Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Accomplishments
Timeline
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Thomas A. Rotkis

Plainfield,IL

Summary

Results oriented Corporate Executive and General Manager with 10 Years of P&L responsibility. A proven record of accomplishments leading business with associated sales and marketing, operations, and manufacturing functions. Proven record of leading organizational and cultural changes; financial improvements, and building results-oriented teams. Decisive ability to create strategy, implement goals and develop a culture of growth. 25 Years sales and marketing experience with architects, lighting designers, lighting reps, electrical contractors and distributors. Direct experience with a broad clientele: national accounts, corporate buyers, co-op buyers, small to medium business owners, branch managers, store managers, etc. Adept at forecasting and promotional planning, category management, and developing new growth opportunities.

Overview

32
32
years of professional experience

Work History

President

North Star Lighting, Inc.
12.2009 - Current
  • Full P&L responsibility
  • Direct all sales and marketing activities for North Star Lighting and Thorn USA.
  • Hired and managed employees to maximize productivity while training staff on best practices and protocols.
  • Developed and implemented new strategies and policies to establish long-term business objectives and provide strong and sustainable organizational leadership.
  • Cultivated strong relationships with external partners to foster collaboration and maximize resources.
  • Developed and implemented new strategies and policies in collaboration with executive partners to establish and achieve long-term business objectives, providing company with strong and sustainable organizational leadership.

VP Sales and Marketing

North Star Lighting
08.2005 - 12.2009
  • Direct all sales and marketing activities for North Star Lighting and Thorn USA
  • Re-branded and re-imaged North Star Lighting to reflect emphasis on LED light sources and changing company direction
  • Conceptualized and introduced the following lighting brands: North Star Architectural, North Star SSL, and AlphaLED
  • Launched over 100 new products in a 5 year period
  • Twelve direct reports including operations, engineering, national and regional sales managers, inside sales, customer service and quotations
  • Responsible for hiring and firing lighting reps in North America, Canada and South America
  • Re-organized and re-shaped rep sales force to specification reps, reflecting changing product direction and company focus
  • Manage Rep Network consisting of over 70 Independent Sales Agencies
  • Improved sales and margins by over 50%.
  • Identified appropriate marketing channels and target customers for campaigns.
  • Wrote engaging and successful marketing, advertising, and website copy.
  • Developed campaigns and specific marketing strategies for clients.

National Sales Manager

Juno Lighting Group
05.2004 - 08.2005
  • Managed all sales and marketing activities for start-up Commercial Fluorescent division (ModuLight)
  • Identified, contracted and trained 12 direct employees covering 50 states
  • Responsible for training and managing 42 independent sales rep organizations covering 50 states
  • Exceeded sales goals in first full year.
  • Developed and implemented effective sales strategies and led nationwide sales team members to achieve sales targets.
  • Forecasted sales and established processes to achieve sales objectives and related metrics.
  • Juno Lighting acquired by Schneider Electric

Regional Sales Manager

Hubbell Lighting, Inc
10.2002 - 05.2004
  • Managed sales for $105MM North Central Division
  • Accountable for positive growth in a down, to flat, commercial/industrial market
  • Managed 16 manufacturers’ reps covering a 13 state region.
  • Achieved regional sales objectives by coordinating sales team, developing successful strategies, and servicing accounts to strengthen business relationships.
  • Developed and maintained positive relationships with clients in assigned sales territories.
  • Generated detailed sales reports and forecasts to analyze performance and track progress.
  • Collaborated with senior executives to evaluate performance in regional area and develop strategies to expand revenue generation.

