Len Latona

Leading global and North American sales for a multi-brand portfolio spanning toys, consumer electronics, housewares, HBA/personal care, portable cooling, outdoor/sporting goods, and lawn & garden. Oversee strategy, revenue, forecasting, rep management, and international partnerships across U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. Key Achievements & Responsibilities: • Built and managed nationwide rep networks across mass retail, specialty, e-commerce, sporting goods, hardware, drug, and distributor channels. • Drove significant retail expansion for brands including Ikarao (audio), Alpicool (powered coolers), Aroeve (air care), Bebird (home health care) and other global OEM partners. • Strengthened retail partnerships with Walmart, Target, Meijer, Sweetwater, Dunham’s Sports, Best Buy, Sharper Image, Heartland America, regional chains, and national distributors. • Collaborated with 10+ overseas factories to align product development, packaging, pricing/MAP, and supply chain readiness for North American programs. • Led category strategy, assortment planning, GTM execution, and new product launch roadmaps. • Developed retailer-specific pricing strategies, improved margins, and created scalable programs for national rollouts. • Supported operational planning, logistics coordination, and forecasting to ensure consistent inventory flow and high sell-through. Core competencies: Global Sales Leadership • National Accounts • Rep Network Management • GTM Strategy • Product Development • OEM/ODM Manufacturing • Pricing & MAP Strategy • Amazon • Mass Retail • Sporting Goods • Specialty • Housewares • HBA

Led U.S. and Canadian sales for a global toy company specializing in educational toys, preschool, arts & crafts, construction, and licensed merchandise. Directed strategic planning, national account development, and multi-channel expansion. Achievements & Responsibilities: • Rebuilt the North American sales model, delivering significant increases in distribution and retail penetration across specialty, mid-tier, and mass channels. • Expanded placements with Target, Toys "R" Us, Walmart Canada, Amazon, Michaels, Learning Express, and hundreds of specialty toy stores. • Managed national rep groups and internal sales teams; upgraded processes, forecasting accuracy, and retailer communication. • Led product line reviews with major retailers, influencing packaging, category architecture, pricing, and promotional strategy. • Coordinated closely with international manufacturing partners to streamline development timelines and cost structures. • Strengthened MAP and channel control across Amazon and e-commerce. Keywords Embedded: Toy Industry Leadership • National Accounts • Specialty Retail • Licensing • Product Assortment Strategy • Category Development • Rep Group Management

Lead sales and design teams in developing, marketing and selling to major North American retailers. Managed a national independent sales team. Oversaw product development and packaging design. Coordinating P.D. efforts with Asian-based design team, Hong Kong and L.A.-based staffs. Developed and executed sales growth at company’s existing customers as well as open new customers and new channels of distribution. • Increased spring/summer décor volume by 36% vs. 2016 by increasing sku count at existing accounts and opening new accounts. Major accounts include Dollar General, Family Dollar, Walgreens and C.V.S. • Secured $265K in new stationery business with the largest stationery chain in the U.S. as well as C.V.S. • Initiated business for the first time with Walmart and Big Lots in the Outdoor Décor category.

Provided leadership and direction to National Sales Managers, regional sales managers and Key Account Managers for this designer and manufacturer of a broad range of housewares categories, selling into Discount, Department, Dollar, Drug, Hardware, Healthcare and Grocery channels. ►Managed growth at key accounts such as TJX Corp., Bed, Bath & Beyond, Container Store, Family Dollar, Dollar General, Menards, Ace Hardware, Food Lion, Big Lots, Kitchen Collection, and Fred’s Stores. ►Maximized participation in International Housewares, Hardware, ECRM, NACDS and G.M.D.C. shows. ►Directed growth in housewares and home health care categories in the B & M and Internet channels. Achievements ✔Developed the Sales Team by initiating the channel captain approach to selling and marketing as a way to differentiate product offerings and brands across the company’s core categories and customer base. ✔Grew sales in the dollar store channel 37% from 2014 to 2015 by increasing SKU count at Family Dollar. ✔Increased domestic sales 6% 2015 vs. 2014 in the B & M and Internet channels. ✔Added new B & M Internet customers: Walmart, Walgreens, Menards, Home Depot, Lowes, McKesson.

Led a team of four in-house Regional Sales Managers, one National Sales Manager, seven retained independent sales organizations and over 70 sales representatives to grow sales and open new markets while managing production planning, product procurement and inventory for over 900 items. ►Increased sales 24% in 2011 and 35% 2012 by launching 80 new items and penetrating mass market retailers Target and Toys R Us. ►Hired and lead a Canadian sales team which contributed over $4.8 million in revenue over three years.

Rewarded with promotion to V.P. of Sales from Director of Sales in 2006 after winning 3 consecutive Sales Manager of the Year awards. Lead a national team of five in-house Directors of Sales, four Regional Managers, six specialty market sales organizations and two sales support staff. ►Generated more than $2.5 million revenue in a program that ran for two years following development and launch into Walmart of an impulse game line. ►Tripled Toys R Us sales from $2.7 million to $8 million over three years.

Hired the initial U.S. national sales team consisting of 7 in-house regional mass market Sales Managers as well as eight retained, independent sales organizations that sold into the specialty market. Worked extensively with Germany-based senior management on a quarterly basis to discuss U.S. sales growth strategies. ►Lead Zapf Creation to become the #1 doll company in the U.S. and grew sales from $3M to $52M. ►Increased sales revenue at Target from $4MM to $24MM over 5 years. ►Developed a private label program for Costco (U.S., Mexico and Taiwan) that ran for 4 years, generating over $5M in revenue each year. ►Worked extensively with major U.S. customers in Hong Kong developing private label programs. 