Baron Hodo
North Richland Hills,Texas
Summary
Dynamic sales executive with over 25 years of experience, consistently achieving substantial sales growth, including multi-million-dollar increases exceeding 200%. A strategic thinker skilled in analyzing market opportunities and implementing effective plans to generate new business. Proven track record of leading high-performing sales teams that surpass budgeted sales and profit goals while fostering collaboration and driving operational efficiencies. Recognized for exceptional leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities, with a strong focus on teamwork and adaptability to achieve outstanding results.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Sales - Enterprise Strategy and Specs
The Sherwin Williams Company
03.2019 - 09.2025
- Recruited by the Vice President of Marketing to lead and manage the South Western Region (11 States) Architectural Account Executives. This responsibility includes 11 direct reports calling on and managing relationships within architectural firms nationwide. Duties include increasing spec share within the firms, sustainability engagement, direct customer contact, building professional relationships, business planning, sales negotiations, project planning, and new business development. Additional responsibilities include market strategy development, increasing brand recognition/awareness, team development, project tracking, and project management. In addition, responsible for working directly with the executive and district leadership teams to ensure specification position was in a favorable position to secure future projects. Represented and involved in many industry organizations such as AIA, CSI, IIDA, NOMA, USGBC, ASAI and others.
- Specific Accomplishments:
- Grew the South Western Division overall spec share above 90%.
- Assigned to personally grow market share with five of the top twenty-five firms in the country.
- Developed team to utilize system wide “enterprise” approach that developed opportunity through multiple silos.
- Lead liaison to establish and win projects over $300M in project value.
- Key member of the strategic team incorporating sales techniques for architectural, coil and extrusion, high performance flooring, intumescent coatings, and roof coatings through spec position.
City Manager- Paint Stores Group DFW Region
The Sherwin Williams Company
02.2017 - 03.2019
- Identified by the District Manager to lead and manage the DFW (Dallas) District stores (28 locations) store management team. This responsibility included 28 direct reports and approximately 157 indirect team members. Duties include meeting or exceeding budgeted sales and profit goals, P&L management, trademark customer service, building professional relationships, business planning, customer focused selling, project planning, sales negotiation, and new business development.
- Specific Accomplishments:
- Achieved “Circle of Excellence” for superior sales and profit achievement.
- Increased sales by an average of 13.5% year over year
- Increased profitability on average 16.3% year over year
- Reduced basic pay and overtime as a percent to sales
- Increased new account sales by 8.5% year over year
District Sales Manager- Paint Stores Group DFW Region
The Sherwin Williams Company
01.2016 - 02.2017
- Led and managed the DFW Dallas area sales team in the residential repaint segment This responsibility included 12 direct reports. Duties included meeting or exceeding budgeted sales and profit goals, P&L management, selling skills training, direct customer contact, building professional relationships, business planning, sales negotiations, project planning, and new business development. Additional responsibilities include market strategy development, increasing brand recognition/awareness, team development, vision group moderator, and executive team briefings.
- Specific Accomplishments:
- Coordinated and taught new rep training for store managers looking to advance into a role of sales representative.
- Coordinated and taught selling skills training course.
- Coordinated and taught negotiation skills training course.
- Developed sales module utilized by sales team to enhance closing abilities.
Director of Sales- Automotive Vehicle Refinish
The Sherwin Williams Company
12.2011 - 01.2016
- Recruited by the Vice President of Sales to lead and manage the Midwest Region (13 States) sales team along with 40 company owned branch locations that account for approximately $65M in annual sales. This responsibility includes 7 direct reports and approximately 212 indirect team members. Duties include meeting or exceeding budgeted sales and profit goals, P&L management, direct customer contact, building professional relationships, business planning, sales negotiations, project planning, and new business development. Additional responsibilities include market strategy development, increasing brand recognition/awareness, team development, vision group moderator, and executive team briefings.
- Specific Accomplishments:
- Achieved “Circle of Excellence” for superior sales and profit achievement in first year eligible as a Director of Sales.
- Achieved “Master Council Gold” level for superior sales and profit achievement in first year as Director of Sales.
- Selected by CEO to attend and a graduate of prestigious “Leadership Excellence Experience” conducted by Case Western University. Only 4% of all Sherwin Williams leaders are selected to attend this personalized course.
- Selected by the Division President to attend and a graduate of “Leading for Business Results” conducted by Baldwin Wallace University for higher level leadership development.
- Key member of the development team that implemented and designed the “Automotive Sales Process” now utilized by the entire Automotive Sales Division.
