Patrick J. Curran

2860 Melrose Ln 716-462-8024 Naperville, IL 60564-6008 pjcurran59@gmail.com

Business Improvement Executive - Food and Beverage Industry

A veteran in this business, held senior retail and wholesale leadership roles spanning diverse segments of the food industry at many highly reputable organizations. The scope of experience spanned many subjects, specifically Marketing, Merchandising, Procurement, Logistics and Sales Development in both the Center Store and Perishable domains. The principle deliverables include revenue growth, profit improvement, increased working capital and customer satisfaction

Acquired Knowledge and Achievements in Four Distinct Industry Segments

1) Supermarket Channel 2) Wholesale Channel - Grocery, Tobacco, Candy,

General Merchandise and C-Store 3) Specialty Food, Natural & Organic4) Store Brands Marketing

General Management and Functional Competencies

• Strategic Planning • Category Management • Visual Merchandising • Profit Improvement • Assortment Rationalization • Natural & Organic Food • Sales and Business Development • Advertising / Media Planning • Financial Disciplines• Pricing Strategy & Structure • Marketing Communications • Store Operations• Procurement & Logistics • Perishables • Shopper Marketing• Store Brand Marketing • Urban-Ethnic Merchandising • Budgeting & Synthesis

Chronology of Industry Experience

Procurement and Merchandising Consulting Services, Naperville, IL CurrentProviding executive experience and project management expertise for the food and beverage industry

Delivering improved business operations and financial results across the value chain. The scope of the service offering covers the following aspects of the business enterprise:

1) Crafting the procurement and merchandising strategy, planning and tactics2) Creating visual merchandising and messaging programs3) Evaluating product offerings 4) Developing neighborhood merchandising campaigns5) Optimizing inventory investment and improving service levels6) Linking these business imperatives to store operations execution

Dearborn Wholesale Grocers, LLC, Chicago, IL 2012 – 2014

Vice-President of Marketing, Procurement & Store Operations

Dearborn was a Chicago based family owned and operated wholesale grocery and C-store distributor serving the greater Chicagoland marketplace and the surrounding three-state region with a wide variety of grocery, cigarette, tobacco, Hispanic and C-store channel products and services. The company also owned and operated five wholesale cash and carry stores. The owners sold the remaining segments of their business this year.

The most notable accomplishments include driving business process and profit improvement initiatives throughout the organization, specifically: (1) an improvement in net profit, (2) reduction of S, G & A expenses, (3) an improvement in price position, (4) the growth in sales per customer, (5) an improvement of operating cash flow through increased inventory turnover, (6) the negotiation and receipt of incremental trade marketing funds (7) the establishment of lean and total quality business processes, (8) the claw back of aged accounts receivables and (9) the implementation of a capital investment renovation program in the cash and carry stores.

Daymon Worldwide, San Antonio, TX (www.daymon.com) 2011 Senior Director Store Brands, Grocery & Supply Chain Department

Store brand management firm providing services in the areas of strategy, sourcing, marketing and execution. At Daymon’s San Antonio office, my role was to lead the Grocery and Supply Chain Departments. In this role we provided support services to 400 trading partners supplying the HEB stores, the Central Market stores and the HEB stores in Mexico. The most notable accomplishments in this role are listed here.

1. Team Development: Formed a cohesive teamwork environment which fostered a higher level of customer support and service. Provided my associates with training, coaching and skills development. Established goals, key deliverables, standards, accountabilities and best practices that brought alignment with HEB’s strategic initiatives.

2. Category Bid Programs: Saved our customer over a million of dollars through the reduction of the cost of goods while cementing the relationship with the strategic suppliers.

3. Service Level Improvement: Sharpened the collective team focus on delivering a higher level of customer service. Achieved an overall improvement in service levels which equated to a $3.7 million dollar improvement in sales.

4. Research Studies: Produced research reports for the client on various important subjects relating to the marketplace, namely, Dollar Stores, Aldi, Trader Joe’s and the Specialty Food Industry.

Tops Markets, LLC, Williamsville, NY (www.topsmarkets.com) 2008 - 2010

Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing (Senior Marketing Officer)At the time, Tops Markets was a 120 store, $2.4 billion, prominent western New York supermarket chain which became independent of the former parent company, Ahold, NV and was later sold to Morgan Stanley Private Equity in 2008. As the senior marketing officer at Tops Markets, the role was to lead the functional areas of marketing, merchandising, loyalty marketing, pricing and procurement. Was responsible for the sales and gross profit results for this reputable regional grocery chain. There were nine direct reports holding the titles of Vice-President and Director. As the team leader of 150 people, the accountabilities involved directing the marketing functions of strategic planning, store development, category management, pricing strategy, perishables, sales promotion planning, marketing communications, market research, pharmacy, loyalty marketing and procurement. As a member of the executive committee we crafted the company’s vision and strategic plan.

Kehe Specialty Food Distributors, Romeoville, IL (www.kehefood.com) 2003 - 2008

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Vice-President of Procurement & Logistics (2006 - 2008)

Director of Specialty Food Marketing, Perishables (2003 - 2006)1. Built a new business segment by “putting the perishable category business on the map”2. Succeeded in driving double digit sales growth in the perishable categories3. Created lean and total quality business processes and goals which dramatically reduced

unnecessary inventory and therefore increased inventory turnover and working capital4. Developed new inbound freight business processes reducing overall distribution costs

BI-LO Supermarkets, a Division of Ahold USA, Greenville, SC 12 years: 1987-1991; 1995-2003

1. Senior Vice President, Sales Development and Marketing (2002 - 2003)

2. Senior Vice President, Ahold USA, Mergers & Acquisitions Integration, (2001 - 2002)

3. Senior Vice President, Perishable Departments Sales and Marketing (1999 - 2001)

4. Vice-President of Sales Development & Marketing (1995 - 1999)

5. Vice-President of Grocery, GM/HBC Sales & Marketing (1987 - 1991)

Delchamps Supermarkets, Mobile, AL 1994 - 1995

Senior Vice-President, Sales, Marketing and Distribution (Senior Marketing Officer)

ACME Markets, a Division of American Stores, Philadelphia, PA 1991 - 1994Senior Vice-President of Sales & Marketing (Senior Marketing Officer)

Jewel Food Stores, a Division of Jewel Companies, Inc. Melrose Park, IL 1968 - 1987

Director of Grocery Merchandising, Midwest Division

Sales Development and Marketing Manager, Sales Department, Chicagoland Division

Grocery Buyer / Merchandiser, Commodities, Paper, Household, Chicagoland Division

Specialty and Ethnic Food Buyer / Merchandiser, Chicagoland Division

Produce Merchandiser and Replenishment Buyer, Chicagoland and Midwest Division

During the golden era of Jewel Food Stores, at time when it was considered by many an institution of higher learning, began as management trainee and served Jewel for almost twenty (20) years. Learned the food business and benefited from Jewel’s fundamental training and development programs and hands-on experience in retail store operations, produce merchandising, grocery buying / merchandising, marketing, category management, ethnic and specialty foods, price management, market research, public relations and sales promotion.

Education

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M B A, Illinois Benedictine College (now Benedictine University)

B S, Business Management, St. Joseph College, NW Indiana

Community Service

Loaves & Fishes Community Services, Naperville, ILVolunteer, Store Operations

Edward – Elmhurst Healthcare, Naperville, IL Volunteer, Same Day Surgery and Emergency Room

Junior Achievement, Greenville, SC

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