MICHAEL LANZA
Summary
Professional with strong business acumen, able to identify and execute new sales opportunities. Experienced in cultivating alliances inside customer organizations and supply chains to understand customer needs better and facilitate new operational and sales excellence. Proven history of delivering results in multiple industries and having developed solid transferable skills to meet the demands of any industry. Always diplomatic and tactful at all levels.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Sales – Automotive Sector, North America
Mirka Abrasives
01.2024 - Current
- Sales leader in the North American sector of automotive abrasives and tools
- Responsible for growing the sector's sales and operational performance
- Develop and build out the training curriculum
- Sector sales grew from $80M to $100M in 2024 by expanding crucial distributor relationships and alignments
- This leads to better alignment of mutual needs and goals, creating solid partnerships
- Developed and implemented key distributor performance growth and pay plans incentivizing eternal sales teams to lead with Mirka products first
- Hired, manage, develop, and lead a focused and driven team of sector managers
- Develop and set the business plans for North American markets
- Gathered and analyzed competitive intelligence for a focused and directed strategy
- Analyze lead and lag indicators to forecast future segment and divisional sales growth
- Developed and maintained strong customer relationships with distribution partners to align an emphasis on growing market share
- Analyzed, recommended, and executed appropriate product offerings for targeted segments
- Ensured precise product positioning and value propositions for effective sales execution within subsections
- Identified market and product training opportunities for internal and external sales forces
Director of Sales – National Accounts, North America
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes
01.2021 - 01.2024
- Sales execution of North America's largest Multi-Store Operators (MSO) automotive collision groups
- Streamlined tracking and maintaining the integrity of national account customer agreements
- Developed metrics for all departments, including but not limited to NA Financial Services, Stores Reporting, and AFD Marketing, creating solutions to National Account customer needs
- Train in CRM and identify any updates and improvements to the system to support optimal transparency on the national account customer portfolio
- Developed national account plans and strategies for winning new business by nurturing current relationships
- Manage sales lifecycles and collaborate with internal stakeholders and customers to maximize revenues, profitability, and new opportunities
- Experienced in cultivating alliances inside customer organizations/supply chains to understand customer needs better and facilitate operational excellence
- Developed and outlined strategic initiatives for new business development opportunities for Multi-Shop Operators and other significant national strategic accounts
- Develop pricing and marketing, ensuring proper execution of all strategies on e-commerce platforms
- Collaborate with financial services to ensure proper resources and support from a credit and rebates standpoint
- Collaborate with AFD Finance to streamline communication and execution of price increases
- Collaborate with N/A Finance on identifying, maintaining, and improving the reporting tools for the national account sales team
- Partnered with compliance and legal team, ensuring all strategies and operations related to customers
Global Business Consulting Services Manager
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes
01.2015 - 01.2021
- Developed relationships with multi-store operators (MSO) with over $50 million in annual sales
- Relationships and trust building connected with key customer decision makers at automotive OEMs
- Formed strategic business alliances with key global accounts
- Developed full-suite Eco-Lean University training modules and curriculums
- Developed & delivered in-person & online training to over 40,000 attendees, internally, SEMA, SCRS, Local & National Body Shop Organizations, NAPA, National Distribution networks, and NADA
- Published numerous articles in collision industry publications
- Development and launch of Sherwin-Williams Collision Core suite of tools
- Coordinated outreach between collision repair industry participants, vocational schools, and repair facilities
- Coordinate with multi-tier teams to achieve project goals
North American Strategic Initiatives Manager
BASF Chemical Corporation, Inc.
01.2008 - 01.2015
- Complete national low VOC conversion.
- Developed relationships with multi-store operators (MSO) with over $50 million in sales
- Maintained and enhanced relationships with existing key accounts
- Negotiated national contracts with MSO groups at the C-Suite level on behalf of BASF
- Supported existing MSO customers in retrieving their monthly, quarterly, and year-to-date financials and helping them extrapolate critical drivers to help with growth and improved profit margins
- Consulted with the largest MSOs on 5S, LEAN, and SIX SIGMA theories and helped with implementations
- Relationship and trust-building ability to connect with crucial customer decision-makers at automotive OEMs
Education
No Degree - Business
DePaul University
Chicago, ILCertificate of Technical Studies - LEAN Six-Sigma Black Belt
Villanova University
Villanova, PASkills
- Sales training and leadership
- Organizational development
- Cross-functional teamwork
- Team building and motivation
- Revenue growth
- Client relationships
- Sales presentations
- Business planning
- Performance improvement
- Team leadership
- Channel development
- Effective communication
Accomplishments
Leader of Sales Excellence
Impact employee of the year
Affiliations
- Collision Industry Foundation
- Toastmasters
- Dale Carnegie
Impact Employee of the year
During the Covid 19 pandemic and due to stay at home directives, I created a suite of on-line educational courses to train internal sales force and external customers. I developed and delivered content virtually to over 8000 individuals and corporations.
Timeline
Director of Sales – Automotive Sector, North America
Mirka Abrasives
01.2024 - Current
Director of Sales – National Accounts, North America
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes
01.2021 - 01.2024
Global Business Consulting Services Manager
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes
01.2015 - 01.2021
North American Strategic Initiatives Manager
BASF Chemical Corporation, Inc.
01.2008 - 01.2015
No Degree - Business
DePaul University
Certificate of Technical Studies - LEAN Six-Sigma Black Belt
Villanova University
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