Retail House Hold Panel Director for Wal-Mart w/ Category Management Experience

The Company:

Information Resources, Inc, is a global leading provider of content, analytic services and enterprise solutions for business performance management, for the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail and healthcare industries. The company supplies CPG and pharmaceutical manufacturers, retailers, and brokers with information, insights and enterprise analytic solutions critical to their sales, marketing, and supply chain operations. IRI has over 500 of the largest CPG manufacturers in the US and Europe as customers, and 2,500 employees committed to their success. It expects revenues of approximately $ 600M and attractive profitability in 2004, representing a dramatic positive change from its past performance.  More information is available at www.infores.com.

 

IRI is owned by Symphony Technology Group, a business group with $ 1.1 billion in revenue, owned largely by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani. Dr. Wadhwani, Chairman of both Symphony and IRI, has successfully built three enterprise software companies over the last 30 years; the most recent of these, Aspect Development, Inc. was acquired for $ 9.3 billion. The President and CEO of IRI, Scott Klein, was most recently President, Consumer Industries, Retail and Energy Global Industries Solutions at EDS. Before EDS, Scott was president of PC Mall, an $800 mm California-based telesales, catalog and Internet reseller of computer-related products and chief operating officer of PrimeSource Building Products. He held various marketing and sales positions at PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble in the early stages of his career.

 

IRI Analytics:

IRI?s industry-renowned analytic experts consult with clients to design custom solutions to address critical business issues. The company provides custom analysis aimed at improving future decision-making through the analysis of historical data. In-store promotions, advertising and direct marketing are the key elements of many marketing budgets; the key is finding the most effective combination of each to improve sales and profitability and build brands in both the long and short term.

 

Through analyzing the effects of different marketing activities, IRI recommends the combination of marketing activity that goes furthest towards meeting the ultimate objective of increasing product sales and marketing objectives. IRI?s leading edge analytical modeling, consumer insights and testing services help FMCG professionals analyze consumer response to marketing activity across a broad spectrum of issues.

 

Responsibilities:

The Director will report to a Vice President in charge of a Regional Panel Consulting Practice in  IRI?s newly created Panel & Testing Solutions Group (PTSG).  The Director will be charged with deepening and widening IRI?s robust panel practice for a well- known Retailer.  This role involves an equal mix of consulting (typically at Senior/Executive levels across a broad spectrum of clients, categories and client functions), and business development within, and outside of, IRI?s existing client base.  Of note is the fact that all of IRI?s top 50 clients are using IRI panel services. This person will likely lead a small team of a few panel consultants. 

 

The Director will join a team that has consistently posted yearly double-digit growth and will benefit from the ability to develop panel solutions drawing form an ever-expanding array of new and innovative services and partnerships some of which include; expanding the panel to 110,000 households, an exclusive partnership with Acxiom to reach hard to recruit consumers, a partnership with SPINS to provide key insight into attribute-drivers within the natural/organic category and a ground-breaking service to provide qualitative consumer insight to enhance category/shelf-management strategy.  The Director will ?own? the relationship with this well- known retailer. While achieving revenue commitments is critical, to a greater extent, success will be measured by the creation and development of long-term consultative partnerships.

 

This Director will be responsible for sales and support of our panel services.  They will conduct panel capabilities presentations internally and externally that focus on our new product offerings, Category Mgmt solutions, attitudinal applications and all of the traditional panel analytics.  Consulting responsibilities include analytic design and proposals and ensuring we are delivering actionable insights to our clients. 



Requirements:



?  5 or more years of experience blending a strong working knowledge of syndicated panel solutions (IRI, ACNielsen or NPD), custom research and consultative selling skills (to internal or external clients)

? Category Management experience working with Manufacturers and Retail data

? CPG experience is critical?preferably from a quantitative research supplier

? Direct CPG Manufacturer or FDM Retail experience is a plus so long as the work involved the internal ?selling? of concepts/recommendations

? Willingness to travel

? Energetic, self-motivated, entrepreneurial style

? Proven ability to effectively self-prioritize goals/tasks and maintain focus in fast-changing, ambiguous environments

? Track record of business development in an analytical environment involving extensive client interaction?a hunger for profitability and overall business success

? Demonstrated leadership acumen?for direct reports and cross-functional project teams

 

Education:

Undergraduate degree is required.  Advanced degree is a plus