John Punis
Fort Collins,CO
Summary
Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Strong worth ethic, adaptability and exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills. Well-rounded background to include Operations, Category Management, Marketing and Sales. Looking to join an organization at a senior level with the ultimate goal of driving margins and delighting customers.
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Food Service Sales
JBS-USA
Greeley, CO
04.2024 - Current
- Assembled and managed a team of 9 sales professionals dedicated to delivering outstanding customer service, demonstrating extensive industry expertise, and surpassing company financial goals while maintaining a high level of professionalism at all times.
- Expertise in servicing National/Regional Broad-line Distributors, Further Processors, and National/Regional Chains.
- Focused on understanding customer needs and presenting premium branded options or converted items, creating a distinct advantage for the customer while achieving JBS financial objectives.
- Successfully oversaw customer relationships with Shamrock Foods, Chipotle, Shake Shack, In-N-Out, Texas Roadhouse, Fogo de Chao and Darden.
- Led as the main contact for Darden, representing all JBS-USA Protein BU's.
- Constructed and implemented annual Financial Business Plans and GTM strategy as part of Senior Management.
- Collaborated with Finance, President, and CEO to create and oversee budgets for Food Service Sales SG&A and Marketing.
- Revamped sales and margin reporting for improved business performance analysis.
Director of Food Service Sales - Western Region
JBS-USA
Greeley, CO
06.2016 - 04.2023
- Managed team of 3 Sales Professionals covering the Western Region's 11 states.
- Serviced National and Regional Broad-line Distributors, Further Processors, and National and Regional Chain Accounts.
- Managed customer relationships with Shamrock Foods, Chipotle, Shake Shack, Cafe Rio and In-N-Out.
- Developed a standardized business review template for the Food Service Sales organization.
- Managed SG&A and Marketing budget for Western Region.
- Contributed to the development of Financial Planning and GTM strategy.
Director - Product Management and Marketing
JBS-USA
Greeley, CO
02.2014 - 06.2016
- Led all Premium Branded programs with P&L responsibility.
- Managed pricing formulas for Premium Branded products.
- Managed creation of new SKU's and SKU rationalization as needed.
- Revitalized Cedar River Farms Natural program by overhauling pricing and marketing strategy.
- Led creation of Aspen Ridge Natural Angus program.
- Collaborated in the development and launch of the Shamrock Gold Canyon Angus and FSA Cattle Company Beef programs.
- Developed comprehensive Product Utilization Reports to effectively monitor sales performance.
- Served as Technical Expert on Retail and Food Service sales calls and business reviews.
- Managed customer relationship with Chipotle and Shake Shack.
- Assumed full accountability for Marketing activities of JBS Beef Division starting in April 2014.
- Collaborated with Marketing Agency to enhance B to B marketing strategy.
- Developed and managed Marketing Budget.
VP - Operations & International Business
Meyer Natural Angus
Loveland, CO
03.2006 - 04.2011
- Managed relationships with multiple Beef Fabrication Co-Packers, including IBP, Greater Omaha, O'Neil Pack, Nebraska Beef and Excel.
- Managed relationship and oversaw Further Processing and Warehousing for Skylark Meats.
- Streamlined product offerings by collaborating with Co-packers, resulting in the creation of innovative SKU's and the elimination of inefficient ones.
- Managed USDA Label Approvals for MNA brand.
- Successfully oversaw a team of QA/Food Safety staff members.
- Managed and led International Sales efforts, overseeing Asian and European markets.
- Contributed to the development and successful launch of hotdog and sous vide product offerings.
- Contributed to the development of MNA branded online offering.
- Managed customer relations with Chipotle and Shake Shack.
- Represented Operations in Strategic Planning activities including Annual budgets and GTM strategy.
Category Manager
ConAgra Foods Inc
Omaha, NE
01.2003 - 03.2006
- P&L responsibilities for FoodService Sales of BBQ items (2003-2004), Armour Hotdogs (2004-2005), and Butterball/Longmont Turkey (2005-2006).
- Implemented effective pricing strategies for various branded product lines, resulting in increased profitability.
- Worked with co-packers to ensure compliance with specifications and optimize costing.
- Contributed in the development of new items addressing customer and/or marketplace needs.
- Contributed to annual budget creation and GTM strategy development.
- Provided technical assistance during customer visits.
Director - Trim and Ground Beef
Monfort/ConAgra Beef
Greeley, CO
03.1996 - 03.2003
- Directed pricing and sales to Beef Trim customers.
- Managed pricing and operations for ground beef facilities in Greeley, CO, Des Moines, IA, Grand Island, NE, and Cactus, TX.
- Managed customer relations with Taco Bell.
- Developed and implemented a least cost formulation model to optimize raw material inputs for ground beef operations.
- Provided technical support in key Retail/Food Service customer meetings.
International Technical Consultant
OSI Industries
Aurora, IL
06.1989 - 03.1996
- Experienced in all aspects of Ground Beef Production facility operations in West Chicago, IL.
- Conducted plant tours at West Chicago facility, showcasing operations to McDonald's visitors.
- Developed Statistical Process Control (SPC) systems in production facilities to ensure consistent product quality and optimize costs.
- Provided technical consulting services for joint venture locations in Asia and Latin America
- Managed production and costs of ground beef patties, fish portions, and breaded chicken nuggets for McDonald's.
- Conducted training sessions on process control for McDonald's in US and Asia markets.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Business Economics
University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL05-1989
Skills
- Extensive Food Service Sales Experience
- Business/Financial Acumen
- Excellent Communication Skills
- Collaborative Management Style
- New Opportunities and Innovation
- Flexible and Adaptable
- Well Rounded Background
- Relationship Building
Affiliations
- Spending time with my family
- Playing golf when I get the chance
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Head of Food Service Sales
JBS-USA
04.2024 - Current
Director of Food Service Sales - Western Region
JBS-USA
06.2016 - 04.2023
Director - Product Management and Marketing
JBS-USA
02.2014 - 06.2016
VP - Operations & International Business
Meyer Natural Angus
03.2006 - 04.2011
Category Manager
ConAgra Foods Inc
01.2003 - 03.2006
Director - Trim and Ground Beef
Monfort/ConAgra Beef
03.1996 - 03.2003
International Technical Consultant
OSI Industries
06.1989 - 03.1996
Bachelor of Arts - Business Economics
University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign