Download Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University

FIRST NAME A. LAST NAME
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A business-building executive with over ten years experience working with leading retail and consumer businesses
in the United States, Canada and Europe. Expert in discovering specific consumer needs and motivations and
translating findings into tactical and strategic commercial ideas and brand-building agendas.
Excel in management of cross-functional teams resulting in innovative solutions.
Areas of Expertise:
 Brand Strategy Development
 Marketing Strategy
 Identification of Growth Opportunities
 Operations/Process Improvement
 Non-traditional Research Approaches
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Strategic Planning
New Product/Concept Development
Project Management
Team Development & Leadership
Consumer-centric Research Methodology Development
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
COMPANY, INC.
Director (promoted from manager), Division, City, State
2001 to Present
 Managed a multidisciplinary team of design, merchandising, marketing, planning and store operations. As
the leader of the Sub-Brand Taskforce, I am responsible for identifying growth opportunities; developing
research methodologies; managing analysis; translating findings into strategic marketing and new
product/concept opportunities; and presenting conclusions and recommendations to Company's Senior
Executive Team.
- Led and/or participated in the development and implementation of strategies generated from ongoing
research.
- Grew Brand’s largest sub-brand by $128 million (31%).
- Identified Sub-brand marketing and product opportunities with the potential to generate over $600
million in incremental sales by 2007.
- Planned and managed the largest, most successful product launch in Brand’s history, with over $14
million in product sales during a five week launch period. Launched bra is currently the third highest
selling bra in the Brand collection, with sales of $71 million in 2002.
 Led a team of four analyst and three external vendors in a large-scale, multi-business study of Brand’s Brand
Equities. Self-initiated research produced an in-depth understanding of the emotional connection between the
consumer and Brand, and competitive brands, gaining true insight into the hearts and the minds of Brand’s
target consumers.
- Led the development of strategies generated from research.
- Developed a clear understanding of the impact of existing, emerging and missing brand equities (image
building, destroying or neutral) in relation to the equities of existing and emerging competitors. These
findings are driving short-term tactical improvements, as well as the long-term strategic positioning of
Brand.
- Recommended strategic marketing initiatives that will enable Brand to remain relevant to current top
customers while gaining greater loyalty from the occasional shopper.
- Identified new product and concept opportunities that enhance the image of the brand while producing
incremental sales of up to $1 billion by 2007.
 Led a cross-functional team of five analysts in a qualitative study of Brand’s share-of-drawer among current
customers. Study focused on understanding marketplace trends and gathering competitive intelligence.
- Developed an in-depth understanding of the Brand’s customer’s lingerie drawer, providing a detailed
understanding of customer’s lingerie in her own words and the “why” behind her behavior.
- Applied psychographic, demographic and purchase behavior variables to better understand consumer
trends and segments.
- Uncovered actionable growth opportunities for Brand’s bra and panty strategy, providing the potential to
double bra and panty sales over the next five years.
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FIRST NAME A. LAST NAME - Page Two
 Conducted a sub-branding and customer segmentation study to better understand Brand’s sub-brands from the
consumer perspective. Study explored customer sub-brand awareness, perceived product benefits (technical,
functional and emotional) and strategic marketing opportunities. Research identified clusters of unmet
consumer needs from a product and marketing perspective and demonstrated the potential business benefits of
applying a market and customer segmentation strategy to the current and future sub-branding strategies.
 Assisted Company's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Taskforce in identifying consumer behavioral
patterns and developing CRM strategies to increase loyalty and drive sales among existing Brand customers.
XYZ, LLC
Global Service Line Leader, Consumer Relevancy, City, State
2000-2001
 Managed sales, marketing and project implementation globally for Consumer Relevancy, a XYZ proprietary
methodology planned to generate over $20 million in annual revenue. Consumer Relevancy provides a
comprehensive framework for interpreting consumer behavior, uncovering unmet consumer needs,
evaluating business-to-consumer strategies and making strategic and operational improvements.
 Managed all aspects of the Consumer Relevancy methodology development and product deployment:
- Translated primary/secondary and qualitative/quantitative research and analysis needs into detailed
project plans (internal resources, vendor selection, methodology and timing), prioritizing and leading the
execution of these projects.
- Developed approach and managed execution of qualitative and quantitative research analysis of over
10,000 consumers.
- Conducted interviews with senior executives from over two dozen retail and consumer products
companies.
