Monica Herrera Riley

Manage category development for Fresh and Prepared Foods, including assortment planning, vendor negotiations, pricing, and promotional strategies. Execute data-driven buying plans to improve margin, minimize shrink, and align with customer preferences. Drive product innovation through market and trend analysis, collaborating with Marketing, R&D, Commissary, and Operations teams to launch new programs. Optimize store execution models to support operational excellence. Focused on delivering authentic, high-quality Mexican food offerings that strengthen growth and brand loyalty.

Advise food and beverage brands on sourcing, product development, and market strategy with a focus on wellness-driven and culturally inspired goods. Support clients in securing manufacturing partnerships, optimizing cost and quality, and developing retail-ready assortments. Conduct vendor audits, competitive analysis, and category reviews to align product innovation with brand and customer expectations

National Kitchen General Manager leading and directing the corporate-wide strategy for manufacturing operations and all decisions relating to manufacturing, packaging, shipping, maintenance, quality services, technical services and cost items at the company’s multi-state manufacturing plants. Responsible for direction with Senior Executives and other facility leaders to provide technical superiority in cost and productivity, to implement new products introductions for innovation, ensure the lowest cost producer status and produce superior products while overseeing and directing Research & Development team. Make critical business decisions for determining operations response and direction from analyzing economic projections, industry trends and competitor actions. Lead and direct World Class manufacturing strategies to deliver continuous improvement systems and increased employee engagement results. Other responsibilities include safety, downtime, budget tracking, and product quality and safety.

Senior Ranking Executive responsible for overseeing ALL Production, Planning, Procurement, Logistics, Warehouse, Quality Control, Sanitation, R&D, Sales, and Marketing. Manage and delegate duties through subordinate supervisors and/or managers to maximize sales objectives, maintain quality and attain output requirements that are consistent with strategic goals and initiatives. As second in charge I reported directly to the CEO, as the interface to champion Bonerts Foods mission and ensure ongoing innovation and adaptation across the business and customers it services, while driving growth that differentiates Bonerts Foods from its competitors. Successfully enhanced strategic corporate planning efficiency documents that were implemented across the organization. Analyzed, determined and implemented a cross-functional strategy to balance, align and augment internal processes, policies, organizational design and systems. An astute ability to uncover and resolve inconsistencies that can impact the bottom line maximizing positive results. Effectively demonstrated ability to address and resolve employee issues and work with different personality types. Developed middle management employees to maximize their abilities for optimal performance, while improving corporate culture motivating employees with new opportunities through restructuring organization. Motivated and encouraged sales team to optimize their performance growing accounts. I personally galvanized relationships with existing customers and invited new customers to experience quality product at a value with sterling service, which directly impacted sales growth from 3% upwards of 30% for most customers. Strong Leadership qualities and dedicated part of the team with superior analytical skills, detail oriented to successfully manage projects and resources allowing to reduce internal costs.

Responsible for developing and implementing consumer focused business strategies to deliver sales and margin objectives. Sourced and researched manufacturers to invest capital in equipment, facility improvements to meet rigorous European standards required by Tesco a standard process of innovation in quality control. Developed and maintained strong supplier and distributor relationships. From concept to implementation formulated, created, built and categorized product assortment for retail stores of key volume drivers both private label and branded products, corporate initiatives in the Western Region (CA, AZ, NV). Part of initial group of people that created the footprint of the retail store. Designed and optimized schematic placement in mock store prior to introducing product in store by utilizing expert knowledge of customer and strong understanding of the marketplace. Strong negotiation skills were used to get the best costs while utilizing co-marketing fully utilizing manufacturing marketing incentives to fullest advantage to enhance customer experience increasing sales by 5%. Successful management of multiple product types by exceeding sales, gross margin, and inventory turn goals. In-depth product analysis of historical data and current trends to identify product risks, while utilizing expert knowledge of customer base along with IRI and ACNielsen to identify growth opportunities and consumer trends to ultimately develop long term business strategy. Highly refined skills in product development allowed me to innovate and create products that provided exceptional quality at a great price for customers, travelled Internationally to source new items and developed relationships with key suppliers. Strategic merchandising skills increased volume and expanding variety of products created a greater assortment for the customer and increased sales. Collaborated with Logistics and oversaw retail orders for all new and existing product lines.

Successfully managed inventory of beer, wine, spirits and imported cheese by effectively hitting sales, inventory turns and waste targets. Strong communication skills were required to coordinate with marketing, sales, customer service, and operations to hit performance targets. Coordinated new items set-up, maintenance to hit gross profit sales by partnering with Category Manager. Strategic replenishment management of imported cheese required detailed knowledge of licenses and accurate inventory to manage, hit sales targets and minimize waste. Strategically managed inbound order issues, returns, supplier recalls and loads prioritization with warehouse operations to minimize impact on business profitability. Coordinated with suppliers, distributors, internal department and support staff to achieve team and company sales objectives. Forecasted consumer buying patterns based on sales trends and monitored economic conditions and successfully identified items that did not sell and were eliminated to improve bottom line.