Giovanni Mejia
Pasadena
Summary
Accomplished and goal-oriented bilingual professional with over 25 years of distinguished experience in logistics, operations and sales. Diligent in building and retaining accounts by providing support and attentive service.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Air Export Department Sales Manager
Paramount Export Company
02.2018 - 03.2023
- Department leader and a key member of the company management team.
- Maximized company sales and profitability with focus on customers, and suppliers of products and logistics.
- Led with empathy a team of 10 and focused on the team members to maximize their talents and growth of responsibilities to accomplish the team and company goals.
- Assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the department team members and managed the sales program.
- Built relationships with foreign customers, domestic and foreign suppliers, as well as logistics service providers to establish long-term business growth.
- Established sales objectives by forecasting and developing annual sales plans for customers and countries.
- Visited customers abroad to discuss their evolving needs and to assess the quality of our company's relationship with them.
- Resolved problems with high-profile customers to maintain relationships and increase return customer base.
- Managed accounts to retain existing relationships and grow share of business.
- Prepared department's annual sales and gross profit results in cooperation with sales team, and presented the comprehensive report to company management, directors and company employees during the company's annual meeting.
- Tracked department and company sales and gross profit reports throughout the year and shared information on a monthly basis with all members of the department team.
- Achieved sales goals and service targets by cultivating and securing new customer relationships.
- Kept current with supply and demand, changing trends, economic indicators and competitors.
- Collaborated with upper management to implement continuous improvements and exceed team goals.
- Held group and one-on-one meetings with sales team members to identify selling hurdles and offered insight into best remedy.
- Compiled and analyzed data to determine approaches to improve sales and performance.
- Directed sales support staff in administrative tasks to help sales reps track air shipments expenses, and generate corresponding profit and loss reports.
- Actively supervised and tracked all operational activity seeking most efficient and effective business systems.
- Communicated company goals and policies to the department team.
- In coordination with senior management and HR, applied when needed, disciplinary action to ensure consistency of approach and policy.
- Managed, developed, coached and motivated the sales team to develop their skills and to ensure that high professional standards were achieved.
- Responsible for the department's Accounts Receivable oversight, and reporting to COO and CFO on status
of accounts in a timely matter.
Senior Air Trader Fruits and Vegetables
Paramount Export Company
02.2005 - 02.2018
- Built and maintained relationships with customers in the Middle East and Japan. maintained relationships with domestic and foreign suppliers and provided products to customers in accordance with their stated needs.
- Filed comprehensive trip reports for required travel to visit domestic suppliers and customers overseas.
- Kept abreast of import regulations, as well as political and economic situations abroad to ensure customer reliability.
- Monitored competitive activity to develop new methods of attaining new customers and retaining existing customers.
- Reviewed managed accounts and analyzed all aspects of customer performance, including payment and claims history.
- Kept informed of new products, services and other general information of interest to customers to provide ongoing customer support.
- Proactively addressed issues, answered questions, and handled complaints and claims related to product quality and/or delivery. Coordinated solutions with customer, supplier and shipper to achieve best possible outcome.
- Provided suppliers with feedback regarding all aspects of product, delivery and customer satisfaction.
- As appropriate, developed special promotional programs between suppliers and customers. Negotiated pricing with vendors
- Consulted with management to set payment methods and terms in line with the customers’ and the company's mutual needs. Communicated directly with customers on any and all relationship-related financial issues.
- Monitored customer communications to ensure timely responses to customer inquiries at any hour 7 days a week (including weekends and holidays).
- Approved sales orders and managed the purchase of key produce commodities for consolidated air shipments.
- Built relationships with freight forwarders in order to reserve best suited flights and to negotiate competitive rates.
- Arranged and tracked all logistics for each air shipment. From point of purchase at the packing house to receiving at the warehouse and delivery at customer's final airport destination.
- Kept on top of industry and company circumstances to ensure quality and availability of product for customers. Visited suppliers’ facilities prior to the start of the produce season.
- Attended trade shows in search of new products and vendors.
- Worked closely with the accounting department to resolve discrepancies on any accounting issues that might arise.
- Updated customers with weekly pricing which included new or seasonal products.
Logistics Associate
Paramount Export Company
11.2003 - 02.2005
- Monitored inbound and outbound freight operations to establish timely airport delivery of daily air export shipments.
- Conducted investigations to resolve issues related to logistics and cargo movements.
- Prepared and documented shipment activities and cargo movements to enable tracking history and maintain accurate records.
- Maintained vendors and customers on database to maintain updated roster.
- Generated documentation and information required for customer shipments.
- Liaised with warehouse and sales department, as well as external stakeholders to facilitate smooth operations.
- Scheduled and coordinated truck transport to maximize air shipping productivity and maintain organized calendar.
- Assisted in receiving, stocking and distribution of merchandise.
- Operated equipment while observing standard safety procedures.
- As needed, used machinery and equipment such as box cutters, forklifts and electric pallet jacks.
- Verified quantity and description of product received by checking merchandise against packing list.
- Verified documentation and condition of produce to assure quality standards.
- Responsible for keeping accurate inventory of air containers used to load daily export orders. Updated and transmitted inventory control sheets to dispatch, for container stock replenishment.
- Managed and maintained produce inventory stored in refrigerated chambers.
- Informed the buyer and sales team of discrepancies on delivered purchase orders.
- Generated documentation to be presented to USDA for expedition of Phyto Sanitary Certificates to accompany export bound product. Scheduled the USDA inspections for subsequent certificate issuance.
- Assisted USDA inspectors during phyto inspections and maintained good working relations with agriculture inspectors.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And International Business
California State University
Los Angeles06.1993
Skills
- Client relations
- Sales management
- Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish
- Interpersonal skills
- Active listening
- Customer relationship management
- Problem solving
- Sales forecasting
- Attention to detail
- Customer order management
- Client base retention
- Customer complaint resolution and claims settlement
Timeline
Air Export Department Sales Manager
Paramount Export Company
02.2018 - 03.2023
Senior Air Trader Fruits and Vegetables
Paramount Export Company
02.2005 - 02.2018
Logistics Associate
Paramount Export Company
11.2003 - 02.2005
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And International Business
California State University
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