOGG COMPANY JULY 2000) FEB 1999 – OCT 2003

Marketer of branded functional foods: breakfast foods, cookies, crackers and meal replacement bars / beverages

Vice President, Sales

Sales leader with responsibility for organizational structure, strategic business planning and market development design. Directed field / trade marketing, logistics and distribution; driving North American sales to $117MM annually while continually improving company profit margins and cash flow position. Managed four Regional Sales Managers.

• Developed Kashi’s comprehensive, long-term business development strategy. Leveraged core natural food competencies to enhance growth. Driving this franchise from $11MM sales in 1999 to $117MM in 2003.

• Transformed field sales representation from niche specialty brokers to more resourceful, responsive first-tier broker organizations delivering improved distribution, pricing, placement and display activity.

• Introduced fact-based selling based on category and account specific IRI/Spectra data to increase ACV distribution +56%. Also, leveraged this information to more effectively focus consumer advertising.

• Re-engineered promotional and bracket pricing, eliminating deal buy-outs by transitioning promotions from off invoice to bill backs for negotiated performance, and shifting distributor and wholesaler buy-in volume incentives to reflect only logistical cost savings. Achieved 9.3% internal profit margin improvement with no ultimate effect on customer purchasing behavior.

• Designed and executed plan to grow sales at existing clients and penetrate new retail classes across the U.S. and Canada. Drove a 4X sales increase at key chain grocery accounts and securing distribution in alternate channels generating $30MM in incremental sales: club (Costco, BJ’s), c-store (7-Eleven), discount (Target, WalMart, Pamida), drug (CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen, Eckerd) and military.

• Initiated aggressive Canadian market thrust that aligned and focused financial and intellectual resources against marketplace/consumer/regulatory issues. This resulted in $18MM in sales at key retailers: Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Zeller’s, GNC Canada, Costco Canada, Safeway Canada, Overwaitea, Jean Coutu, London Drug, Sobeys, IGA and WalMart Canada.

BECTON DICKINSON COMPANY – CONSUMER PRODUCTS DIVISION, FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ APR 1992 – FEB 1999

Fortune 500 manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer product health supplies, equipment and home diagnostic products. Drove growth with traditional and alternative channel retail classes of trade.

Regional Account Manager, West (8/96-2/99)

Senior Sales Key Account Manager, AZ & Southern CA (9/93-8/96)

Sales Representative, Southern California (4/92-9/93)

Progressed through successive sales and sales management assignments, culminating in promotion to Regional Account Manager–West. Responsible for marketing the consumer product portfolio, including insulin delivery/control, fever measurement, home diagnostic devices, elastic health supports (Ace brand) and medical gloves. Developed and executed strategic plans that exceeded sales and profit growth objectives. Gained broad trade understanding and consumer insight through a diversity of experiences including national account management, and direct and wholesale/distributor sales. Account management of: grocery, drug, electronics, mass merchandisers, department store, E-Tail, specialty retailers along with physicians groups, trade organizations and mail order firms.

• Delivered top tier sales performances, Winners Circle Awards (top three percent) in 1993, 1995 and 1996.

• Achieved recognition as company-wide resource for top sales talent development for “Plugging Into Diabetes” training program and on-going efforts in wholesale/distributor, plan-o-gram, retail support training initiatives.

JCPENNEY CORPORATION, DALLAS, TX AUG 1991 – MAR 1992

Mens’ Department Trainee and then Manager, Decentralized Retailer – Torrance, CA

• Decentralized retail chain. Responsible for all aspects of HR, Profit/Loss, procurement and merchandising. Successfully completed JC Penney Management Training Program

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