General Manager

Functional Summary: ••••• years of Product Development and Merchandising experience in customer focused specialty mail order and retail businesses. Considerable experience in production sourcing. Successful track record with concept and brand development, creative process management, financial analyses, vendor partnership, inventory management, and manufacturing. Highly skilled in building and leading cross-functional teams.•••••Marketing Expertise
Directed product development, marketing, advertising, inventory management, and merchandise planning for all off-price mail order, brand management, manufacturing, product development, people management and P&L responsibility.
Directed product development, marketing, advertising, inventory management, and merchandise planning for all off-price mail order, branch store, and e-commerce channels.
Increased profitability by •••••% on a sales increase of 5% between ••••• and ••••• on a base of $••••• million.
Co-authored original business plan and facilitated annual strategic planning process.
Developed and executed cohesive brand and marketing strategy across all off-price channels.
Established consistent pricing architecture.
Facilitated the liquidation of all under performing assets while protecting the corporate brand integrity.•••••Product Line Responsibility
Led the strategic direction and cross-functional work team for Outdoor Living and Gift mail order and retail business units. Increased sales from $••••• million to $••••• million, a •••••% increase in two years.
Established and strengthened core product programs which represented •••••% of the divisions sales and profits.
Identified and maximized outdoor furnishings and holiday gift growth opportunities, through effective merchandising of core and specialty catalog titles. •••••Manufacturing Experience
Developed and executed strategic business and product strategies for $••••• million manufacturing division. Directed the development and sourcing of $••••• million worth of unique products for international and domestic channels of distribution.
Provide a motivating environment for a staff of •••••, resulting in less that 7% attrition over three years.
Prepared and managed $•••••,••••• operating and $•••••,••••• capital budgets within 5% of plan.
Created a new product introduction process and procedure that cut ••••• business days out of the •••••month new product development cycle.
Instituted accurate bills of materials, specifications, field -test reports, prototypes and assembly instructions, leading to a significant reduction in the cost of poor quality.
Led a business process improvement project resulting in higher worker morale and new product speed to market.
Directed the assignments of ••••• manufacturing professionals and five subcontractors on three continents to help reinvent •••••s legendary Maine Hunting Shoe.
Led the development and tooling for the divisions first apparel production line.
Member of the management team which won ••••• Quality and Productivity Management Association Leadership Award, the ••••• Margaret Chase Smith Maine State Quality Award, and Apparel Industry Magazines ••••• All-Star Award.•••••Product Development and Sourcing
Developed new products and marketing strategies for a $••••• million domestic and international footwear business.
Merchandised footwear for a flagship store, resulting in same store sales increase of •••••% per year for three years.
Took a bottom-line approach to domestic and offshore markets by accurately detailing currency purchases, U.S. Customs forms, and letters of credit and documents of inspection.•••••••••• E. •••••
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Financial and Inventory Control
Improved profitability of a $••••• million home furnishings business an average of 5% for five seasons by decreasing vendor production lead times, increasing inventory turns and cutting carrying costs.
Reduced customer service costs on delivery of perishable products by $•••••,••••• through better planning, forecasting and communication.
Created a set / components strategy that cut warehouse space requirements for large-cube products by •••••%, postponing the cost of adding warehouse space.
Developed and executed corporate sales, profitability and service goals through aggressive statistical control.•••••Retailing Experience
Helped Bottom-line responsibility for the procurement of $••••• million worth of nationally recognized brands of footwear, apparel, home furnishings, gifts and accessories.
Executed strategic and tactical merchandizing plans for five unique product groups.
Acquired expertise as a front line negotiator in positions of increasing responsibility over four and a half years.
Formulated distribution strategies of assigned product categories for a •••••store chain.
Developed seasonal plans for print and advertising in seven states.
Prepared specific product inventory plans for ••••• new store openings in five states over three years.•••••PROFESSIONAL ••••• INC.•••••••••• - •••••
General Merchandise Manager •••••••••• - •••••
L.L. Bean Factory Stores and Freeport Studio Outlets
Product Line Manager •••••••••• •••••
Manager, Manufacturing Product Development ••••••••••
Assistant Manager, Manufacturing Sales and Engineering •••••••••• •••••
Assistant Product Manager••••• ••••••••••
Assistant Manager, Inventory Control•••••••••••••••FILENES BASEMENT ••••••••••
Buyer, Footwear/Apparel ••••••••••
Merchandise Coordinator••••••••••
Assistant Buyer / Trainee•••••••••••••••EDUCATION
Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH, MBA, Graduated March •••••
Bentley College, Waltham, MA, •••••, non-degree studies in business information systems.
University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, BS Degree, Major: Education and Behavioral Sciences. Graduated May •••••
Total Quality Management, Business Process Improvement, Situational Leadership, Applied Leadership, ••••• Training and Development.•••••COMMUNITY SERVICE
Board Member - U.S. Small Business Administration Maine District Advisory Council.
United Way Business Unit Manager, •••••, •••••,•••••, and •••••
Member - National Youth Sports Coaches Association•••••PERSONAL
Member - Direct Marketing Association
Member - Former Member National Product Development and Management Association.
Active in fly-fishing, back packing, golf, cooking and gardening.•••••References Available upon Request