INTERACTIVE RESUME
As an individual who thrives on challenge and has a history of success when facing those challenges my list of achievements is broad:
- Developed and managed a number of assorted FMCG ranges that have made it into the Australian retail landscape.
- Successfully built or grew a number of businesses from either scratch or a very small base.
- Built and mentored a number of teams including Sales, Procurement and Retail Leaders many of whom have gone on to be very successful in their chosen fields
- Designed and implemented a number of staff training programs including- Purchasing & Stock Management, Staff Management and Retail Security.
EDUCATION & LIFE EXPERIENCES
1985
Completed HSC (now known as VCE).
1987
Completed a DIPLOMA OF RETAIL MANAGEMENT.
1995
Studied PHILOSOPHY at MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY.
Subjects include: Introduction to Philosophy, Formal Logic, Phenomenology and Political Philosophy.
2011
Attended my first CANTON IMPORT EXPORT TRADE FAIR.
I have since attended a further 8 fairs over a number of years.
2011
Attended my first AMBIENTE TRADE FAIR in Frankfurt.
I have since attended a further 2 fairs over a 3 year period.
PRODUCT MANAGER/PLANNER
GLOBAL BRANDS AUSTRALIA
2015 - CURRENT
Global Brands offers a number of non-food ranges to the independent grocery market. My role has been first to develop an effective category policy and then to manage purchasing, ranging and stock control across those categories.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Managing and developing an effective non-grocery stock category strategy. (incl: Kitchenware, Partyware, Disposables, Pet Supplies, Cleaning, Storage, Health & Beauty and Outdoor & Garden)
- Product Sourcing from local and international suppliers including negotiating ongoing pricing. Including managing those supplier relationships.
- Assessing and acting on profitability and turnover reports.
- Managing OTB and optimising stock holding levels
ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Efficient and profitable management of 7 categories and over 2000 sku’s
- Increasing GP by an average of 9% over those 7 categories while maintaining growth in turnover
- Reduction in vendor/supplier numbers by around 10% while decreasing out of stock time significantly.
GLOBAL BRANDS AUSTRALIA
PRODUCT MANAGER/PLANNER
2015 - CURRENT
MANAGING DIRECTOR
POD RETAIL Pty Ltd
2013 - 2015
An innovative company that designed kitchen and homeware ranges for retail outlets. My role as the owner was to oversee the development, design and manufacture of a new range of kitchenware, cookware, tabletop and barware as contracted by an external company.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Market Research
- Design of product and packaging
- Liaising with factories/agents in China
- Ranging and Purchasing
- Development of complete concept and marketing material ready for launch into the Australian market.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Developed the Brands TheKitchenwareCo. and TheBarwareCo.
- Development of over 200 SKU’s under two separate retail categories
- Store sales exceeded expectations by over 60%
- Achieved gross profit exceeding 30% of forecasts.
POD RETAIL P/L
MANAGING DIRECTOR
2013 - 2015
GENERAL MANAGER
CHEF'S HAT AUSTRALIA
2003 - 2013
Servicing the whole of Australia with their hospitality supply while also having one of the most successful large-format Homeware retail outlets in the country. Working autonomously, I managed the company that had just gone through a tumultuous period and which was grossly under-performing.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Managing all financial and operational aspects
- Over-seeing hiring and managing a sales team
- Building an effective buying and ranging team and driving the general culture of the business.
- Growing and building the business
ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Within 4 years of taking on the role of General Manager, Chef’s Hat Australia had gone from being the 4th and smallest hospitality supply company in Victoria to the largest independent in the country;
- In my time of management CHA experienced: year on year growth exceeding 28% with online growth of around 47%
- Developed an efficient buying & procurement team whom purchased and ranged based on core fundamentals.
- Due to this the company experienced a significant decrease in markdowns and clear-outs;
- Built the sales department from one sales person to a team of six;
- Tendered for and won some of the largest Hospitality accounts in Australia;
- Developed a range of Crockery and started to import from Portugal witch generated significant sales figures;
- Managed the imported a range of core products that showed CHA a significant increase in GP%;
- Developed a culture of customer service first and foremost.
CHEF'S HAT AUSTRALIA
GENERAL MANAGER
2003 - 2013
DIRECTOR/OWNER
DOLLAR FOODS SUPERBARN
1993 - 2003
A supermarket focused on delivering cheaper prices and better value to their customers. After managing Dollar Foods for a period of 18 months I was offered a partnership and bought into a business that was very much in need of a change in direction.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Overseeing all aspects of financial and operational management, including:
- Hiring and development of key staff
- Providing short, medium and long term direction
- Stock management and ordering
- Shelf management and negotiating all agreements with stakeholders including suppliers and banks.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Increased turnover by over 10% over the first 7 years;
- Increased gross profit by 4%;
- Changed focus of the store to a more discount/clearance oriented outlet;
- Developed expanded ranges in non-food categories which lifted GP%.
DOLLAR FOOD SUPERBARN
DIRECTOR/OWNER
1993 - 2003
In a professional capacity, there is nothing more fulfilling then developing a range from scratch to finality and seeing that range succeed at store level.
Below are two of the more successful ranges I have developed.
I believe their beauty and market appeal speak for themselves.
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FARIA & BENTO
TABLEWARE
THE BRIEF:
Traditionally, restaurants and cafes would use a very simple white crockery, of which Chef's Hat had numerous ranges.
Around 2010-2011 we found an increasing number of requests for coloured and unusually shaped crockery.
None of our suppliers at that time stocked anything other than white and none showed any interest when approached regarding developing a unique coloured range.
So it was decided to develop our own range that would give us a distinctive product range and enhance our GP in that category.
At the 2010 Ambiente Trade Fair in Frankfurt Germany, I located numerous possible suppliers, finally settling on one; Faria & Bento, who were situated in Portugal.
CLICK FOR RANGE & MARKETING IMAGES>
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THE KITCHENWARE CO.
KITCHEN & TABLEWARE
CLICK FOR RANGE & MARKETING IMAGES>
THE BRIEF:
To develop a brand of kitchenware suitable for the independent grocery trade.
Design: Source designs from various suppliers and chose one that is on trend and attractive to target consumers. Quality: Quality of products needed to exceed the usual quality found in the domestic discount and grocery market and would be as usable as branded products.
Price Positioning: Pricing should be a level above the current price points found in independent supermarkets but below those of the large brands sourced in homeware and giftware stores.
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THE BARWARE CO
BARWARE
CLICK FOR RANGE & MARKETING IMAGES>
THE BRIEF:
To develop a range of barware suitable for the independent retail trade.
Design: Source products from various local suppliers and chose those that are attractive to our target consumers. Quality: Quality of products needed to match commercial quality.
Price Positioning: Pricing should be a level around the current price point found in independent homeware and giftware stores.
