MICHAEL W.

WARD
mw1103566@westpost.net
720-261-7520
22 South Long Lake Trail North Oaks, Minnesota 55127
OBJECTIVE
Seeking Regional/National Sales Management Position capitalizing on my reputatio
n within the Media/Entertainment Industry and ability to profitably open key acc
ounts, establish loyal customer relationships, capture competitive market and im
mediately generate revenue/profitdespite economic challenges and an increasingly
competitive marketplace.
QUALIFICATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
More than 15 years of Sales/Territory Management Experience with Expertise in Ne
w Business Development, Customer Relationship Management, Operations and Facilit
y Management with a proven track record of achievement in the following areas:
Identifying Profitable Niche Markets and New Distribution Channels
Driving Sales and Profitability through Aggressive Competitive Acquisition Str
ategies
Building Solid Foundation of Customer Rapport, Trust, and Loyalty
Creating Opportunities to Increase Market Share through Event Promotions
Designing Strategic Marketing Programs, Sales and Advertising Plans
Providing Incentives for Sales and Distributors to Enhance Volume and Profit
Managing Purchasing, Inventory, Receiving, Shipping and Multistate Distributio
n
Recruiting and Developing Talented Sales, Distribution and Support Staff
Ensuring Expense and Cost Reduction through Labor and Inventory Controls
Managing Financial Functions, Credit and Fiscal Analysis
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TOPICS ENTERTAINMENT - Renton, Washington
Executive National Accounts Manager (May 2009 to Present)
Recruited from Viz Media to grow revenue and manage market share growth for the
companys top 3 accountsTarget, Wal-Mart and Best Buy selling direct-to-video spe
cial interest and niche media content including PBS Series, National Geographic,
Documentaries, etc.
Created new packaging ideas and bundling for content and grew market share an i
mpressive 20% representing revenue growth from $1.2 million to $1.5 million du
ring a time of major contraction in the DVD market.
VIZ MEDIA - San Francisco, California
Retail Account Executive (May 2005 to May 2009)
Managed all key accounts and exceeded all sales goalsresponsible for 70% of tot
al growth from $10 million to $40 million in DVD salesaveraging $20 million per
year. Major accounts included: Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.
Achieved $28 million in 2008155% of goal.
Achieved $16 million in 2007157% of goal.
Grew Wal-Mart business from $1 million in 2005 to $15 million in 2008.
Grew Best Buy business from $4 million in 2005 to $10 million in 2008.
Grew Target business from - 0 - in 2005 to $2 million in 2008.
PIONEER/GENEON ENTERTAINMENT - Long Beach, California
National Account Manager (2000 to 2005)
Managed major accounts and 6 distributors including major chains (Target, K-Mart
, etc.) mass
merchants, privately owned video and major chain retailers nationwide, in a fast
-paced, competitive
environment. Established partnerships with customers as well as individual produ
ct training,
advertising and merchandising strategies with each store.
Generated approximately $20 Million in annual sales revenues year over year.
Acquired the following major accounts: Sams Club, Walgreens, Shop-Ko, Circuit
City, et al.
BAKER & TAYLOR ENTERTAINMENT - Charlotte, North Carolina
Regional Sales Manager - Denver, Colorado (1996 to 2000)
Identified, acquired and managed major key accounts throughout a 9-state Western
/Midwestern
Territory consisting of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakota
s, Kansas and
Nebraska. Managed and directed 4 inside and 4 outside sales representatives.
Generated annual sales revenues of $20 Million
Increased sales by 19% while improving overall profit margin by 1%.
Reduced travel and entertainment expenses by 11%.
Facility Manager and Customer Service Manager (1995 to 1996)
Managed daily operations of the Western Regional Sales, Customer Service and Cre
dit Facility with up to 70 indirect reports and 6 direct reports. Managed telec
ommunications and technology systems including VMX and AT&T System 75. Planned
and allocated $1 Million supply and operations budget.
Operations Manager - Denver, Colorado and Niles, Illinois (1988 to 1995)
Promoted in 1994 to manage the most productive branch (Denver) in the United Sta
tes with full P&L responsibility for daily operations, shipping, receiving, dist
ribution and warehousing, customer service, systems operation and maintenance.
Began career with company in Niles, with full operations management responsibili
ty ensuring that quality control and productivity standards were met. Supervise
d and delegated responsibilities for 20 employees. Handled payroll and time repo
rts.
EDUCATION AND CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Numerous Supervisory, Training and Employee Development Strategy Courses
Productivity and Operations Management
Systems Installation and Administration
Financial Analysis and Profit Enhancement Strategies
Sales and Marketing
Retail Marketing, Merchandising and Advertising
Computer Proficiency in Windows, MS Office Suite and Outlook
REFERENCES
Excellent professional references available upon request.