Our Team

Marketing and operations leader with over 40 years’ experience in retailing with in-depth knowledge of the convenience retailing / petroleum marketing industry. Experience ranges from strategic planning to profitable daily operations & marketing of existing, start-up, and acquisition/turn-around units. In-depth experience in sales planning and operational management.

b2b SOLUTIONS, LLC, Lake Forest, Illinois
Full service consulting company for retailers and suppliers to retail firms.

Consulting Partner, 2019 – Present
Responsible for developing effective client marketing and merchandising strategies and plans. Areas of expertise include marketing, merchandising, foodservice and product selection and development, advertising and promotions.

UNITED PACIFIC, Long Beach, CA (2014 – 2019)
Chicago-based W. Capra Consulting Group is a leading provider of strategy and implementation services for retail businesses. The firm has deep expertise in retail technology, payment processing, security and enterprise retail systems and processes. Specialties include: Point of Sale, Retail Systems, EMV, E2E Encryption, Mobile Payments, Security Strategies, PCI, Payment Infrastructures, and Loyalty.

Vice President Marketing

• • Led the Marketing and Field Merchandising teams for the company with more than 360 convenience stores in 4 states to direct corporate and field marketing functions for United Pacific, supervising 8 direct reports. Also served in a dual acting VP of Operations and VP of Marketing role for 18 months.
  • Implemented “Hero Package” promotional strategy increasing average transactions and sales while enhancing GP% margins.
  • Key management stakeholder in introducing store level scanning and fact-based category management, which resulted in lower store inventories due to SKU rationalization, better in stock on top selling items, and instant sales feedback on newly placed and promotional items.
  • $347M in annual sales with $272M in gross profit; focused on growth by developing and executing superior specific category marketing plans and effectively using advertising dollars, focusing on execution and mid-course corrections when necessary.

SHELVSPACE, Scottsdale, AZ (2013 – 2015)

EVP Brand Development

• • Shelvspace strives to simplify and improve the way products are sold to retail. Our technology platform provides sales teams of any size powerful tools and increased connectivity. We are the fastest way to accelerate U.S. retail distribution for the c-store, grocery, and drug channel products.
  • I helped brand / product owners get their products “Retail Ready” and then on the shelf at retail. I was dedicated to helping brand owners spend their capital more productively & improve their opportunity to getting on the shelf and in stores.
  • Selling products to U.S. retail requires more than a good product, good sales team, and good technology. I helped evaluate a brands entire process and collateral and provided industry best practices and hands on support to fill any gaps.

2 EXCEL NOW, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ (2009 – 2013)

President

• • Sales & Marketing Consultant ★ MAP Vital Factors Partner ★ Kolbe Certified Consultant ★ Expert Business Coach
  • I helped business owners, retailers, and manufacturers who struggled with increasing customer & client visits and would like to grow their profitability. I was dedicated to helping clients spend their time more productively & improve sales & customer / client attraction.

BAN MARKETING, Scottsdale, AZ (2004 – 2009)

Owner

• • Established this successful enterprise providing consultation and management services to clients at Philipe’s Pizza and JH Equipment Leasing.
  • Position entailed running day to day business operations; interacting with product manufacturer, wholesale distributors, and retailers; managing the Philipe’s Pizza outsourced broker network; recruiting and managing relationships with all equipment suppliers for JH Equipment leasing; developing sales leads for both companies.
  • Implemented the equipment manufacturer / distributor program to build the equipment catalog and created all sales reports.
  • Secured position as the only non-national brand in Walgreen’s refrigerated / frozen foods section for Philipe’s Pizza, generating 1/3 of annual sales volume totaling 250,000 cases of product.
  • Developed partnerships with more than ten major grocery distributors to be their sole leasing option for all their customer’s equipment needs, forming a solid foundation of success for the startup enterprise JH Equipment Leasing.

CIRCLE K STORES, Phoenix, AZ (1992 – 2003)

Vice President Marketing, ConocoPhillips / Circle K (2001 – 2003) 

• • Merited repeated promotion from one of the top three integrated oil companies with more than 3,200 convenience stores to direct corporate and field marketing functions for Circle K stores, supervising 8 direct reports and 90 corporate and field marketing employees.
  • Played a key role in the successful sale of Circle K by making presentations to more than 16 different investment and strategic buyers, completing due diligence requests, and participating in meetings with prospective buyers.
  • Implemented “two for one price,” increasing average transaction price, and helped develop and directed marketing campaign “What Else do you Need?”.
  • Key management stakeholder in introducing store level scanning and fact-based category management, which resulted in lower store inventories due to SKU rationalization, better in stock on top selling items, and instant sales feedback on newly placed and promotional items.
  • $3,732B in annual sales with $741M in gross profit; focused on growth by developing and executing superior specific category marketing plans and effectively using advertising dollars, focusing on execution and mid-course corrections when necessary.

TOSCO MARKETING / CIRCLE K STORES (1994 – 2001)

Arizona Region Vice President

• • Advanced to oversee the daily operation of 500+ Arizona and Nevada Circle K stores with final responsibility for profit and loss, including expense management and sales and gross profit budgets, store operations, field marketing, human resources, and loss prevention.
  • Spearheaded the opening of the Arizona Region Circle K Distribution Center, providing a regional distribution solution.

CIRCLE K STORES (1992 – 1994)

Marketing Director, California and Arizona,

• • Recruited to direct field marketing and execution and to oversee direct store delivery category management for more than 500 stores, which involved developing monthly promotional plans, ensuring plans were being executed effectively at the store level, and managing vendors and suppliers.

SOUTHLAND CORPORATION, DBA 7-ELEVEN STORES – Pleasanton, CA (1981 – 1992)   

Field Representative, Sales Manager, District Manager, & Sales and Promotions Manager

• • Merited repeated promotion to oversee the execution of operations and develop marketing communications for over 200 franchised stores, ensuring adherence to franchise agreements.
  • Assisted franchisees in maximizing sales and gross profit through marketing and operational assistance.

Completed six-week immersion class in Global Business Development
Thunderbird American Graduate School of International Business, Phoenix, AZ

Completed six-month Advance Marketing Course
University of Texas, Austin, TX

Successfully Completed Degree
California State University, Los Angeles, California

Associate of Arts in Police Science
Cerritos Community College, Cerritos, California

Certified Coach, Coach Training Alliance, Denver, CO

Map Vital Factors Partner, Newport Beach, CA