James M. Smith
Objective
Ø Seeking a position as a Key Accounts Manager.
Summary
Ø A Sales Professional with experience in Key Accounts, Business Management, Private Label, Client Relations and US business procedures.
Ø Strengths include exceptional negotiating skills, entrepreneurial insight, cold calling success, building client relations and the ability to take a project from start to finish.
Ø Possess lengthy business relationships throughout the Ontario region allowing results unavailable to many others.
Ø Computer literate in many applications, software, hardware and minor coding.
Work Experience
Key Accounts Manager Sepps
Summersweet and Summer Fresh
1998 - 2004
Ø Portfolio of accounts included Sams, A&P Group including private label contact, No Frills, Longos, Rabba, Highland Farms, Concord stores and Druxys. Possessed other accounts during my tenure. Sales relationships included Bakery, Deli, Grocery, Marketing and HMR corporate buyers and directors. Familiar with Wal-Mart and Giant Tiger procedures.
Ø Responsible for sales of manufactured & distributed lines. Accomplished in selling a wide range of products from breads, gingerbread, wraps and other bakery lines, salads, dips, pate, all HMR lines, dry goods, grocery, condiments and a wide range of cheeses both domestic and imported. Lines mentioned are a portion of lines represented.
Ø Increased sales through expanding product listings, securing strategic activity, developing new lines and managing listing base by sku.
Ø Consistently met and exceeded yearly forecast budgets, achieved sales growth for the pate plant not seen by others.
Ø Worked closely with the distributed primaries managing demos and activity including execution of promotional accrual monies. Managed Airmiles on behalf of primaries at A&P.
Ø Coordinated all business related to accounts including rebate accruals, promotions, issues, new launches, budgets, events and business reviews.
Ø Delegated projects and duties to both inside and outside sales reps including promotional & demo execution at store level and new product launches.
Ø Forecast production based on promotional activity secured
Ø Showed highest increases against other reps for manufactured lines. Initiated new projects through product development bringing these into market at the major grocery chains as shown in the next two lines.
Ø Successfully launched bulk Crab Cakes at Dominions. Project took 6 months to perfect the recipe. Volume initiated a switch from DSD to Warehouse along with a pack size increase.
Ø Developed & monitored the launch of a new private label Masters Choice pate for A&P. Team work pulled the project together for an Easter 2004 launch.
Ø Trade show experience covering 12 years.
Ø Shared Summersweet and Summer Fresh rep for most of the employment. Advanced within a matter of months to Key Accounts after being hired to execute a daily sales route as a sales rep.
Ø Computer literate with experience in web design, coding, software and hardware. Involved in minor IT related work along with computer maintenance and repairs time allowing.
Senior Sales Representative, Supervisor Western Creamery Inc (West Hill Dairy)
1991 - 1998
Ø Executed sales calls on key independent accounts, corporate head offices and retail chain stores.
Ø Consistently achieved and surpassed sales goals.
Ø Familiar with US business procedures such as sales, shipping, FDA, distributors, quota & customs. Responsible for maintaining sales in New York, Florida and New Jersey with contact until US sales became stable.
Ø Developed new business through cold calling and additional listings, increased overall manufacturing close to 10 percent.
Ø Trade Show experience.
Ø Supervised driver/route sales force. Monitored their daily routine, visits, sales and returns.
Ø Maintained inventory control for manufactured & distributed lines. Complied purchase orders for distributed and some manufactured.
Ø Four top sales routes fell into my territory.
Ø Within 6 months advanced to junior sales position, 4 months following that started calling on head offices.
Education
Uxbridge Secondary School Grade 12 Diploma.
George Brown Major Appliances & Advanced Electronics
Short courses relating to Food Sales/Strategies and various computer programming language courses.
Achievements
Canadian, North American & International Scuba Diving Certifications.
Royal Life Saving Society Award of Merit
Major Appliance Technician Class 1
Other Interests
Scuba diving (since thirteen)
Mountain Biking - 50k plus events
Computers; run a forum, build high end game units, tech
References
Available upon request.
