CHRISTINA M. SWANEY

• Orchestrated strategic sales and promotional planning for the deli and meat departments, collaborating with the general office to increase market share and drive revenue. Including ad planning for new stores and newly renovated stores.
• Managed all scheduling, deadlines, and support staff for department promotions, exceeding performance goals.
• Orchestrated training initiatives for assistant managers, field specialist, & department managers.
• Mentored field specialist, building a stronger and more knowledgeable team.
• Conducted advanced trend analysis to inform promotional strategies and maximize sales performance.
• Enhanced sales team morale and cohesion, and maintaining open communication channels.
• Monitored, drove results thru field specialists & communicated results to store teams & division members key selling promotions, push items

• Managed end-to-end produce operations for the division, leading teams in executing merchandising, sales, and promotional strategies to achieve sustained business growth.
• Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
• Drove sales growth and market share by analyzing divisional performance and implementing data-driven initiatives to enhance produce quality and display.
• Directed the improvement of shopping conditions across all produce departments, cultivating a premium customer experience that increased satisfaction and retention.
• Cultivated and mentored produce teams to ensure the consistent execution of operational procedures and quality standards across the division.

• My district is composed of 14 stores in the marketing areas of Athens, Augusta, GA & Columbia, SC. Within my stores, I oversee execution of selling and merchandising plans, improvement in sales, improvement in operating expenses, training and development of store leaders, assistant store leaders, & lead associates. In 2022, we contributed $786M in sales & $46.2M in EBITDA finishing as the #1 district in EBITDA
• In 2023, we contributed $802M in sales & $43.5M in EBITDA finishing #3 in the division. in 2023, the district improved in staffing, labor, execution of processes, scheduling, cash, general liability, store conditions, leadership of store leaders, Starbucks's sales and compliance, food safety, fresh start, & safety.
• During 2023, I operated as the district & operations manager for 8 months. In Q4 for 2023, I carried the roles of district manager, operations manager, & 678's store leader.
• I mentored store leaders in Operations, Merchandising, & HR. Store leaders were developed on how to develop high performing teams & develop associates one on one.
• During my tenure I promoted 6 people to be store leaders and/or promoted them to higher volume locations. I also promoted 18 individuals to assistant store leaders & 16 people to salary ecommerce supervisors.
• Developed a robust assistant leader bench program to mentor, train, & well round assistant leaders to become store leaders
• Developed district organizational chart that was utilized by the division
• Developed store leader 24 month succession plan that visually outlines tenure of each stores leadership team that was utilized by the division

• Strategically executed company-wide sales initiatives and operational processes across a 16-store district.
• Analyzed performance data to manage controllable costs, cash flow, and expenses, resulting in improved profitability.
• Drove superior customer metrics by implementing and enforcing high standards for service and product quality.
• Managed all facets of store operations, from financial controls to food safety, ensuring full regulatory compliance.

• Led the execution of dynamic selling and merchandising plans, contributing to measurable increases in sales and improved operating expense management.
• Implemented robust training and development programs, enhancing the skills and performance of key associates.
• Managed talent initiatives that resulted in the successful promotion of a Department Head to Store Management.
• Championed food safety compliance, ensuring the consistent application of policies and procedures across all operations.

• Directed produce/floral, meat/seafood, and deli/bakery operations for 16 stores, enhancing sales performance and operational efficiency.
• Executed strategic merchandising and sales plans to maximize profitability and customer appeal.
• Cultivated talent through development initiatives and hands-on training for department associates and leadership.
• Ensured consistent food safety compliance and operational integrity across all stores
• Improved team productivity with regular communication and progress updates, fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Entered data, generated reports, and produced tracking documents.

• Exceeded Contribution Goal by 22% (4.65% vs. 3.8%), outperforming the division's average of 3.79% and significantly boosting profitability.
• Reduced Shrink by 0.13% below budget (9.74% vs. 9.87%), dramatically outperforming the division's average of 10.74% and demonstrating superior loss prevention.
• Surpassed Sales Budget by 0.27% (10.02% vs. 9.75%), driving revenue growth beyond established targets.
• Achieved a Gross Margin of 34.52%, exceeding the budget goal of 33.78% and enhancing overall profitability.

Operational excellence & financial performance

• Managed a $27.5 million annual grocery retail operation, leading all aspects of store functions, merchandising, and sales performance.
• Achieved the Atlanta division's best Fresh and Grocery/Drug inventory results in eight years (2017 & 2018), demonstrating strong operational control and inventory management.
• Improved operating expenses by $145K in 2015 through strategic financial oversight and expense management.

