Managed a nine state territory to develop the product utilization of sustainable products through more than fifty distributors.•Developed relationships with key distributors seeking sustainable single use foodservice products in the Chicago and St Louis Market. Created $7.2 million in new business within 18 months that resulted in doubling the territory case volume.•Negotiated national contracts with Edward Don & Company and Gordon Food Service to add an additional $5 million in annual sales.•Created custom print product placement plan to anchor 20% of a distributor’s sales in this segment which reduced opportunities of conversion to competitor’s products. Provided regional account target list, conducted joint sales meetings, and authorized contracts and pricing for approved custom print business. •Evaluated and managed account development of 15 broker representatives to focus strategic growth in universities and health care. Established annual sales and product utilization goals for distributors, conducted monthly broker reviews to evaluate sales pipeline and relationship building with new and existing customers. •Researched market trends and scheduled sales presentations with key accounts to demonstrate sustainable product opportunities that increased the number of unique products sold through distribution. •Managed the staging of new product sales by working in collaboration with the demand planning team to accurately enter new business opportunities into Netsuite. Developed strategic partnerships with distributors to ensure product availability meets/exceeds their customer’s expectations.

Developed a comprehensive business plan for artisan cheese sales nationally that refocused the brand positioning, sales goals and marketing strategies.•Created annual retailer promotion template for national account managers with pre-set marketing modules to increase residual product placement. Created Incentives for retailers to support and grow the La Bottega brand of products with in-kind store support.•Established strategic priorities with thirty six broker representatives and conducted sales calls with brokers to identify opportunities for new product placement in existing accounts.•Scheduled weekly meetings with national account managers to review sales performance, broker management, and SKU performance by retailer.•Collaborated with the marketing team to create an executive action plan that prioritized areas of improvement and budget allocations to increase brand awareness on social media and retailer promotion.

Managed the national and regional sales of cow and goat milk cheeses to food service and retail business opportunities and aggressively grew sales by pursuing new customer prospects and distributor opportunities.•Developed a strategic plan that identified gaps and opportunities to leverage cross selling opportunities of Saxon Creamery and LaClare Family Farms brands in the Midwest which resulted in $4.75 million in new sales within two years.•Negotiated distribution contract with Kehe to increase retail placements of goat cheese. Secured new product placements of Laclare cheeses with HyVee, Mariano’s, Jewel, and Fresh Thyme.•Directed private label on-boarding fresh goat chèvre for food service distribution with Schreiber Cheese and Masters Gallery that resulted in annual sales or $1.5 million. Created an implementation schedule and managed the completion of required regulatory tasks. Acted as the team lead between the customer, manufacturing and supply chain to ensure timely delivery of quality products and the ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.•Managed twelve broker representatives in 6 states to establish territory goals, conducted monthly product line reviews and approved promotional calendars for each account. Provided merchandising and category recommendations to support sales growth.•Forecasted and managed retail trade and distributor promotional spending budget. Evaluated effectiveness to increase product placement and product sale frequency to ensure continued product placement.

Overview of duties: Managed the national sales of grass fed cow milk cheeses to food service and retail business opportunities by expanding distribution opportunities.•Established national sales strategy for Saxon Creamery grass fed cheese that resulted in new product placements at Costco. Whole Foods, and HyVee which contributed to $5.25 million in new sales within two years; doubling the poundage of cheese sold.•Increased distribution in retail and foodservice by negotiating contracts with DPI, Gourmet Foods International, and Gordon Food Service.•Managed eight broker representatives covering 6 states to identify new business targets and manage key relationships. •Created distributor development plans to identify growth opportunities and increase the selection of cheeses sold. Conducted distributor sales seminars and joint sales calls with distributor representatives to establish best practices for product positioning and placement.•Developed a business plan to introduce exact weight consumer packaging for retail sales. Converting to a UPC based product increased placement opportunities and better utilized available promotional resources.•Attended food shows and promotional events to prospect and secure new product placements.