Senior Product Marketing Manager

Hubbell Lighting, Inc
01.1999 - 09.2002
  • Responsible for all aspects of growth and development of mature $50MM industrial product line
  • Manage 3 person product marketing and product development team
  • Intimately involved with sourcing, purchasing, asset allocation, etc
  • Maintain a multimillion dollar product development / marketing budget.
  • Collaborated with marketing department to define positioning and messaging and plan market launch, public relations and lead generation campaigns.
  • Drove marketing initiatives to increase product visibility and market performance.
  • Communicated value and position to sales team and developed tools to support selling process.
  • Utilized Kaizen principles and tools to drive efficiency and increase quality and profit margins

District Sales Manager

Hubbell Lighting, Inc.
01.1998 - 01.1999
  • Coached sales associates in product specifications, sales incentives, and selling techniques, significantly increasing customer satisfaction ratings.
  • Accounts include: Grainger, Graybar, Wesco, Steiner, Crescent, and other wholesale electrical distributors
  • Increased sales over 31% through distributors
  • Drove fixture sales through product specification
  • Tripled division revenues for Sports Lighting.

Midwest Division Manager

General Electric Company
01.1997 - 01.1998
  • Managed the largest growth market for GE and The Home Depot
  • Drove sales for over 85 Home Depot stores in the Midwest through Manufacturers
  • Rep
  • Agency (Mudd-Lyman Sales, twenty reps
  • Covering seven states)
  • Increased sales by over 300%V ($14.8MM ’98 V $4.7MM ’97)
  • Delivered over $5MM in promotional business
  • Completed Six Sigma Quality Initiative for Midwest Division, realizing $100M savings in broken and defective claims
  • Championed national cross merchandising initiative, driving incremental sales.

National Co-ops Manager

General Electric Company
01.1995 - 01.1997
  • National Co-ops Groups
  • Instrumental in driving growth for Ace Hardware account through regional advertising groups from $2.4MM in 1994 to $6.4MM at the close of 1997
  • Implemented monthly promotional program which added incremental growth to a stagnant account, exceeding stretch goals by over $1MM
  • Shared best practices prove key in driving similar growth for Cotter and Company (Tru Serv).
  • Implemented Six Sigma principles and tools driving process quality and improved sales and profit margins

Account Manager

General Electric Company
01.1992 - 01.1995
  • Intimately involved with BCG (Boston Consulting Group) and the Discovery process, setting new benchmarks for growth in the Electrical category for GE and ACE Hardware
  • Exceeded stretch goals in 1995 and 1996, growing existing account base from $2.4MM in 1992 to $4.9MM in 1995
  • Developed monthly promotional program, utilizing scheduled drop shipments of non-warehouse items, adding incremental growth of $2MM over a two year period
  • Implemented Remerchandising program resulting in drop shipments of $800M.

Education

B.S - Communications and Psychology

Saint Joseph’s
Rensselaer, IN
1992

Honors Diploma - undefined

Wm. V. Fisher Catholic H.S
Lancaster, OH
1988

Accomplishments

  • Six Sigma Training – completed several Green Belt initiatives utilizing Six Sigma methodology DMAIC and DMAIV (DFSS) Design For Six Sigma
  • Dale Carnegie - completed 8 week course, Effective Communications & Human Relations - completed 8 week course, Leadership Training for Managers
  • Hubbell:
  • Kaizen Training – completed several LEAN initiatives and JIT projects utilizing Kaizen tools for continuous improvement.

Timeline

President

North Star Lighting, Inc.
12.2009 - Current

VP Sales and Marketing

North Star Lighting
08.2005 - 12.2009

National Sales Manager

Juno Lighting Group
05.2004 - 08.2005

Regional Sales Manager

Hubbell Lighting, Inc
10.2002 - 05.2004

Senior Product Marketing Manager

Hubbell Lighting, Inc
01.1999 - 09.2002

District Sales Manager

Hubbell Lighting, Inc.
01.1998 - 01.1999

Midwest Division Manager

General Electric Company
01.1997 - 01.1998

National Co-ops Manager

General Electric Company
01.1995 - 01.1997

Account Manager

General Electric Company
01.1992 - 01.1995

B.S - Communications and Psychology

Saint Joseph’s

Honors Diploma - undefined

Wm. V. Fisher Catholic H.S

Work Availability

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Quote

“A Good Plan, Violently Executed Now, Is Better Than a Perfect Plan Next Week.”
General George Patton

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Thomas A. Rotkis