Jason Werner

I'm a seasoned retail sales operations and national account management professional with various additional talents in staff training, public presentation, and business development. in addition to being vision-driven, goal-focused professional with a proven history of innovation and achievement. I am currently a consultant for brands which has given me considerable business development experiences, from key account strategy all the way through the distribution chain. It is always great seeing sustainable practices grow within our industry and it has been a constant source of motivation for me .

• Retail / Distribution Sales Manager, National Account Manager, Emerge Natural Sales Solutions (Owner self-proprietor), San Francisco, CA, http://www.emergenaturalsalessolutions.com, Present, Consulting based. Currently working to set-up systems for Damya Olive Oil for the US Western Market. Also currently consulting Mamhuhu which is taking steps into retail CPG and from its successful restaurants via the frozen entrée category. Business brand development Work with brand on margin analysis from unit to volume break and distributor margin requirements. Work with brand on proper case sizing to maximize best turn to retailer shelf. Work with brand on sales materials and brand story in the form of brand sell sheets, info carding, shelf talkers and sales retail PowerPoint presentation. Including label updating. Identify best regional market entry for brand. Develop best promotional calendar strategy per national and regional retailers and distributors. Manage and establish best metric reporting to identify sell through, velocities, promotional lift, YOY, marketing return on investment as well as UNFI quarterly reporting. Handle strategic retail account calling and submission see through. Broker Identify best broker partnership for brand. Establish broker relationships with broker teams. Train broker on brand messaging. Work with broker on retail buyer sell-in meetings. Manage team brand expectations along with managing pre commit to national distributor DC activations. Over-see and assure retailer requirements and submission process is completed and is aligned with brand strategy. Distribution Identify best proper partnership for brands need. Work with regional and national distributors Brand train and work with regional distributor sales team’s product submissions Complete national distributor logistics from pallet build via warehouse to trucking receive. Handle National distributor communications via Supply Manager and form submission requirements including supplier disputes.
• Retail Business Manager (Contract), Mayway Corp, San Francisco, CA, 05/2017, 02/2022, Ensure relevant margins on $5M annual bulk ingredients business while also providing necessary accommodations for volatile tariff inclusions affected by Chinese imports. Identify the potential retail viability for a practitioner-based traditional Chinese medicine company encompassing an additional $3-4M in annual sales for a prominent plum flower brand. Support operations via critical metrics from ramp-up costs to about 70-8ok in trade spend, as supplemented by additional ramp-up costs from key account selling. Tasked with analyzing cost of goods (COG) in relation to gross profit and trade spend dollars, exploring cost analysis with field marketing firms, and implementing/designing education protocols to demonstrate marketing efforts. Save 15-20% on the margin by establishing base sales from direct to retail markets. Maintain currently running velocities and placements in key retailers at above 80%. Coordinate onboarding processes for a “grass roots” marketing team in the Pacific Northwest region. Establish independent and chain supermarket businesses with full accountability for key account launches on behalf of New Seasons Markets and Market of Choice.
• Sales Manager (Contract), CleanWell LLC, San Francisco, CA, 11/2015, 12/2016, Oversaw a comprehensive network of multiple vendors from the supply through retail level to enable the tiered placement of direct customers based on overall sales performance. Maintained ongoing alignment with supply chain production, warehouse inventory, and current items available at the retail level (totaling approximately $2-3M) by projecting readjustments in overall sales budgeting. Leverage $30-35K trade spend dollars on behalf of various print media and sports sponsorship partners (including collaborative efforts with Whole Foods to identify potential “scan back” initiatives to maximize sponsorship returns). Managed inhouse salesforce operations, with additional oversight for relevant Amazon entries, listings, and e-coupon discounting. Tasked with creating and organizing whole food global and regional item submissions, as well as ensuring full coordination with proper brokerage. Achieved a two-month 30% increase in sales ordering from top-tier customers via a “go-to-market” strategy of case stack deals (and unpublished UNFI “hot sheet” deals); similarly achieved a 20-25% increase in year-over-year (YOY) sales on selected products via promotional planning and the identification of compliance charges. Developed successful strategies for the 2017 sales and distribution calendar to maximize product line traction by minimizing MCB commitments emphasizing regional scan back promotions. Managed and moderated a dedicated network of three brokerages (Pacific Natural Sales, Presence, and Horizon Marketing) across two pertinent categories (home and personal care). Coordinated onboarding processes for new broker teams in both the California and Rocky Mountain regions.
• Sales Manager, Vital Juice LLC, Seattle, WA, 10/2014, 11/2015, Established a uniform product margin following the beneficial institution of cost analysis efforts emphasizing gross product margin. Secured product line assets via the dedicated assessment of the then-current distribution network, as supplemented by successful transitions from Green Shoots to Pearl Distribution for better marketplace leverage in the Pacific Northwest region. Tasked with identifying potential test markets for Northern California, as well as proper selections for local distributors. Contributed to the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) for New York Pacific Northwest and California (including the preparation of sales materials such as PowerPoint presentations for store buyers). Developed a private labeling program for Home Grown in the Pacific Northwest, subsequently earning first annual outlet sales within the $20-40K range; similarly earned first annual total sales within the $60-75K range through focused test marketing in key independents accounts such as Rainbow Grocery and Berkeley Bowl West. Lowered production costs by 35% within six months of production runs via strategies focusing on improved costs and overhead by transitioning from a multifacility production format into HPP-run facilities in Southern California. Opened lucrative business channels including the Portland International Airport and select Safeway markets.
• Distribution Sales Manager West, Blueprint Raw Juice, San Francisco, CA, 05/2013, 10/2014, Managed a Whole Foods exclusive line extension covering three SKUs across the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains, supported by an 85-100% placement rate. Offered additional management for then-current direct-to-store delivery (DSD) placement. Utilized SPINS and Whole Foods data updating resources to document and present quarterly sales updates to the Hain sales teams. Drove Blueprint’s first seasonal SKU launch by securing 800 cases in preorder commitments from Whole Foods. Earned a 13% increase in Northern California revenues within the $200-300k range following the successful acquisition of 80+ Safeway locations; similarly earned a 15% increase in Western regional operations via the management of DSD placement mentioned above. Played an instrumental role in reducing spoils/return distribution percentages in the Pacific Northwest by 35% on behalf of Blueprint’s “Taste of Tomorrow” program.
• Western Sales Manager, SuperNutrition, San Francisco, CA, 07/2009, 01/2012, Sales Manager
• Sales Representative, SuperNutrition, San Francisco, CA, 07/2009, 01/2012, Sales Representative