Leadership & talent development

• Led as the designated training store manager for Human Resources Assistant Store Leader, hiring, & interviewing with intent and purpose. training HR leadership on complex claim management and ethical standards
• Developed and promoted multiple key leaders over three years, including advancing one Department Head to Store Management and five Assistant Department Heads to Department Head roles.
• Reduced employee turnover significantly in 2017, positioning the store as #1 in the Atlanta division for improvement and resulting in a $60K reduction in overtime labor cost

Compliance & brand protection

• Achieved a perfect food safety record in 2017, marking the first time in 10 years the store had zero occurrences and observations.
• Oversaw the execution of all food safety policies and procedures, ensuring strict adherence to compliance standards.
• Protected brand integrity and mitigated risk by training HR leadership on complex claim management and ethical standards

Achieved substantial financial growth across a three-year period:

• 2015: Realized a $480K improvement in sales, a $273K increase in contribution, a $264K increase in gross profit, and a 3% reduction in shrink.
• 2014: Drove a $1.173M improvement in sales, a $995K increase in contribution, a $234K increase in gross profit, and a 2% reduction in shrink.
• 2013: Delivered an $831K improvement in sales, a $435K increase in contribution, a $279K increase in gross profit, and a 1% reduction in shrink.
• Directed the vision and execution of all selling, merchandising, and operational strategies for deli/bakery departments across 47-stores within 2 districts.
• Selected as a Subject Matter Expert by the VP of Operations for key retailing, shrink management, computer-assisted production, and bakery product quality.
• Led a three-year turnaround in shrink performance, moving the district from last place to best-in-division through strategic loss prevention initiatives.
• Drove customer satisfaction from worst-in-district to third-best through targeted strategies for improving the shopping experience

Human Resources Responsibilities:

• Led all aspects of hiring, including conducting policy and procedure classes and managing performance evaluations for new hires and department leaders.
• Designed and implemented comprehensive new-hire training and development programs to accelerate employee integration and performance.
• Cultivated a positive store culture by creating and maintaining the Store Cultural Council and organizing recognition parties and events.
• Managed all store-level claims, performing detailed evaluations, collecting evidence, and summarizing findings to ensure accurate and timely resolution.

Fresh Department Responsibilities:

• Directed the training and development of Fresh Department Leads, improving team performance and operational effectiveness.
• Drove a 10% increase in produce sales through strategic merchandising and sales plan execution.
• Managed operational expenses, achieving an 8% improvement in deli and a 20% improvement in floral operational expenses.
• Enhanced the customer shopping experience, resulting in a 15% improvement in overall store customer shopping metrics.
• Implemented initiatives that improved profitability and reduced operating expenses across fresh departments.

• My duties including building a positive winning team by creating a vision on execution of selling and merchandising plans, improvement in sales, improvement in operating expenses, improvement in customer shopping metrics, improvement in profits, training and development of key associates. I created a training and development program that included a training manual (trainer and trainee), training schedule, & trainers.
• Our team grew sales and improved operating expenses from the bottom 20% of stores.

• Awarded a national training and development award in 2006 for the design and implementation of a comprehensive training program.
• Developed a multifaceted training curriculum that included classroom DVDs, manuals, and new-hire notebooks, along with on-the-job training materials for both trainers and trainees.
• Trained and certified a team of trainers to effectively coach new associates on core competencies, including hospitality, customer service, menu knowledge, cleaning, sanitation, and food safety.

• Managed the complete employee lifecycle, from talent acquisition and onboarding to performance management and professional development.
• Oversaw all hiring activities, including coordinating recruiting events, conducting orientation classes on policies and procedures, and managing new hire paperwork.
• Administered and maintained accurate employee files and records to ensure compliance and confidentiality.
• Provided performance coaching to employees, utilizing performance management and feedback processes to support career growth and improve team productivity.
• Designed and facilitated comprehensive training and development programs, fostering a high-performance culture and enhancing employee skills

• Managed all payroll operations using ADP software, including timely processing and maintaining compliance with company policies and regulations.
• Oversaw the administration of employee insurance, ensuring accurate enrollment, changes, and reconciliation for all benefit plans.
• Directed accounts payable and receivable, processing and reconciling transactions to optimize cash flow and ensure financial accuracy.
• Managed cash flow, implementing effective cash management procedures to safeguard company assets and streamline financial operations.

• As a research associate, I conducted medical research on cardiac proteins using metal affinity columns, French cell press, centrifuge, micro centrifuge, ultra centrifuge, & SDS gel electrophoresis using buffers and vector insertion of DNA in eColi. Collected cardiac protein DNA was inserted in eColi using polymerase chain reaction, cultures were grown & membranes separated to extract the protein.
• In 2006, my research work was recognized by CURO thru the honors program selecting my work for the annual synopsis.