RONALD S. HAMILTON134 Walnut Street · Douglas MA 01516 · (401) 651-2350 · Rhamilton99@charter.net _____________________________________ OBJECTIVE _____________________________________ A position in managing the sales and marketing process in a consumer goods environment where my understanding of the manufacturing and retail environments, combined with my ability to conceive, develop and launch innovative products will lead to increased sales, market share and profitability. ______________________________ PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY______________________________ A seasoned professional with a background in retailing, sales and marketing, skilled in conceiving, developing and launching new products and programs that focus on meeting the needs of the consumer. My credentials combine backgrounds in operations, retail financial planning, category management and sales/marketing into a comprehensive whole that provides a solid base for managing products from conception to launch. My MBA with a focus on consumer purchasing behavior and economics provides me with a means of developing consumer friendly programs, as well as those that meet the financial needs of the corporation. ____________________________ PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ____________________________ Black Opal Inc. – Westborough, MA – 2004-PresentA U.S. based company importing confections and other consumables from Australia specializing in gourmet licorice. Vice President, Marketing and Business Development· Directed changes in product design and packaging to appeal to U.S. Purchasing professionals and ultimate consumers.· Created new partnerships and business opportunities with major retailers and various brokerages across the country (Target, CVS Rite Aid etc.).· Developed marketing strategy for each class of trade (Food, Drug, Mass, Convenience, Specialty).· Responsible for managing start-up business leading to sales of over $1M in less than one year. Hebert Candies – Shrewsbury, MA 2003-2004A confection company specializing in manufacturing gourmet and novelty confections. Vice President, Sales and Marketing, National Accounts (2003-2004)· Conceived, developed and marketed seasonal programs for major national accounts, including Wal-mart, Walgreens, CVS/pharmacy and Brooks Pharmacy. Also managed 20-30 smaller accounts.· Responsible for one third of Hebert Business; grew sales 200% through new product offerings and new business development.· Created and sold new brand, “Hebert Candies Kids!!” that featured novelty candies with play value.· Developed a new business, “On the Go!” tub program that featured chocolate candies packaged in resealable deli tubs that allowed consumers to eat as little or as much chocolate as they wish.· Directed/designed artwork and packaging to reflect product attributes and encourage consumer interest. CVS/Pharmacy, Woonsocket, RI - 1977-2003A $24 billion pharmacy/health and beauty aid organization.Category Manager Assistant (1995-2003)· Developed and launched new private label brands.· Developed item selection for seasonal and special event merchandise programs.· Managed ad planning process for 4000 stores across 23 states and 5 ad regions.· Managed, conducted and presented category reviews. Interim Category Manager (2000-2001)· Full responsibility for category management function while manager was on personal leave.· Responsibilities included ad planning, planogram development, financial budgeting and planning. Pricing Analyst (1997-1997)· Performed and interpreted competitive trend analysis to determine key competitors’ strategic pricing activity and made retail changes based on analysis. Gross margin benefit approached $6M. Merchandising Analyst (1995)· Evaluated merchandising test programs to determine degree of success. Recommended expansion or cancellation based on results.· Prepared monthly financial and category reports for executive management. Project Manager/Corporate Operations (1991-1994)· Developed policies and programs for field management designed to increase productivity and increase levels of customer service. RONALD S. HAMILTON134 Walnut Street · Douglas MA 01516 · (401) 651-2350 · Rhamilton99@charter.net _____________________________________ EDUCATION _____________________________________ MBA, Focus on Consumer Purchasing Behavior, Marketing Science, Micro Economics, Bentley College, 1991BSBA, Focus on Consumer Marketing, Graduated Cum Laude, Northeastern University, 1990 _________________________________ TECHNICAL SKILLS _________________________________ Skilled in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint & Access, knowledgeable in Nielsen, IRI and Spectra._____________________________ SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS _____________________________ Evaluated Black Opal Licorice program being sold in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Re-designed packaging and program to be more planogram friendly to American retailers. Developed product, pricing and promotional programs for each class of trade. Formed network of brokers to assist in launching line.Results: Programs were accepted in Brooks, Eckerd, CVS and Target within 8 months of revamping program. Designed and marketed private label brand of Salted Snacks. Evaluated existing program and performed fair share gap analysis to determine largest opportunity. Reviewed products to determine what would best meet the demographic and psychograhic needs of our customers. Visited plants to evaluate capacity and quality assurance. Selected Supplier with superior technology that provided an additional 45 days of dating. Negotiated final pricing and finalized package design, product specifications and secured additional funding to promote product. Launched Gold Emblem Cheese Puffs approximately six months after conception. Results: Brand became the #2 item in sales in a family of four and #1 in profitability. Managed Category Review Process. Performed initial analysis of category to determine high-level strengths and weakness of current product selection. Analyzed internal and syndicated data to complete the review and determine category strategy and tactics. Performed competitive analysis to identify any strategies that were needed to maintain competitive edge. Ensured that strategies and tactics were consumer focused and maximized GMROI. Finalized review and presented to management. Results: All category reviews delivered on time, financial results met or exceeded industry growth. Managed six busy metropolitan retail stores. Led and developed a staff of six management personnel and 55 hourly associates in a 24-hour retail environment that produced $8.3M in annual sales. Responsible for HR functions, meeting sales, gross margin and payroll budgets and accountable for minimizing inventory shrink. Results: P&L picture improved in every assignment. Planned and developed a merchandising strategy that reconfigured store layouts to appeal to our most valuable consumer segment – women between the ages of 18-54. Partnered with Visual Merchandising, Store Layout and several consulting firms to design a consumables quadrant that focused on providing women with quick and simple meal solutions in an easy-to-shop retail environment. Reviewed consumer focus group data to understand how our target consumer uses our stores. Collaborated with planogram designers to develop a program that reflected how women shop.Results: Snack and Grocery categories experienced growth of 8% and 20% respectively while the industry grew at 3% and 7%. Planned and administered ad planning and sale promotions for five geographical regions for 4000 stores spanning 23 states. Analyzed the variables that impact promotional performance, including page and block placement, pricing and seasonality. Evaluated how promotional results varied and improved when those variables changed. Negotiated funding levels with suppliers to improve sales and gross margin. Made item selection and produced sales and margin forecasts. Completed post-ad analysis to determine if financial objectives had been met.Results: Promotional sales and margin outpaced company performance; Candy up 23%; Company 0.8%). Analyzed current retail pricing structure and worked with consultants to create a pricing system that used artificial intelligence to develop optimal pricing within specific geographical and competitive markets. Used third party company specializing in retail intelligence to monitor competitor pricing on key items. Used that intelligence to perform competitive trend analysis and determine competitor’s strategic pricing activity.Results: System and analysis produced an incremental $6M in gross margin over a 3-month period.
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