• Ethics & core values
• Dynamic leadership
• Broad knowledge
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• Results not excuses • Ethics & core values • Dynamic leadership • Broad knowledge |
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Executive Summary
A track record of successfully building companies and brands through highly efficient product and market management in traditional and e-Commerce distribution channels. Twenty-five years of profit-driven sales and marketing leadership resolving startup, turnaround and growth challenges in a myriad of markets and economic conditions. Brings a proven ability to combine engineering, strategic planning, marketing, sales and technology expertise in transforming lackluster products and services into compelling, easily understood, high value propositions. Qualifications Synopsis
Versatile, cross-functional leader experienced in all aspects of goods and services management. Established track record of building and defending market share, managing P&L and reducing costs while improving internal performance/external customer service metrics. An adaptable, intelligent, influential mentor who consistently develops, maximizes and utilizes employee potential. Several successful ventures in entrepreneurial & corporate settings have honed these skills. • Maximizing ROI and shareholder equity: built companies using only retained earnings. • Leadership: develops, empowers and leads people to meet and exceed objectives. • Asset efficiency: effectively utilizes and leverages sparse and finite resources. • Creative concepts: branding, market positioning, analog & digital media, new products. • Experimentation: relentlessly probes for sources of incremental and profitable revenue. • Expressive clarity: Boardroom, industry spokesperson and internal communicator. • Conceptualization: analyzes and optimizes new and existing markets, brands and products. • Technology literate: values applied technology's ability to deliver gold standard operating efficiencies, returns on investment, quality and customer service. Professional Highlights
Rent a COO....................................President..................................................2001 - Present • Increased revenues, operating efficiencies and margins, employee performance and brand awareness for goods and services clients by serving as their interim Chief Operating Officer. Market Facts, Inc...........................General Manager.......................................1998 - 2001 • Recruited by the CEO to investigate, secure funding, build and undertake P&L responsibility for new strategic business units. SkillMaster, Inc...............................President..................................................1988 - 1998 • Transformed the company from insolvency to $11 million in revenue and acquisition. The Entelechy Group.......................Managing Partner.....................................1982 - 1988 • Built the partnership from concept to over $35 million in revenue. Beatrice Companies........................Director of Marketing...............................1978 - 1982 • Led 22 product development teams generating $145 million in incremental sales. Education
Michigan StateUniversity................................................MBA, Marketing..........................................................................................1979 Purdue University...........................................................BS, Chemical Engineering..........................................................................1973 Alan D. Zielinski
9515 Turnberry Trail Village of Lakewood, IL 60014 (847) 382-6890 Alan@RentaCOO.com Rent a COO..................Interim senior management consulting President.....................1/2001 - Present
Full P&L responsibility for clients ranging from small business turnarounds to $60 million international, multi-plant manufacturing operations. A track record of consistently building high performance, cohesive teams while increasing brand awareness and operating margins. Here are achievements at two representative clients.• Responsible for stabilizing current operations in a declining industry while designing/implementing systems to achieve and support future growth. • Clarified the Board's vision and reorganized several departments to elevate and achieve their objectives. • Reduced indirect overhead 16% by enhancing departmental efficiencies. • Responsible for the efficiency of all departments: Finance, Manufacturing, Quality Control, Merchandising, Sales, Marketing, Procurement/Outsourcing, Distribution/Logistics, Technology and Human Resources. • Initiated and implemented sophisticated problem analysis systems to resolve and prevent manufacturing upsets. • Mandated absolute compliance with all federal, provincial and local legislation as well as all intellectual property licensing requirements. • Responsible for stabilizing current operations in a cash-strapped turnaround environment while designing and building a corporate infrastructure that would support future growth. • Created, refined and organized finance, operations, technology, forecasting and quality control systems. • Formalized the marketing/marketing services department. Created the tag line “Engage Entertain Educate” that led to a definitive brand image and market position as well as raising competitive barriers to entry. • Produced and delivered key account presentations. Completely revamped the client's e-Commerce capabilities. • Protected corporate intellectual property by clarifying and strengthening legal documents and relationships with the company's subject matter experts. • Responsible for strategic partnership research, negotiations and relationships. Charitable sabbatical..............Several local and national charitable organizations Board member and outside consultant..................12/2000 - Present
The sale of SkillMaster has allowed me to fulfill my dream of bringing business tools and practices to nonprofit organizations I'd only been able to previously assist monetarily. • Board member responsible for all strategic planning, marketing and technology functions within a regional 501(c)(3) organization. • Volunteer executive leadership and consultant for several local and national charitable organizations. Specific areas of involvement included mission statement development, accounting system development, budgeting and forecasting, membership acquisition and retention, strategic and tactical development campaigns, awareness and promotional efforts, public relations/media liaison and applied technology implementation (relational database development for membership retention as well as analog and digital appeal campaigns). Market Facts, Inc.............................$300 million international market research & business intelligence General Manager, Joint Venture Business.............................................4/1998 - 1/2001 (Acquired by Aegis Group, plc)
