DON THOMAS

250 Pontiac Lane, Vernon Hills, IL 60061

(847) 847-5979
dt1fd68e@westpost.net
SUMMARY
Proven track record in Business strategy and development, product management, ta
lent management, project management, brand management, sales and marketing, and
client relationship management. Adequate exposure to SAP CRM, SuccessFactors, Sa
lesforce.com, and MS Office. Excellent global perspective, leadership and people
skills. Proficient in 4 languages.
HIGHLIGHTS
* Realigned the business strategically to reach a wider audience by enabling an
on- line presence resulting an increase in revenue by 10 %.
* Accelerated career progression and reaching executive level within 4 years of
employment with no prior experience in the industry.
* Managed multiple projects leading teams across International borders and compl
eted them successfully within defined scope and budgetary restrictions.
* Planned and Implemented compensation strategies which resulted in higher profi
t margins. Inducted and coached employees to hold key positions.
* Drove a program of continuous improvement as part of company initiative based
on higher efficiency and lower costs and led to decreasing payroll by 6%, increa
sing sales by 16%, increasing profitability by 6% and achieved highest ratings f
or employee and client satisfaction.
* Interviewed by an International television channel as the subject matter exper
t in the retail industry which was telecasted in over 60 countries.
CAREER PATH
Overseas Diamonds Group March 2008 - November 2009
Chicago, IL
Director Retail Strategy & Client Management
* Increased revenues by 10% within 12 months.
* Championed branding and marketing efforts which resulted in creation of new br
and while strengthening existing portfolio.
* Served as external consultant for our clients, offered innovative ideas for th
eir business processes, operations and allocation of resources.
* Identified potential markets to expand the business by analyzing market sustai
nability and demographic analysis.
* Chief architect in planning, implementation and training of "isee2" technology
across various clients in US, Canada and Mexico.
* Consulted for clients in performance based compensation and incentive package
s for sales associates and retail managers.
* Managed entire project involving design and development of a new website which
directly resulted in the expansion of the client base.
* Advised business clients to form strategic alliances with vendors and renegoti
ate terms which resulted in cost savings and increased profit margins up to 30%.
* Consulted for business clients in the acquisition of new talent and the develo
pment of the existing workforce.
* Conducted presentations to educate business clients on the power of e-marketin
g, social networking sites and helped them understand and analyze marketing data
.
Christian Bernard Corporation June 1999
- March 2008
Chicago, IL
Director Retail Operations Strategy & Customer Experience
* Oversaw and managed multiple stores across the Midwest and East coast, reporte
d to Executive Vice President.
* Managed effectively 5 direct reports and 45 indirect reports.
* Directly responsible for sales, profitability and overall performance of store
s including customer satisfaction, employee development and retention.
* Conducted organizational assessments and implemented change strategies focusin
g on integrating people, systems and technology reducing costs by 15%.
* Provided leadership and management to employees in the conceptualization, desi
gn and implementation of organizational development and training systems.
* Consulted with top management to provide confidential organizational and indiv
idual assessments resulting in hiring and firing decisions.
* Interfaced on a regular basis with store managers, reviewed their goals, perfo
rmance expectations, sales and profitability reports and manpower.
* Implemented talent development programs within the organization, including pro
grams by third party vendors such as SuccessFactors.
* Handled data analysis, product financial evaluations, budgeting and liaised wi
th management on employee performance and productivity.
* Designed and implemented leadership development program that identified the or
ganization's core leadership competencies.
* Conducted S.W.O.T (Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats) analysis which aid
ed in establishing training methodology that was adopted by the company.
EDUCATION
Bradley University, Peoria, IL
Bachelor of Science in Business Computer Systems.
EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST