Val Valentine
Chicago, Illinois 60610
Mobile: 312-330-4994 Email:
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Executive Summary
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•Polished sales professional successful at using a consultative selling approach while incorporating both strategic & tactical skills used to sell to the C-Suite
•Effective at making an impeccable impact while influencing decision makers
•Sophisticated, dynamic, self-motivated, tenacious, persistent results & objective driven with an entrepreneurial spirit
•Visionary ground breaker and expert in developing new business, increasing profits and creating brand awareness
•Eloquent deliverer and articulate communicator of presentations
•Ability to penetrate Key Accounts successfully while developing long-term relationships
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Career Experience
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Furniture Sales & Design Consultant January 2003 - Present
Interior Design by A. Valentine Chicago, IL
• Evaluate client needs, analyze and effectively document design requirements
• Guide the project execution through all phases of design while actively collaborating with installers
• Evaluate and select materials, consult with vendors and update project specification
• Sell & market a myriad of luxury home furnishings, FF&E for residential, hospitality and commercial projects (e.g, kitchen & bathroom
cabinetry, case goods, soft seating, stone slab counters, plumbing fixtures, flooring, wall coverings, light fixtures, decorative
accessories, automated window coverings and decorative wood trim/accents)
• Provide direction to cross-functional teams including subcontractors, estimators, CAD technicians, installers, junior designers, etc.
• Gain commitment from decision makers, specify building materials and FFE for a myriad of projects
• Identify new product application opportunities by partnering with product development specialists incorporating TFL/HPL laminated
components for use in creating unique furniture applications.
• Proficient in SAP, CRM (e.g., Salesforce, ACT), CAD software (e.g, AutoDesk-HomeStyler), (VMI)-Vendor Management Inventory
(e.g., Retail Link)
Vice President of Mass Merchants March 2014 - January 2015
Tvilum (Former division of Masco) Chicago, IL
•Drove and achieved customer acquisition while focusing on increasing revenue goals for an empowered Scandinavian OEM manufacturer
of TFL & HPL laminated designed RTA (ready-to-assemble), KD (knock-down), FP (flat packed) furniture & substrates for the DIY customer
within product categories of cabinets , media and entertainment, storage organization cubes, closet systems, ergonomic height adjustable
desks kitchen & bathroom cabinetry, bookcases, dressers, beds, headboards, tables and contract furniture
•Lead, mentored and managed a high performance e-Commerce team
•Executed strategies to increase sales, market share and profitability including development & implementation of specific business plans
•Leveraged the company's global reach to influence decisions for customer projects & deliveries both domestically and internationally
•Ensured the corporation’s image in the marketplace was held in high regard
•Worked collaboratively with the product development design team to create newly designed furniture with an interesting product mix while creating various programs to satisfy customer specifications
•Created and executed revenue generating efforts exceeding $8M+ annually for the United States and Canada’s growth strategy in the
wholesale, private label, pressed wood and laminated furniture industry
Achievements
• Awarded International “drop ship” vendor status generating over $1M+ within 1 Quarter generated from over 1000+ international buyers
• Managed an account with a mass merchant that desired a transition from the traditional company’s focus to a fresh-new, value priced
“Best-in-Class” product mix resulting in an explosive increase in sales exceeding $8 Million annually
• Received the highest honor of being named the Top Performer and #1 VP of Sales worldwide generating over $500K in sales for the
4th Quarter of 2014
•Developed objectives & strategies to penetrate mass merchants, big box retailers & military/government agencies
(e.g., Walmart.com, Ace Hardware,and AAFES) including Mid-Tier Liquidators & e-Tailers (e.g., Amazon.com, Wayfair.com,
Brookstone, Big Lots, Unclaimed Freight and Leon Korol)
Val Valentine (continued)
312-330-4994
Director of Sales & Global Account Manager September 1992 - December 2002
Lucent Technologies, MCI, AT&T and SOTAS Inc. Chicago, IL & Los Angeles, CA
•Utilized technical sales expertise to sell complex IT networking & call center applications (e.g., Software (SaaS), Frame Relay, IVR, ATM, VoIP, DS3’s,toll-free enhanced voice solutions including digital, IT service providers (e.g., real-time information, self learning
surveillance, billing verification, PBX, call volume/duration, quality of service (QoS), service level agreements, (SLA’s) and network traffic
•Developed relationships with clients to create long-term account growth with expansive revenue potential
• Garnered relationships both domestically & globally with Fortune 500 corporations (e.g., TDK,General Electric, Samsung, Volkswagen,
CBRE, independent local exchange carriers (ILEC’s), competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC’s) and regional bell operating companies
(RBOC’s) e.g. Telus, Bell South, Nova Cellular, Illinois Bell)
•Managed a sales team of 25+ responsible for accounts that generated revenue of over $20 Million annually
•Negotiated numerous contracts including a $7M + 7-Year contract
•Sold complex telecommunications equipment as a “hunter” and sales leader in the B2B and Fortune 500 markets
•Surpassed annual quota by 25% that exceeded $30 Million
Achievements
•Consistently exceeded sales quota by 50-75% quarterly
•Negotiated long-term contracts worth annual profits worth minimum of $35M+ in revenue annually
•Received status of Gold Club Winner in 2nd Quarter 1999, 3rd Quarter 2000, 1st Quarter 2001
•Surpassed annual quota at 143% 4th Quarter 2000
•Surpassed annual quota at 329% 2nd Quarter 1999
•Masters Club Winner 1995, 1996 & 1997; Quarter Winner’s Circle Recipient 1995, “Salesperson of the Year” Award 1995, 1996 & 1997
•Exceeded company expectations and reached 1,034% of quota 1st Quarter 1997
•Achiever's Club 1992 - 2002
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Education
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UCLA – Master’s Degree Program 2002 - 2003
Continuing education classes - Interior Design Los Angeles, CA
Keller Graduate School of Management - MBA Program 1995 - 1996
Continuing education classes - Business Administration Chicago, IL
Columbia College - Bachelor of Arts 1992
(BA) Bachelor of Arts Degree - Marketing Chicago, IL
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Former Professional Affiliations & Organizations
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NEWH, NAWIC, IFMA, AIA, IIDA, ASID, NARI, NAHB