Recruited by the CEO to investigate, secure funding, build and undertake P&L responsibility for strategic business units utilizing technology and the Internet. (300 of the Fortune 500 are Market Facts clients and span a broad spectrum of markets including telecom, financials, travel/hospitality, retail and consumer durable/packaged goods.) • Wrote and presented formal business plans for autonomous strategic business units geared to generate $130 million of incremental revenue at a minimum gross margin of 50% with a maximum payback of 3 years. • Responsible for attaining all performance objectives including personnel utilization, revenue and margins, product specifications, market positioning, brand interactions, pricing, operations and business development. • Investigated and conducted negotiations with external organizations involving joint ventures, strategic alliances, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions. • Familiar with interim financing, liquidity events and exit strategies including Regulation D private placements. • Formalized strategic planning, product planning, due diligence and intellectual property preservation functions. SkillMaster, Inc............................$11 million developer/distributor of education and training programs President...........................11/1988 - 4/1998 (Acquired)
Using solely retained earnings, built the company from insolvency to $11 million in revenue with 32% EBITDA and acquisition.• Consistently achieved targets for delivery, profit margin and customer satisfaction on more than 100 projects. • Responsible for the efficient operation of all departments including finance, marketing, sales, supply chain, operations, engineering and human resources. • Elevated product quality and customer service to achieve double-digit price increases. • Entered eight new markets by expanding, training, and supporting a network of domestic and international sales representatives. Created performance-based incentive programs that tripled revenue and profitability. • Pursued, secured, and generated repeat business from major accounts including Westin Hotels, Allison Gas Turbine and the U.S. Departments of Energy and Education. • Created a new corporate image and safeguarded all intellectual property including copyrights and trademarks. • Devised, programmed and implemented bill of material, inventory, product costing and invoice tracking relational databases that decreased inventory costs by 30% and reduced order fulfillment time to 3 days. The Entelechy Group.......................................$35 million strategic research, planning and consultation Managing Partner..................................11/1982 - 11/1988
Directed all activities of a full-service consulting firm. Personal areas of expertise included strategic planning and positioning, market and product research, relational databases and product planning/development/forecasting. • Major accounts included Sears, the American Bar Association, Monsanto Company, The Limited, Jockey USA, Cahners Publishing and Miller Brewing. • Initiated the partnership and led it from concept to over $35 million in revenue. • Conducted strategic research which fostered several brand expansions including Discover, Victoria's Secret, Jockey for Her and Genuine Draft. • Developed and programmed a litigation support database for Monsanto that saved over $50 million annually. • Wrote a field sales database for Cahners Publishing that increased annual advertising sales 25%. • Consistently generated repeat business from clients ranging from Chief Executive Officer to Design Engineer. Beatrice Companies, Inc..........................$2 billion diversified consumer packaged and durable goods Director of Marketing....................1981 - 11/1982
Built the marketing department from scratch and was accountable for an annual budget of $55 million (over $100 million in present day dollars). Responsible for the entire spectrum of marketing functions including market and product research, product planning/development/forecasting, market and product management, advertising, public relations, distribution channel optimization and sales force development/training/oversight. Marketing Manager.......................1979 - 1981 Planner..........................................12/1978 - 1979 • Generated $145 million of incremental revenue by leading teams that brought 22 new products to market. • Increased profits 5% by creating sales databases and developing accurate sales forecasting methodologies. • Saved over $2.5 million annually by customizing modeling software that refined production planning accuracy. • Maximized profits and minimized channel conflicts by integrating branded, private label and OEM offerings. • Formulated and implemented strategic and tactical marketing plans for major strategic business units and brands including Samsonite, Tropicana, Culligan, Craftsman and La Choy. Amway Corporation.......................Consumer goods production Plant Manager................................9/1976 - 12/1978
• P&L responsibility of more than $100 million.• 24/7 accountability for all plant operations and the performance, supervision and safety of all personnel. • Zero lost time accidents in two years. • Installed accurate process instrumentation that increased the plant's annual production revenues by more than $2.3 million at no additional operating cost. InterNorth, Inc................................Petrochemical production Area Engineer.................................8/1974 - 9/1976
• Increased annual revenues by $2.1 million by starting-up a polyethylene recycling unit.• Wrote simulation software that improved cracking furnace production efficiencies more than 14%. • Responsible for operational efficiencies and the supervision and safety of plant personnel. Dow Chemical U.S.A......................Halogens production Production Support Engineer.........................9/1973 - 8/1974
• Developed and secured a U.S. patent for Drying of Bromine via Azeotropic Distillation.• Increased annual revenues $800,000 by optimizing the raw iodine recovery process. Education and Military Service
Michigan State University.......................................MBA, Marketing..................................................................................1979 Purdue University...................................................BS, Chemical Engineering..................................................................1973 |
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