Amy Merideth

• Led change management efforts to successfully implement new policies, procedures, and capabilities throughout the organization.
• Increased overall organizational efficiency by streamlining workflows and eliminating redundancies in day-to-day operations.
• Spearheaded product development initiatives, resulting in business expansion and winning the partnership of a new global customer.
• Evaluated vendor proposals for contract negotiation purposes, achieving favorable terms and streamlining time to serve.
• Collaborated with sales team to develop strategies for increasing revenue opportunities through new operational capabilities.
• Applied excellent problem-solving, process development, and strategic implementation skills to lead and support all areas of operations.
• Identified issues with production, workforce, and material sourcing and implemented successful solutions.
• Cultivated and strengthened lasting client relationships using strong issue resolution and dynamic communication skills.
• Identified and qualified customer needs and negotiated and closed profitable projects with high success rate.
• Cultivated a high-performance work environment by setting clear expectations and providing regular feedback on employee performance.

• Collaborative, goal-oriented and results driven leader that fostered team engagement, and strong service delivery to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Established and directed a 3rd party logistics network across the US and Canada that optimized inventory, freight and re-packing capabilities between co-packer and customer locations.
• Performed a network optimization review and execution, going from 30+ 3PL providers to 5 across North America - de-complexing the entire supply chain network, reducing out of stocks, and saving more than $1MM annualized in 3PL provider and freight spend.
• Collaborated with Sales partners to build cost-to-serve pricing, allocation practices, and rapid response to new sales opportunities.
• Built and deployed innovative solutions that improved efficiencies to key Customer accounts.
• Established mutual relationships with 3rd party partners with contracts that reflected mutuality while incentivizing relentless improvements in service delivery and cost structure.
• Developed departmental budget and logistics operating plan assumptions, including clarity of risks & opportunities, and ensured delivery against them.
• Established, communicated, and implemented operations-related policies, practices and standards.
• Drove efficient, sustainable practices for warehousing and freight.
• Assured accuracy, effective utilization and integration of NetSuite ERP, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Transportation Management System (TMS).
• In Partnership with the People team, proactively addressed escalated concerns, conflicts, and interactions with team members.
• Clarified accountability, set clear goals, and actively developed individuals and teams.
• Hired and managed employees to maximize productivity while training staff on best practices and protocols.
• Established performance goals for department and outlined processes for achievement.
• Created succession plans to provide continuity of operations during leadership transitions.

• Responsible to lead, direct and manage the coordination, quality and prioritization of package design developed artwork through consultations, conceptual review, artwork release, digital separations, plate making and printing for all product launches, design changes and supplier changes.
• Managed large-scale projects and introduced new tools and processes to achieve challenging objectives.
• Managed senior-level personnel working in marketing and project management capacities.
• Conducted performance evaluations, compensations and hiring to maintain appropriate staffing requirements.
• Assisted in organizing and overseeing assignments to drive operational excellence.
• Produced staffing matrix to provide adequate coverage of department.
• Maintained positive customer relations by addressing problems head-on and implementing successful corrective actions.
• Recommended and implemented successful strategies to maximize revenue.
• Consolidated vendors and renegotiated contracts to optimize costs.

• Led a team of Commercialization Project Managers who, based on background and/or experience, supported both retail and contract manufacturing projects and sales teams.
• Central hub responsible for managing and linking all cross-functional team members needed to commercialize new projects, existing customer changes, and/or key initiatives.
• Together with Commercial Finance and in close cooperation with Sales and the Senior Manager / Director, prepared the start of complex bids preparing the go / no-go decision.
• Advanced understanding of key stakeholder inputs, including manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and finance with the ability to maintain strong strategic partnerships and foster collaboration.
• Set a tone for positive change, challenged the status quo, enabled fast decision making and empowered the commercialization team toward continuous improvement.
• Lead consistent and constant process evaluation to support continual improvement in the commercialization process, backed by quantitative and qualitative metrics and KPIs.
• Cross-trained existing employees to maximize team agility and performance.
• Established performance goals for employees and provided feedback on methods for reaching those milestones.
• Controlled costs to keep business operating within budget and increase profits.
• Developed and maintained relationships with customers and suppliers through account development.
• Maintained positive customer relations by addressing problems head-on and implementing successful corrective actions.

• Responsible for managing the commercial forecasting process for the North American Business Unit – totaling over 299MM cases of volume and $1.32B in revenue by facilitating monthly consensus meetings with senior leadership and working strategically with finance, demand planning, procurement and manufacturing.
• Responsible for pulling and organizing financial forecasts, including the annual operating plan for the North American Business Unit – collaborating with finance and operations partners;
• Create and communicate sales reports for executive leadership to monitor daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual performance trends for strategic decision making and forecast performance;
• Provide a keen ability to execute and interpret statistical analysis and translate into strategic objectives against all cross-functional areas within the organization;
• Act as a liaison between executive leadership and all functional areas within the organization to drive strategic initiatives – including volume planning, production location, transportation logistics, and managing volume in a frequently changing CPG industry;
• Comprehensive knowledge of supply chain flow throughout the supply chain lifecycle.