- Developed and implemented internal and external Consumer Relevancy marketing programs.
 Project manager, research coordinator and content provider for internationally distributed, bestselling book
based on the Consumer Relevancy methodology. The Myth of Excellence: Why Great Companies Never Try
To Be The Best At Everything (Ryan Mathews & Fred Crawford, Crown Business, 2001) provides a
blueprint for companies seeking to offer values-based products and services and shows how to realize the
commercial opportunities that exist just beyond its current grasp – opportunities to reduce operating cost,
boost bottom-line profitability and, most importantly, begin to engage in a meaningful dialogue with
consumers.
 Managed several Consumer Relevancy projects in the United States and Europe. The Consumer Relevancy
methodology assisted clients in determining their optimal market position and transforming their businesses to
provide a customer-oriented solution by:
- Targeting specific consumer needs as understood through the analysis of consumer lifestyle patterns.
- Providing a mechanism to understand consumer’s perception of the company relative to its competitors
and other marketplace dynamics.
Manager, Retail & Consumer Products Industry Services, New York, NY
1997-2000
 Worked with over a dozen major retail and consumer products companies, leading client teams to diagnose
strategic and operational issues, conduct analyses of targeted consumer segments, synthesize results, and
present recommended growth strategies for both domestic and global markets to senior management.
 Supported client engagements as a subject matter expert in Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
strategies. Activities included the assessing of businesses’ consumer strategies, identifying opportunities
and developing solutions related to market and merchandising strategies.
FIRST NAME A LAST NAME - Page Three
Senior Consultant (promoted from Staff Consultant),
Management Consulting Services, Detroit, MI
1995-1997
 Assisted in the business process reengineering of store operations for a $1 billion, 2000 store international
specialty apparel retailer. Initiative successfully transformed the business processes of: receiving, pricing,
returns, inventory control, transfers, and labor scheduling.
 Streamlined the merchandise allocation and assortment processes and developed a store optimization
program across an eight chain retailer through the development of targeted customer segments based on
demographic and pshychographic attributes. Worked with the client to develop detailed process models,
communication networks, and training programs to roll out change initiatives.
TOYS R US
Assistant Store Director (promoted from manager), Detroit, MI
1995
 Overall accountability for a retail store that consistently exceeded plan, with $13 million in annual sales
and 15% comparative store sales. Responsibilities included controlling expenses; analyzing financial
reports and monitoring store inventory value and profit margins; researching, tracking and predicting
merchandise trends; developing and executing human resource programs and plans; and analyzing the
impact of community events and economic changes on the company, its employees, and its customers.
Manager, Inventory & Merchandising, Detroit, MI
1993-1995
 Managed all store inventory functions, including receiving and storage of goods, sales floor
merchandising and the development of visual displays. Additionally, selected from a pool of over 100
managers to develop and facilitate inventory control training for new managers and to plan and lead in
regional store remodels and new store openings.
Manager, Store Operations, Boston, MA
1993
 Direct responsibility for all retail and store operations functions including loss prevention, cash control
and maintenance; developed and rolled out regional store employee programs to improve customer
service; and facilitated Effective Management Skills, a management training series for new managers.
EDUCATION:
MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – EXECUTIVE PROGRAM
Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
 Concentration in marketing strategy
2001
BACHELOR OF ARTS, SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
1992
 Concentrations in anthropology and sociology
 Achieved proficiency in Japanese as a result of over four years of education and experience, benefiting
from a one-year work/study program in Shiga, Japan
PUBLISHED MATERIAL:
 The Myth of Excellence: Why Great Companies Never Try To Be The Best At Everything (Ryan Mathews
& Fred Crawford, Crown Business, 2001) - Project manager, research coordinator and content provider
for this internationally distributed, best selling book. Debuted on the Wall Street Journal’s list of Best
Selling Business Books; named to Business Weeks bestseller list; and bestseller on Amazon.com, which
selected it an Editor’s Pick on the list of twelve best business books of 2001.
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XYZ’s 1997 Global Retailing Study - Project manager, research coordinator and content provider for
special study published in Chain Store Age in December 1997. Study helped retailers better understand
and manage issues of expansion into the international economy and included primary research gathered
from a cross-section of senior executives in over a dozen countries, as well as extensive secondary
research.
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Frequent contributor, as a consumer trends subject matter expert, to business and trade publications
including Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Women’s Wear Daily, Chain Store Age and Stores Magazine.