I am a trusted Sales & Business Development Leader and Career Coach. As a Sale Leader, I have proven experience delivering topline results, leading cross-functional teams and masterfully cultivating key customer relationships at global ingredient businesses. I have a proven record of achieving year-over-year growth targets by managing portfolios of complex accounts, revitalizing existing business, and establishing new growth opportunities.
As a Certified Professional Coactive Coach (CPCC), my focus is on career coaching: My coaching business, Wise Words, is about finding your own “wise words” -- your own confidence and path to success. Coaching also compliments my business development skills of asking open questions, listening, and moving forward.
Timeline
Key Account Manager, , Naturex
Business Development Manager, Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes
Build and grow probiotics business by identifying, developing and closing business in food and beverages applications.
Certified Professional Co-Active Coach
Certified as CPCC, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. Completed 200 hours of training and coaching in Coaches Training Institute program. Focus is on career coaching.
Six Sigma Blackbelt, Top Line Growth
Led revenue enhancing domestic and global projects; trained in Six Sigma methodology. Generated $1.5 million in revenue and turned pricing upwards at 2 key accounts
Designed Value Pricing Model, part of the “Go-to-Market” Business Process to improve effectiveness and confidence of account teams.
Developed and implemented global training program for value pricing model.
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US Business Segment Director, The Solae Company (Now part of DuPont N&H)
Directed growth and market development of $50 million business to US Meat Industry through leadership of 9 Account Managers.
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Strategic Account Manager, Cargill Inc
Managed highly complex, strategic accounts. Maintained and grew Health and Nutrition business. Led global Enterprise Customer Team to drive profitable growth companywide through team leadership, planning, and communication.
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Account Executive, SunOpta Inc.
Developed and managed clean label and organic ingredient portfolio. Built key accounts for global food and pet customers.
Grew portfolio revenue 20% and maintained 18% margin in first year by delivering multiple customer projects concurrently on time and to specifications.
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Key Account Director, DuPont Nutrition & Health
Directed North American, multi-ingredient, business for the world’s largest food manufacturer. Led cross-functional team with oversight of technical, marketing, regulatory, and logistic functions to align customer needs with corporate capabilities.
Drove portfolio growth in a flat market in plant proteins, texturants, and emulsifiers by collaborating with customer Marketing, Technical, and Procurement teams to support new product introductions, expand existing business, and negotiate favorable contracts.
Generated robust pipeline in sales across product portfolio by building trust with key customer stakeholders and establishing and managing project plans to deliver optimal solutions to customer business needs.
Mentored team members as Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), developing selling skills and providing coaching for professional growth.
my specialties
Strategic Account Management, Sales Training & Mentoring, Customer Engagement
Education Highlights
Bachelor of Science, Food Technology
Iowa state University
Masters of Business Administration
Saint Louis University
Causes
Institute of Food Technologist Ambassador
Share and support Food Science careers
business development management
team
Collaborator
trust
trusted sales leader
grow
deliver results
Skills
sales training & mentoring
3
food industry expert
20+
team leadership
20+
strategic selling
20+
Questions & Answers
What are your long-term goals?
To help others grow and prosper: In Business Development, this means to create win/wins with my colleagues and customers. Â In Coaching, this means to bring curiosity to help others find their own "wise words". Â In Life, this means to bring positivity to all I know and meet.
What are you working on right now?
Developing in my new job and learning to swim!
Describe your greatest accomplishment.
Completing a rigorous Six Sigma program as one of the first Top Line Growth Blackbelts. I led a cross functional team that created a "Value Determination Process" to quantify the value of specialty ingredients. Â IÂ then developed, instructed, and coached a training program on this process to sales teams around the world. Â What a fun challenge to develop and train/coach a new program!
Who are your main influences?
My high school chemistry teacher, Mrs. Sherman and my managers that championed me and my career.
Why did you choose your profession?
I love chemistry and food and how it affects our well being. Also, people will always need to eat!
Managing in these extraordinary times through COVID 19
How are you feeling?
How are feeling – OK fine, terrible or all three? Isolated or connected, worried, stressed, sleep deprived or well rested? I have felt all of these in the past few weeks. Using a coaching perspective, here are some thoughts on managing through this challenging time.
To start, take a few deep breaths – breath in for 8 seconds, hold for 4 and then breath out for 8 seconds. This helps in any time of stress.After a few deep breaths, let’s go deeper: First, don’t hold back what you are feeling....
