Robert Nielsen

Promoted to oversee sales, marketing, and distribution initiatives in Metro Chicago, Suburbs, and Outstate Illinois. Directed efforts to maintain and expand relationships, achieve sales goals, and accomplish strategic account objectives with retail chains to sell 1.5M cases and generate $13M annual gross revenue.

• Maintained relationships with key buyers at: Jewel-Osco, United, Cardinal, Binny’s, Foremost, Affiliated, Ideal, Caputo’s, Famous, and Butera; implemented value-added programming for key holiday periods that increased sales +5% Grew Pabst Brand 2% in a flat market for sub premiums, 4% better than company performance 2016
• Coached, trained, motivated, and evaluated two Retail Sales Managers working with nine wholesalers to sell, market, and service accounts to maximize the sale of brands including Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Style, and Not Your Father’s Root Beer
• Respected as the “go to guy” for company, division, and wholesaler relationships as a result of exceptional interpersonal skills
• Successfully launched two new products - Old Tankard Ale and Old Style Oktoberfest – gaining 50 new draught placements via sampling events, kick off promo’s, and wholesaler incentives; Octoberfest product sold out in 3 weeks
• Navigated 2 additional Pabst ownership and culture changes from Metropolis to Oasis Beverage, persevered, performed and received outstanding performance evaluations each year
• Consistently grew sales and profitability and managed a $235K annual territory expense budget
• Analyzed and advised on annual price increases in the market which on average lifted Gross Sales Dollars by 5%
• Developed wholesaler retailer relationships, managed incentives, pricing initiatives, POS, orders, and inventory
• Worked with marketing, field sales, and wholesalers to develop incentive trips for wholesaler personnel achieving sales goals plus qualifiers to obtain the trips which were co-oped with the wholesaler network
• Initiated Text-To-Win Programming for PBR/Old Style branded hockey sweaters in conjunction with marketing team and key chain accounts, achieving a 6 % sales lift; authored a Text-to-Win for Old Milwaukee wearables producing a +4% trend change
• Developed and executed large on-premise and special events for brands; developed incentives for “Bat at Wrigley”, “1st Pitch” opportunities; developed a focus day on-premise to sell 1,000 PBR’s and donated proceeds to local charity
• Initiated Small Town Brewery market rollout for Rockford, IL that generated 17K case sales of high profit Not Your Father’s Root Beer for all tiers and established a new category leader