John Regalado
Pingree Grove,Illinois
Summary
Accomplished Senior Director with 20 years of retail leadership experience, leading with a people-first mindset rooted in respect, integrity, and accountability. Proven leader in developing high-performing, inclusive teams while driving a member-obsessed, people-led, tech-powered, omni-channel strategy. Proven track record of year-over-year sales growth, shrink reduction, financial risk mitigation, and market-leading KPI performance. —while elevating the end-to-end member experience and operational excellence.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Developmental Market Manager
Sam's Club
11.2024 - Current
- Strategically planned and executed market development initiatives.
- Conducted comprehensive market research to identify emerging trends, competitive landscape, and potential growth opportunities.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including buyers and marketing to align market strategies with overall business goals.
- Developed and maintained strong relationships with key stakeholders, including retailers, distributors, and industry partners.
- Led a team of market representatives, providing training, mentoring, and performance evaluations to ensure achievement of targets.
- Monitored and analyzed market performance metrics to assess the effectiveness of strategies and make data-driven adjustments.
- Managed budget allocation for market development activities, ensuring efficient use of resources and maximizing ROI.
- Organized and participated in trade shows, industry events, and customer meetings to promote products and expand market presence.
- Developed and presented detailed market reports and forecasts to senior management, providing insights for strategic decision-making.
Club Manager
Sam's Club
Crystal Lake, IL
01.2019 - 11.2024
- Led multi-year club operations with a strong focus on member obsession, omni-channel execution, and operational excellence, consistently delivering market-leading performance.
- Championed a member-first culture, ensuring decisions, processes, and execution were anchored in delivering a seamless, high-quality, end-to-end member experience.
- Established a culture of accountability, performance management, and disciplined execution, aligning teams to enterprise priorities, and sustained results.
- Leveraged data, insights, and continuous improvement practices to drive membership growth, engagement, and long-term value.
- Built and sustained a high-engagement, inclusive workplace by developing leaders, strengthening associate capability, and reinforcing Sam's Club values and behaviors.
- Strengthened the Club of the Community's impact by leading community involvement initiatives and partnerships that increased local engagement, trust, and brand relevance.
- Recognized for sustained excellence and consistent execution through repeated market and region-level performance recognition across multiple years (2020-2024)
Assistant Manager Roles (Fresh, Membership & Service, Grocery/Produce)
Sam’s Club
01.2011 - 01.2019
- Executed enterprise initiatives and operational priorities with a strong focus on member experience, operational excellence, and consistent execution across club departments.
- Led, coached, and developed hourly and frontline leaders, strengthening capability, accountability, and performance while building a sustainable leadership pipeline.
- Drove process discipline, standards, and compliance across food safety, sanitation, and merchandising to ensure safe, high-quality, and member-ready operations.
- Partnered cross-functionally with merchandising, replenishment, and operations teams to deliver end-to-end execution aligned to business priorities.
- Improved service execution, traffic-driving behaviors, and member engagement through clear expectations, coaching, and performance follow-up.
- Identified opportunities for continuous improvement and implemented process enhancements to support scalable, repeatable results.
- Supported market-level priorities by mentoring peers, sharing best practices, and contributing to talent development and succession planning efforts.
- Led community-focused initiatives and engagement activities, reinforcing local relevance, brand trust, and member connection.
Skills
- Market Analysis
- Budgeting/Profit & Loss
- Leadership and Mentoring
- Talent Development
- Change Management
- Tech/Digital Centric
- Performance Management
- Time Management
- Team Building
- Analytical Thinking
Timeline
Developmental Market Manager
Sam's Club
11.2024 - Current
Club Manager
Sam's Club
01.2019 - 11.2024
Assistant Manager Roles (Fresh, Membership & Service, Grocery/Produce)
Sam’s Club
01.2011 - 01.2019