ric welker

* As the general manager of the Reach Magazine brand for Valassis Local Solutions/Clipper Magazine after acquisition, the challenge was to integrate our closely held sales operation into a major corporation, while maintaining the high level of personal service and strong results our customers had come to expect. * Achieved the highest gross profit percentage of the Midwest region operating units in first 7 months. * Managed an annual sales portfolio of $9M+ within $200M+ company. * Lead sales pipelines from direct sales teams and independent selling teams using Salesforce.com. * Conducted sales training, handled client service issues, presentation and negotiation for new large accounts. * Managed fast-paced, deadline driven sales operation by being highly organized, able to multi-task. * Worked collaboratively with cross functional VPs and executive level directors during acquisition and integration to migrate the Reach Brand and sales teams into Clipper with minimal changes/issues.

Developing a line of locally-sourced craft distilled spirits, testing and refining new products within a high traffic first run movie theater, and thereby shortening the time to market and scale, RJ Cinema and RJ Distillery create a fresh approach to the business model within the spirits industry.

Managed three company owned Reach Magazine markets, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo. Hired/fired/trained to stablize sales staff. Placed sales management in each market to provide enthusiasm and spark, resulting in record sales in Toledo in 2007 and 2008, Dayton in 2008.

* Responsible for developing and monetizing consumer facing mobile websites, overseeing the design, budget and implementation of enterprise wide proprietary sales order management system. * Supervised $8M+ sales organization, consisting of 2 sales teams, 2 sales managers. * Identified opportunities for sales process improvements. * Maintained 99.5% uptime for all aspects of internal IT operations. * Created eReach.com, Housetrends.com, YoDeal.com (public facing websites) as project manager. Managed all key metrics for the sites and their search performance. * Designed and created web-based Sales Order Management (SOM) system for order entry of all media production, integrated with ERP systems. Facilitated improvement of sales processes as needed. * Prioritized IT investments in enabling technologies to support sales organization productivity. * Performed cost analysis of vendors, one resulting savings of $400K over 10 years.

Sold large regional and national accounts into direct response local media magazines, national Valpak envelope and solo mail postcards. Consistently led sales team in total annual sales, exceeding $1,000,000 in personal sales annually 2000 – 2002, maintaining a personal client retention percentage of 85%+. Won ReachUSA Achievement Club 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002. Selected for Cincinnati Courier Best Salespeople award, 2002.

* Beginning my "second act", I return to what I've loved so much throughout my career... helping people improve their lives - and now their home also! * Representing the Home Depot brand throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Greater Dayton region with 5 areas of home improvement products: * Replacement Windows from Andersen, Simonton and American Craftsman * GAF Lifetime Roofing products * Mastic and James Hardie Siding * Seamless Gutter Systems * Loose-fill Attic and Crawlspace Insulation products * I offer expert consultation toward projects that enhance the curb appeal of your home, the efficient use of your heating and cooling resources, the safety and security of your home, and of course, the enhancement of your homes resale value.

Managed a team of 20 sales people in 3 selling teams. Consolidated the 3 sales team to 2 product teams, integrating key account sellers with local sellers to realize a strong growth in sales and creating a stable culture within the staff. Grew sales to record levels in 2003, 2004 and 2005