University of Rochester - Simon Business School

Iowa State University

North Carolina Central University

Seasoned Marketing Executive bringing advanced analytics and operational insights together for business success.

American Tire Distributors

Director, Pricing Analytics & Insights

I created a multi-faceted unit applying creative analytics and data visualization techniques to generate insights that informed the overall pricing and promotional strategy.  I also established a robust competitive price intelligence capability for DIY and Pro channels, and crafted the price promotional strategy for the E-Commerce business.

•	Established a promotional plan for the e-commerce channel that exceeded incremental sales and margin targets by over $1M.

•	Created and oversaw the analytical science necessary to estimate price elasticities for products in the Professional channel, allowing the company to better plan for unit and sales impacts due to price changes in all categories.

•	Developed a comprehensive insights reporting environment using Power BI, Snowflake Query Templates, and Excel to put information in the hands of everyone within Pricing, however they want it delivered.

Advance Auto Parts

Sr. Director, Pricing Science and Insights

I oversaw the development and execution of capital projects relating to the technical and strategic transformation of B2B pricing operations.  Built strategic plans to ensure price actions met annual operating plans for the $4B B2B business.

•	Led $10M of capital investment projects implementing price management and price-delivery systems in partnership with internal IT and selected software vendors.

•	Identified and implemented a reliable data source to enable continuous competitive price monitoring for the B2B business, including a comprehensive reporting architecture for use across the B2B pricing organization.

•	Re-imagined the regional-price strategy for the B2B business for delivering a more relevant and localized price strategy based on competitive dynamics.

•	Retained ownership and responsibilities as Director, Strategic Pricing, Advance Professional.

Director, Strategic Pricing, Advance Professional

I assumed additional responsibilities to reimagine the operational and strategic mission of the entire pricing organization to enable achieving the five-year strategic plan for the corporation.

•	Created the master plan for the strategic transformation of the pricing function, including establishing the business case for capital technology investments in price-delivery technology.

•	Oversaw the strategic profitability turnaround for the Pricing organization by using a war-room approach to focus efforts on researching and identifying opportunities improve price execution.

•	Redefined the pricing paradigm and strategy for the core B2B business, driving 15% incremental sales in market tests.

•	Retained ownership and responsibilities as Director, Strategic Pricing, Advance Professional.

Director, Strategic Pricing Transformation

I led a team responsible for researching, analyzing, developing, and communicating Advance Auto Parts' pricing strategy for large-scale Strategic Customers, as well as the pricing exception strategy for smaller Commercial customers.  My unit held ultimate accountability for Gross Margin performance for $1B of business for the company.   Results were achieved by collaborating with leaders across the organization (C-suite, Corporate, Field-Sales, and In-Store)

•  Provided effective price bids during large-customer RFP processes, helping to win over $40MM in new business and $180MM in retained business over 22 months.

•  Reversed a chronic problem of gross margin bleed relating to the exception process for setting prices on specific products for traditional commercial customers.

•  Reintroduced the application of advanced pricing analytics and optimization capabilities to set bid prices to achieve sales and margin goals.

Director, Strategic Pricing, Advance Professional, National & Strategic Accounts

I led a team of researchers dedicated to the application of Statistics, Machine Learning, Forecasting and Econometric modeling to drive business strategy and decision-making.  I also oversaw the Methodological expertise for the entire Global Consumer Insights function.  My primary accomplishments include:

•  Creating an evolutionary roadmap of all GCI capabilities through comprehensive review of all present capabilities within the function.  This work is the foundation of future methodology development and maintenance processes for the next 5 years.

•  Pioneering the development of predictive models for utilization in Supply Chain Demand Plainning, leveraging machine learning and econometric modeling, that improved demand planning accuracy by 70%.

•  Developing a proprietary forecast modeling system for scaling up volume from small-scale market launches (5-10 stores) to full-scale national market launch forecasts.

•  Maintaining all responsibilities of the Sr. Manager, Advanced Analytics, role.

General Mills

Methods Principal, Advanced Analytics

I lead a diverse team of 25 employees executing consumer research focused on New Product Development, including discrete choice, Simulated Test Markets, Concept Testing, Controlled Store/Market Test Research, and Brand Equity Research.  My primary accomplishments include:

•  Modernizing the GMI proprietary simulated test market capability, leveraging state-of-the-art modeling and simulation methods to reduce the overall system forecast error by 20%.

•  Influencing corporate branding strategy through custom brand equity research investigating the viability of of co-branding GMI brands.

•  Maintained all responsibilities of the Manager, Analytic Innovation & Experimentation role.

Sr. Manager, Advanced Analytics

Created and led a global Survey Analytics team, conducting ad hoc research in the areas of Controlled/Virtual Store Research, Segmentation, Conjoint/Discrete Choice, Pricing and a wide variety of other research methodologies.  My key accomplishments include:

•  Reducing research-related costs by 50% for high-risk packaging decisions through development and support of a virtual store research methodology.

•  Creating a proprietary brand equity framework and research process that reduced costs by 90% while concurrently enabling more frequent brand equity measurement for more GMI and competitive brands.

•  Developing a proprietary methodology to uncover consumers’ core needs for the development of effective advertising communications; recognized via a Silver David Olgivy Award (2009).

•  Managed a team of 6 associates/senior associates, and led a recruitment and training expansion of the team in India, improving productivity in research execution and reporting.

Manager, Consumer Insights

Skills: Consumer Behavior · Marketing Analytics · Business Requirements · Data Storytelling

Sr. Associate

Skills: B2C e-commerce · Advertising · Consumer Behavior · A/B Testing · Data Storytelling

Eastman Kodak Company

Project Manager & Sr. Analyst, Kodak.com

Skills: Statistical Modeling · Marketing Analytics · Experimental Design · SQL · Data Storytelling

Brandon Paris