JAMES M. BLUE, JR.

Growth minded Real Estate Professional with over 25 years of experience in retail store development. Focus on new store development, asset management and team building. Proficient in strategic planning, site selection, lease negotiations and project management.

• GAP INC, Sr. Director of Real Estate, 07/01/18, Present, Provide oversight to the Mid-Atlantic and Canadian office’s daily operations as well as the development and performance of their employees., Oversee the negotiations for new and existing stores in the Gap Inc portfolio assigned to the Mid-Atlantic region., Provide oversight to the negotiations of new and existing high-profile Canadian stores., Act as the Gap Inc liaison to numerous major US and Canadian retail developers including outlet portfolios., Participate in all strategic conversations and market planning activity regarding the deployment of Gap Inc brands throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Canadian regions., Participate in the development and maintenance of the Gap Inc. real estate life cycle for all new and existing store activity., Communicate and align with cross-functional business partners including Real Estate Finance, Legal, Constructions, Architecture and Engineering for all real estate activity., Assigned as the Real Estate Field liaison to the Athleta brand to communicate and align on developmental goals and new concept initiatives.
• GAP INC, Director of Real Estate, 08/01/08, 06/30/18
• PANERA BREAD, LLC, Sr. Real Estate Manager, 04/01/05, 08/31/08, Participated in the growth of Panera Bread from 400 to over 1000 cafes., Responsible for the development of strategic growth plans and site selection of new cafes in assigned territories., Responsible for LOI and workletter negotiations while coordinating with Legal, Construction, and Store Design on final documentation., Participated in the creation of Panera Bread’s Urban Development Strategy deploying new cafes in 5-day markets while educating Real Estate Field, Construction and Design on the intricacies of operating in urban trade areas., Worked closely with Panera Bread Franchisees, providing site selection assistance while overseeing the approval of new cafes in assigned franchised territories.
• POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS, Real Estate Manager, 09/01/02, 04/30/05, Participated in growing the Potbelly Sandwich Works fleet from 25 to over 100 restaurants., Responsible for developing executive market summaries and implementing expansion plans specific to the Chicago, IL, Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD MSA’s., Responsible for trade area analysis and site selection of new restaurants in assigned regions., Responsible for preparing and conducting executive tours in assigned high growth markets., Negotiated LOI’s and workletters in assigned regions while coordinating with outside counsel and construction of final documentation.
• MAGGIEMOO’S INTERNATIONAL, Real Estate Manager, 09/01/01, 09/30/02, Supported the evaluation and approval of all franchise markets for national expansion., Participated in the evaluation and approval of franchise prospects., Developed and distributed the Franchise Partner Real Estate Manual to provide guidance for site selection., Developed and managed the site selection process for franchise partners., Responsible for negotiating all LOI’s and workletters on behalf of franchise partners while coordinating with outside franchise counsel on lease negotiations., Headed the efforts for the development of the Broker and Landlord Marketing Program to promote brand awareness to the real estate community.
• THE BLUE WOLF CO., Retail Real Estate Consultant, 11/01/99, 09/30/01, Aided in the development and implementation of national and regional expansion plans., Performed trade area analysis by completing demographic, employment, retail, and competitive volume research., Responsible for the analysis and selection of commercial real estate opportunities., Responsible for LOI and workletter negotiations on behalf of clients., Aided with the coordination of attorneys during lease negotiations.
• CAP GEMINI AMERICA, IT Consultant, 05/01/98, 11/30/99, Certified as an Oracle Applications Developer., Tested and maintained Oracle Financial and Order Entry applications for clients., Responsible for the maintenance and manipulation of data between the Oracle Applications and external business interfaces., Responsible for monitoring and maintaining Oracle Applications timed process sets and procedures for the purposes of testing Y2K preparedness.