Max McCloud

- Designed and implemented a company-wide intake and evaluation process for all tariff-based cost increases within 2 weeks of promotion, managed over 500 submissions totaling $250MM of COGS impacted - Negotiate cost change effective dates preserving margins by delaying implementation of cost increase, resulting in 3,500+ days of dating saved to date - Serve as the go-to tariff subject matter expert, leading negotiations directly with vendors and supporting merchant teams in both written and live interactions; trained 5+ cross-functional contributors on executing the intake process - Actively lead vendor negotiations in partnership with merchant teams, reducing proposed $26MM in cost increases to $17MM, achieving over $9MM in cost avoidance across tariffs including Section 232, Reciprocal, and IEEPA to date - Owned execution of Spring and Fall trade show VIP Deals event by managing item selection, cross-functional coordination (merchandising, inventory, pricing, sales, planogramming) and showroom setup, generating over $10MM in sales in the Spring, and a record-setting $24MM in sales in the Fall - Advised on record-setting Sneak Peek event totaling $15MM in revenue at the Spring trade show and launched a new $500K event format to monetize exclusive vendor deals outside traditional cycles - Managed backend debit collection process, helping recover over $2MM in vendor funding from Spring Market deals, and over $3MM from Fall Market deals - Co-led the vendor terms & conditions renewal process post-company acquisition, ensuring updated compliance for 1,500+ vendors - Trained 5+ team members on leveraging AI ethically and effectively in the work space to drive efficiencies - Served as the Vice Chair of the DEI Council, leading events focused on ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion are pillars of the company culture, while advising VP level leadership on best practices

- Spearheaded the curation of item listings for major events, generating over $30MM in annual revenue, doubling gross profit margins, and increasing revenue by 3% through meticulous analysis and cross-functional collaboration. - Lead negotiations and communication with vendor partners to secure competitive deals for key events, ensuring optimal pricing and product selection to boost profitability. - Execute ad-hoc, data-driven projects in collaboration with internal teams, leveraging insights to enhance event performance and operational efficiency. Leveraged AI to save 160 work hours annually and boost team productivity. - Serve as a member of the DEI Council Events Subcommittee, coordinating impactful events that received an average satisfaction score of 4.3/5 from attending associates. - Played an active role in recruitment efforts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois Chicago, representing the organization and fostering connections with top tier talent. - Manage the backend debit process, ensuring accurate discount collection from vendors, contributing to over $5MM in captured profits for 2024.

- Supported the collection, processing, and analysis of over 200,000 data points, driving strategic insights that contributed to the generation of approximately $20 million in revenue opportunities. - Collaborated with product merchants to optimize product assortments by conducting in-depth data analysis, identifying trends, and uncovering opportunities for growth. - Responded to and appropriately handled emergency situations that arose calmly and effectively with the ability to change the approach or method to fit the situation best.

- Received extensive and continuous training/mentorship from top sales representatives for Vivint; learned sales techniques, contributing to significant skill improvement. - Assisted the sales team in prospecting potential customers and lead generation, employing both English and Spanish to self-generate leads and close door-to-door sales. - Participated in customer outreach and product demonstration while leading the sales of solar panels and security systems, generating over $100,000 in revenue within three months. - Worked closely with team members to maintain accurate CRM records, performed data analysis to identify opportunities and challenges, and presented results to superiors to inform decision-making. - Conducted market research to identify trends and target audiences and assisted in creating sales materials and presentations to help drive sales efforts; Has a keen ability to translate and simplify complex topics for high-level leaders and general business audiences.

- Managed delivery schedules, optimizing routes to ensure on-time delivery and customer satisfaction. - Developed strong interpersonal communication skills by resolving customer concerns and ensuring a high-quality service experience.

- Coordinated weekly cleaning and maintenance of multiple buildings on North Central campus, conducting routine inspections of building systems and component to identify potential issues. - Assigned groups to divide and clean upwards of 1400 dorm rooms in weeks before school resumed; supervised each group to ensure they completed duties per set goals. - Received and expertly prioritized requests and maintenance requests from dorm supervisors, diagnosed issues, and determined the necessary repairs to be performed.

- Maintained a friendly and professional demeanor during interactions with car owners and successfully filled up to 6,000 cars into the park’s relatively small parking lot. - Brainstormed alternatives for fitting other cars when the parking lot was filled to prevent potential overflow. Used hand signals and lights to direct patrons into open spaces. Helped resolve issues that arose between customers.