Jennifer Freres

Product management leader with experience helping teams execute, improve processes, and make better portfolio decisions in complex situations. Bring a background in product lifecycle management, pricing, portfolio simplification, systems integration, and data governance, along with a strong ability to connect people, align priorities, and keep work moving forward. Cares deeply about building strong teams, supporting employee growth, and creating an environment where people feel accountable, collaborative, and empowered to do their best work. Known for bringing clarity to complex initiatives and helping product organizations operate more effectively.

• Led cross-functional product management initiatives that enhanced operating discipline and strengthened decision-making across the product portfolio.
• Directed Product Line Simplification efforts, aligning portfolio actions with business priorities, EBITDA improvement goals, and long-term portfolio strategy.
• Partnered with engineering, sales, marketing, finance, and IT to drive product initiatives from planning through execution and improving organizational alignment.
• Supported pricing strategy and annual cost initiatives that balanced market competitiveness with margin performance and aligned with portfolio objectives.
• Strengthened product lifecycle and Engineering Change Request processes by establishing clearer governance, training, and accountability across teams.
• Led initiatives involving product information management, business systems, and process improvements that increased operational efficiency and improved execution.
• Enabled stronger portfolio management through enhanced data governance and improved system alignment, fostering consistent product management practices.

Be the driving force for BG Centrifugal Pumps, overseeing all aspects of the Centrifugal Pump Portfolio, including customer discovery, new product development, profitable growth, and lifecycle management.

• Spearheaded the successful development and launch of four New Product Development projects with first year sales of $5M including smart part nomenclature creation, commercial launch activities and marketing literature enhancements.
• Accelerated market penetration of integrated variable speed pumps, generating $3M in orders within 18 months. Developed strategic playbook to support Bell & Gossett Representatives, streamlining onboarding and enhancing product adoption.
• Led 80/20 initiative to streamline product offerings and focus on high-margin, high-demand SKUs. Partnered with engineering, operations, and commercial teams to drive execution of simplification and profitability goals. Directed cross-functional product simplification initiatives, pricing opportunities and operational effectiveness.
• Co-led a strategic Innovation Summit with key customers to identify and validate market challenges, prioritize new product development opportunities, and generate disruptive ideas to feed the NPD funnel in the Commercial Building Services sector.
• Established career mapping and conducted team reviews for growth opportunities, resulting in internal promotions of three key team members and fostering a culture focused on growth and performance.

Led strategic planning and new product development for a product line, managing the full lifecycle from roadmap execution to end-of-life rationalization, and optimizing sales and profitability through accurate forecasting and margin performance analysis.

• Led a new product development project by working through roadblocks, building a strong partnership with the contract manufacturer, and creating a detailed forecast to support component purchasing and production planning.
• Grew innovation pipeline by developing and validating two early-stage product concepts using existing technologies in the portfolio, including an updated controller option and a new flow sensing solution.

Managed motor portfolio for Bell & Gossett pump product lines, optimizing product offerings and creating new items based on market specifications, reducing Y-Motor creation.

• Created and executed Grainger's OEM Replacement Parts strategy and portfolio while achieving year over year growth in revenue and profitability. Built trusted partnerships with suppliers to improve delivery, execution and scalable solutions.
• Revitalized replacement parts business across HVAC, pumps, pneumatics, and outdoor equipment categories, driving revenue growth from $69M in 2012 to $105M in 2016 while achieving double-digit margin improvements.
• Increased after-market parts e-commerce sales from 34% to 50% by engaging site developers, gathering voice of the customer insights, and providing merchandising direction to enhance customer experience.