- Appointed to corporate leadership programs including the “Automotive Lead Team”, instructor for selling skills development class for more than 250 attendees to date, served as a member of the global panel team, member of the SWAF brand panel team.
Area Sales Manager-Automotive Vehicle Refinish
The Sherwin Williams Company
08.2004 - 12.2011
- Recruited by the Director of Sales to lead and manage the Dallas Area Sales Team along with eight company owned branch locations that account for approximately $16M in annual sales. This responsibility included 19 direct reports and two dedicated fleet representatives. Duties included meeting or exceeding budgeted sales and profit goals, P&L management, direct customer contact, building professional relationships, business planning, sales negotiations, project planning, and new business development. Additional responsibilities included developing market strategies, increasing brand recognition, team development, and recruitment.
- Specific accomplishments:
- Achieved “Master Council” Level seven times for superior sales achievement, five being gold level performances.
- Named inaugural division wide Area Sales Manager of the Year in 2009
- Named region wide Area Sales Manager of the Year for six consecutive years. (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- Increased the Dallas Sales Volume from $5.4M to $15.2M from 2004-2011. 285% increase.
- Opened two new corporately owned branch locations, both of which exceeded sales and profit projections outlined in proforma.
- Developed and implemented a “One Day Sale” marketing and sales strategy that grossed $775k in sales and 75 new accounts in a one-day period. This strategy later became a division wide initiative.
- Coached and developed personnel promoted to the level of Area Sales Manager.
- Designed and implemented a Selling Skills course designed to increase skill sets of all team members exposed to potential selling opportunities through the region.
Regional PBE Director
O’Reilly Auto Parts
01.1999 - 08.2004
- Recruited by Vice President of Sales to manage Paint, Body, & Equipment sales through 285 locations across a five-state area. Responsibilities included PBE product and sales training, KPI reviews, product mix, inventory turns, teaching selling skills, negotiation selling, cold calling, vendor communication, and application of products.
- Representative Accomplishments:
- Increased region sales volume from $573k to $2.3M. Increased accounts from 92 to 285 in 24 months.
- Performed costing, forecasting, and pricing analysis maximizing profits and gross margins.
- Strategize with marketing and sales teams to build comprehensive business plans enabling sales force to target specific areas of growth opportunity.
Education
Business Management
University of Texas At Arlington
Arlington, TXSkills
- Leadership
- Selling Skills Training
- Sales Management
- P&L Management
- New Business Development
- Team building
Accomplishments
- Supervised teams of 11-28 direct staff members and up to 212 indirect staff members.
- Achieved better than budgeted sales and profit goals in every position held.
- Coordinated and taught new rep training for store managers looking to advance into a role of sales representative.
- Coordinated and taught company wide selling skills training course.
- Coordinated and taught company wide negotiation skills training course.
- Developed sales module utilized by sales team to enhance closing abilities.
- Achieved “Circle of Excellence” for superior sales and profit achievement in first year eligible as a Director of Sales.
- Achieved “Master Council Gold” level for superior sales and profit achievement in first year as Director of Sales.
- Selected by CEO to attend and a graduate of prestigious “Leadership Excellence Experience” conducted by Case Western University. Only 4% of all Sherwin Williams leaders are selected to attend this personalized course.
- Selected by the Division President to attend and a graduate of “Leading for Business Results” conducted by Baldwin Wallace University for higher level leadership development.
- Key member of the development team that implemented and designed the “Automotive Sales Process” now utilized by the entire Automotive Sales Division.
- Appointed to corporate leadership programs including the “Automotive Lead Team”, instructor for selling skills development class for more than 250 attendees to date, served as a member of the global panel team, member of the SWAF brand panel team.
Affiliations
- CSI
- AIA
- IIDA
- NOMA
- BUILT
- ICAR
- AMI
Timeline
Director of Sales - Enterprise Strategy and Specs
The Sherwin Williams Company
03.2019 - 09.2025
City Manager- Paint Stores Group DFW Region
The Sherwin Williams Company
02.2017 - 03.2019
District Sales Manager- Paint Stores Group DFW Region
The Sherwin Williams Company
01.2016 - 02.2017
Director of Sales- Automotive Vehicle Refinish
The Sherwin Williams Company
12.2011 - 01.2016
Area Sales Manager-Automotive Vehicle Refinish
The Sherwin Williams Company
08.2004 - 12.2011
Regional PBE Director
O’Reilly Auto Parts
01.1999 - 08.2004
Business Management
University of Texas At Arlington