Jesse Akre

Designed and implemented sales and go-to-market strategies for FurnitureDealer.Net, enhancing product offerings for a digital marketing and website solutions company serving North America’s largest independent furniture retailers and industry-leading suppliers.

• Strategic Market Positioning: Crafted and executed comprehensive sales and marketing strategy that elevated brand presence and propelled growth within SaaS e-commerce and product data service sectors, significantly enhancing market position and customer base.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead multidisciplinary teams to align product offerings with evolving market needs, creating seamless omnichannel experiences that fortified relationships with retailers and suppliers and boosted market penetration.
• Data-Driven Marketing Excellence: Leveraged analytics to refine marketing campaigns, optimize customer engagement, and maximize return on investment, establishing a precedent for data-centric strategies in digital marketing initiatives.
• Network Expansion & Partnership Development: Cultivated strategic alliances and partnerships, broadening market reach, and reinforcing sales efforts, which led to the establishment of robust industry network and stronger competitive edge.
• Developed and implemented B2B marketing strategy and overall communication plans to produce long-term partners.
• Developed and recommended product positioning and pricing strategy to produce highest possible long-term market share.

Led omnichannel and eCommerce digital transformation and strategic partnership initiatives for Coast2Coast Home’s 3,500 independent retailers and marketplaces, including ERP integration, Salsify PIM, and 2D/3D image initiatives.

• Digital Transformation Leadership: Led digital overhaul of Coast2Coast Home, introducing advanced omnichannel e-commerce strategy that significantly enhanced online consumer engagement and sales metrics.
• Strategic Partnership Development: Forged high-value collaborations with top industry players like Amazon and Costco, expanding market reach and establishing new revenue streams.
• Brand Innovation: Successfully launched primary brand Coast2Coast Home as well as direct-to-consumer brand, Paradise West Home, positioning company at forefront of digital retail landscape.
• Technology Integration: Oversaw implementation of ERP and Salsify PIM systems, streamlining operations and improving customer experience, leading to increased business scalability.
• Marketplace Expansion: Directed establishment of B2B and B2C marketplaces, enhancing company's digital footprint and consumer accessibility with 3500 independent retailers and marketplaces (Wayfair, Amazon, Lowes, Costco, Home Depot)

Spearheaded the growth of RetailSystem POS, Shopify, and Merchant Services in the UK, resulting in a 400% increase in Annual Monthly Recurring Revenue (AMRR) and a 40% reduction in churn. Managed Sales, Marketing, Operations, Development, and Client Onboarding and Support, establishing key partnerships with QuickBooks, Shopify, and Barclaycard.

• Revenue Growth Engine: Drove the global expansion of UK based RetailSystem POS, Shopify, and Merchant Services offerings - resulting in a 400% increase in North America, EMEA, and Oceania regions.
• Global Marketing: Spearheaded SaaS POS global marketing and sales enablement initiatives, including identification of market potentials, establishing of pricing/market strategies, estimation of sales/new accounts, introduction to markets (Go-To-Market), assessment of distribution/channels, and definition of promotional activities and management of product/offers through lifecycles.
• Partnership Ecosystem Architect: Cultivated strategic alliances with Shopify, Intuit QuickBooks, Barclaycard, and other key players, enriching service offerings and fortifying brand's market position.
• Operational Excellence: Streamlined global operations in marketing, client onboarding, and support, enhancing efficiency and customer service quality – including global Zendesk powered video-based "self-help" chat and ticketing support resource resulting in a 40% reduction in incident response time.
• Customer-Centric Innovation: Championed user-focused product development strategy, leveraging continuous feedback to drive enhancements and feature updates, ensuring alignment with client needs.
• Monitored financial performance and implemented measures to enforce compliance with budgetary standards.
• Developed strong partnerships with cross-functional teams for improved collaboration and efficiency.

Directed the strategy and launch for Amber Engine, a PIM and Managed Data-as-a-Service disruptor.

