You are on page 1of 3

James Didieo 28 Hibernia Road Business: 973-525-2127 Rockaway, NJ 07866 Home: 973-983-1222 E-Mail: jd1314e54@westpost .

net Fax: 973-983-1074 _______________________________________________________________________ _______________ Executive Summary Senior Retail Executive / CEO, COO Experience A highly experienced retail executive with an outstanding record of leading top level professionals in setting corporate policy and exceeding corporate goals. S uccessful CEO, COO and Board of Director experience with large, medium and small er specialty retail companies. Results oriented manager with 33 years of extensive Store and Field xperience including the Start-up of a Big Box retail format and the and repositioning of a smaller mall based specialty retailer. Have ckground in expansion / roll out, and have implemented action plans revenues, drive out inefficiencies and maximize earnings. Professional Background Chief Operations Officer 2008 to 2011 Youth Sports Live Broadcasting Network Livingston, NJ As COO of this start up Internet Company I developed the 5 year business plan th at was used to raise 4 million dollars of capital. I was responsible for develop ing the infrastructure necessary to achieve the plan and the design and document ation of a step by step implementation process. * The Company grew from 11 locations and 2 tournament location to 75 locations a nd 27 tournament locations. * Directed the negotiation of five year, exclusive webcasting agreements with Li ttle League International, Babe Ruth International, Cal Ripken Baseball, Dizzy D ean, and Dixie Youth Baseball. * Directed and managed a recording system change that reduced our initial deploy ment cost per location by 30% and also allowed for additional scheduling flexibi lity. Real Estate sales associate and Training Coordinator 2005 to 2008 Weichert Realtors Morris County, NJ My position as sales associate allowed me the opportunity to excel in a very vi brant marketplace and quickly realize the additional responsibilities of Lead Ne twork Coordinator and New Hire Sales Trainer. * Was the leading sales producer in the first two years. * Changed the process in which company acquired sales leads were awarded to sale s associates from one that was personal to one that was based on past and curren t productivity. * Built an "Open House" marketing Kiosk that has been approved by Weichert and a llows the sales associate to better display and represent Weichert to potential home buyers during a open House visit. President and CEO 1999 to 2003 Woof & Company / DC Retail Edison, NJ As CEO and Board member, navigated a troubled 23 store, mall based Pet and Pet S upply retailer through Chapter 11 re-organization. Developed, designed, and depl oyed two new prototype stores that have now repositioned the business and create d the opportunity to raise additional outside capital to support growth. * Successfully guided the business through Chapter 11 by closing unprofitabl e stores, downsizing and relocating the corporate overhead and facility, and by repositioning the Woof & Co. Brand. Operations e Turn-a-round extensive ba to increase

* Developed and deployed two new prototype stores that generate $550.00 per square foot compared to $350.00 per square foot in the original concept. * Improved store contributions margins from 5.0% to 11.5%, and have proven a return on capital of less than two years for a new store. Additional Experience Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer 1994 to 1998 Sneaker Stadium Edison, NJ Sneaker Stadium was a Big Box specialty retailer of brand name athletic footwear and apparel founded by myself and a partner. The company grew from its first st ore in November 1994 to 40 stores and $165 million in sales by June 1998. The co mpany was started with $15 million of Venture Capital and was sold to the Thomas H. Lee Investment Group in January 1997. In July 1998 the company was sold to t he publicly traded Just For Feet, of Birmingham Alabama. As COO and Board member , I was directly responsible for store and field operations, all real estate mat ters, store construction and design, repair and maintenance, fixture design and visual display, training, purchasing, expense control, and the implementation of Board initiatives. * Developed the business concept, rolled out 40 stores, and enabled our original investors to earn double their initial investment. * Managed and directed a strong operations team consisting of VP of stores a nd five district managers who directed the daily operation to meet the needs of a rapidly growing business. * Managed a seasoned real estate and construction department that consistent ly met company timelines and budgets. * Directed a training program that incorporated vendor support and allowed o ur store staff to perform at levels consistently above our competition. * Instrumental in raising additional $20 million of capital to support an ag gressive expansion plan. Herman's World of Sporting Goods 1971 to 1993 Herman's Sporting Goods was a specialty retail company with 265 stores, $620 mil lion in sales, and 7000 employees, operating in 35 states. I joined the company in 1971, enjoyed a solid record of success and continued to assume increasingly responsible positions including Executive Vice President of Store Operations / C OO and Board member from 1987 through 1993. Executive Vice President of Store Operations / COO 1987 to 1993 Herman's World of Sporting Goods Carteret, NJ Directly responsible for managing and directing the sales and service organizati on as well as the operating results of the 265 stores. Managed and directed all real estate matters, store design and construction issues, purchasing and the im plementation of Board initiatives. Sr. Vice President of Store Operations / Mid East US 1981 to 1987 Herman's World of Sporting Goods Washington, DC Responsible for the operating statements of 65 stores throughout 5 states. Provi ded both direction and feedback through all areas of the company to ensure that both revenue and expense goals could be attained or improved upon. Prior Work History with Herman's Sporting Goods Held various positions at store level, and became responsible for the new store opening team who traveled the country to merchandise and to help train people in each new store. In 1976 I was promoted to District manager of Detroit and Chica go where I had P&L responsibilities for 14 stores and was charged with developin g management people to support the continued growth. In 1979 I assumed the posit ion of Director of Merchandise for the Northeast Territory where I was charged w ith developing marketing plans and assortment plans for each store and each mark

et within the Northeast. Education Fairleigh Dickinson University Accounting and Business Administration Miami Dade University Accounting

You might also like