• Managed successful P&L with a scope of $3.7M to improve $.02 per case by flexing and managing labor to where the work was – including during a time of a 6% decrease in volume.
• Developed, in partnership with production, a procedure to produce a new unique customer package (Gridlock).
• Created manufacturing partnerships with new customers exclusive to Sikeston (Jones Soda, Zevia).
• Brought in $40k in new recycling program.
• Eliminated MIA product through accountability and disciplines ($100k cost avoidance).
• Created processes to accurately control inventory for all items in and out crossing the dock ($130k cost avoidance), including raw materials, maintenance parts, and full goods.
• Cross-functional program development “MP3” for display ready pallets now being shared with other facilities for corporate wide savings initiative.
• Created process flow map and ownership for new CC+I initiative.
• Obtained HAACP certification and became site SQF Practitioner.
• 2013 Warehouse expense delivered $0.086 to a $0.087 forecast.
• Integrated warehouse operations with existing and new business processes.
• Built motivated warehouse team to consistently accomplish operations goals and exceed performance targets.
• Boosted warehouse operations performance by overseeing dispatching and setting optimal employee schedules.

• Provided leadership to production associates on a daily basis to include development of self managed work teams.
• Contributed annual volume growth resulting in 10% better than plan of 14M versus 12M.
• Contributed to waste reduction of $12k mixed rate by participating in CI Team for 16oz and 8oz yield improvements.
• Contributed to annual plant leverage of $0.774 versus $0.862.
• Created, implemented, and maintained attendance database tracking systems to eliminate risk of over-payments.
• Coordinated with other departments to maintain smooth and efficient product flow.
• Evaluated team member performance regularly to identify and resolve productivity concerns.
• Set and enforced performance-oriented production approach, significantly increasing worker output and reducing safety incidents.

Marketing and consulting service who achieved profitability by providing solutions to meet the needs of all customers by:

• Appropriately costing and pricing products and services.
• Creating and managing P&L – developing a budget and lowering operating expenses and increasing profit margins.
• Growing customer base by understanding current market trends using statistical analysis and market research.
• Creating strategic partnerships with vendors through contracts and exclusivity agreements.
• Business successfully transitioned to a new owner and continues in operation.

• Responsible for 19 company sites under the direction of the Associate EH&S Director
• Drove continuous improvement initiatives within environmental health, safety and sanitation areas.
• Conducted safety audits and inspections to identify workplace hazards and deficiencies.
• Investigated incidents, determining root causes and implementing corrective actions.
• Performed safety analyses to evaluate potential risks and develop risk mitigation strategies.
• Educated employees on hazardous waste management, emergency response and safe work practices.
• Provided new-employee health and safety orientations and developed materials for presentations.
• Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.

• Supported union based manufacturing and facility operations with essential environmental health and safety functions.
• Attended court cases and provided evidence in court.
• Conducted safety audits and inspections to identify workplace hazards and deficiencies.
• Developed and implemented safety policies and procedures to promote workplace safety.
• Identified accident causes and optimal prevention strategies by conducting thorough investigations and analyses.
• Researched and devised new safety initiatives and strategies to improve safety performance.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
• Cultivated interpersonal skills by building positive relationships with others.

Provided supervision, leadership and coordination of union employee activities associated with an assigned product line and department by:

• Developing plans that met internal and external customer requirements - winning 2004 Jet Stream Award for production as well as the 2004 YWCA Female Leader of the Year.
• Coordinating with logistics for the shipment of completed product including supplies and inventory.
• Regularly assessing and providing feedback regarding performance to employees, including working with union shop stewards for problem and grievance resolution, development of performance improvement plans, and administration of disciplinary action.
• Flexed labor in order to achieve production demands while meeting the requirements of a labor budget.
• Working to ensure the improvement of manufacturing processes and procedures, with technical assistance from tooling, engineering, finance, and materials.
• Daily safety training that encouraged participation and feedback.
• Trained and coached employees to improve performance and skills.
• Directed daily operations of team of 27 union machine operators and mechanics.
• Monitored daily and weekly key performance indicators to maintain on-track status.

• Facilitated a cross functional team that was instrumental in the reduction of the Accident Frequency Rate (AFR) from 13.28 in 2002 to 0.68 in 2003.
• Reduced worker's compensation costs by 50% in one year, managing over 750 database case files.
• Supported manufacturing and facility operations with essential environmental health and safety functions by:

• Managing OSHA injury records;
• Implementing GKN Incident Reporting System;
• Performing risk assessments;
• Participating in Safety Action Team meetings;
• Communicating trends;
• Providing monthly, quarterly and yearly GKN metric summaries;
• Designed and published ESH website, including data tracking, analysis, and trending;
• Led investigation team for tool staging/movement and material handling program;
• Participated in the design, development, and packaging of the GKN St Louis Integrated Behavior Based Safety Communication Program, winning the 2003 International Safety Award;
• Created, implemented and managed Incident Reporting System winning 2003 Site Safety Award.