• Market Penetration Leadership: Led strategic introduction of cutting-edge PIM and Data-as-a-Service platform, capturing significant market share in home furnishings sector.
• Product-Led Growth Initiatives: Implemented PLG strategy that reduced user friction points, increased adoption rates, and fostered customer loyalty.
• Strategic Market Launches: Orchestrated rollout of innovative PIM features, addressing complex data needs of millions of SKUs, establishing a competitive edge in market.
• Early-Stage Market Strategy: Developed and executed go-to-market plans, establishing solid foundation for product success and brand recognition.
• Sales and Marketing Synergy: Integrated sales and marketing efforts to drive business expansion and revenue growth, leveraging industry insights and customer feedback.
• Cross-Functions: Fostered strong cross-functional collaboration to ensure alignment of departmental goals and overall company objectives.
• Competitive Advantage: Increased competitive advantage by developing innovative products or services based on thorough market research and customer insights.
• Change Management: Led change management initiatives, effectively managing stakeholder communication and ensuring a smooth transition during organizational transformations.
• Built to scale: Spearheaded process improvements throughout the organization resulting in reduced costs while maintaining or improving service levels to customers.

Achieved 45% year-over-year growth by leading MicroD SaaS commerce, SEO/SEM/Digital Content managed service, and supplier digital asset 2D/3D sales groups, in addition to Sales, Marketing, and Client Success Groups.

• Sales Growth Catalyst: Drove 45% increase in annual revenues by leading sales and marketing of E-commerce, Digital Asset, SEO/SEM, and SaaS Visualization products.
• Digital Marketing Leadership: Managed Digital Marketing Professional Services Team, significantly enhancing omnichannel e-commerce strategy and client service delivery.
• Customer Experience Innovator: Focused on customer experience optimization, improving upsell strategies and onboarding processes, resulting in higher client satisfaction and retention.
• Strategic Revenue Planning: Developed and executed comprehensive sales strategy that aligned with evolving market conditions and customer needs, ensuring sustained growth.
• Team and Operational Management: Led large team of professionals, fostering a culture of performance excellence and innovation, contributing to company’s strategic objectives and revenue targets.

Launched industry disruptor Channel Redefined - providing Ecommerce as a managed service to traditional retailers and the brands they represent. Established a $2M ARR book of business, leading to its acquisition after only nine months in operation.

• Innovative Market Entry: Spearheaded launch of Channel Redefined, capturing niche in Managed Digital Marketing / SaaS omnichannel e- commerce market, which established company as a pioneer in blending digital marketing with e-commerce PaaS solutions.
• Rapid Business Growth: Achieved impressive $2 million ARR portfolio within just 9 months, demonstrating swift market penetration and effective business scaling, leading to a strategic acquisition by a leading industry player.
• Strategic Client Acquisition: Successfully secured key early clients, including notable names like Hooker Furniture and Star Furniture, by leveraging tailored digital solutions that addressed specific industry needs, setting a strong foundation for sustained business success.
• Hyper-Growth: Drove revenue growth by expanding product offerings and identifying new market opportunities.

Founded and scaled Edenvale Shoppes from a one-person operation to a $30MM Top 1000 e-tailer, including securing a $4M raise in 2006 to develop a proprietary ERP system.

• Operational Excellence and Innovation: Oversaw all key operations and led development of a proprietary CRM/ERP – e-commerce platform, significantly enhancing business efficiency, scalability, and customer engagement
• Culture: Established a culture of accountability by setting clear expectations and holding individuals responsible for results.
• Lifetime Value: Increased customer satisfaction through continuous improvement initiatives and excellent customer service.
• Strategic Planning and Execution: Enhanced company performance by implementing strategic plans and overseeing daily operations.

• General Manager for $170MM Midwest Region of Nextel.
• Responsible for Direct Distribution (Corporate Owned B2B), Indirect Distribution (Contract Independent Distributors) as well as Corporate Retail Locations.
• Managed budget development, forecasting, and financial reporting processes to track progress towards organizational objectives accurately.
• Developed and executed strategic plans for regional growth and expansion, resulting in increased market share.