Retail Regional Sales Manager in Chicago IL Resume Tom Lawless

							                                      Tom Lawless
                                     Elmhurst, IL 847-204-1464
                                       tlawless32@gmail.com

                                              SUMMARY

Senior level – retail manager with experience in driving consistent execution and results across high
performing district and store teams. Effective in setting direction, coaching and developing teams,
building succession plans and influencing corporate decisions and best practices. Experienced in
maximizing profit margins through top line growth, forecasting trends and expense management while
supporting corporate values, brand culture and a consistent delivery of exceptional customer experiences.

                                              EXPERIENCE
EXPRESS, LLC, Chicago, IL                                                           2002 -December 2011
Regional Manager – Upper Midwest Market                  (2008 – 2011)
Responsible for the supervision of 8 District Managers, 86 stores in 8 states generating up to $250 million
in sales. Influenced brand recognition and optimization of go-to market strategy related to talent
development, customer experience and top line sales.

        $37 million growth in market performance over last three years
        Mentored and provided developmental strategy supporting Regional peers, District Managers and
        Store Managers for both current and next level roles - Sponsored two Store Managers from
        market in Leadership Development Program
        Top performer in operation standards relating to payroll and rate disciplines – supported schedule
        optimization projects and rate management initiatives that contributed to a 2-year, $40 million
        payroll cost reduction and one of the highest profit markets in the business at 20.3% of sales
        Implemented the growth of new product categories through educational practices and
        performance accountability – Launched new Fragrance and Shoe category while expanding
        critical growth strategies in Dresses, Men’s Shirt Shop, Accessories and Wear to Work
        Consistently coached store teams in support of Customer Experience and the implementation of:
        Recruiting and Hiring practices, Scheduling, Merchandise Capabilities, Visual Standards and
        Selling Behaviors
        Improved Overall Customer Experience Scores year-on-year by 4.6%
        Built consistent educational support of diversity and inclusion principles across market team
        resulting in improved team dynamics, reduced turnover rates, minimized HR issues and improved
        quality of customer experience and sales performance

Regional Manager – Northeast Market, Boston, MA               (2005 – 2008)
Responsible for the supervision of eight District Managers, 82 stores generating up to $210 million in
sales. Led and influenced change during spin off of Express from Limited Brands and developed
communication principles that transitioned the business smoothly across the field. Supported the
development of two top District Manager candidates to position them for advancement.

        Achieved top third performance to Last Year sales three consecutive years; top conversion
        performance to Last Year two consecutive years. An increase of $23 million and a conversion
        improvement of 3.1%
        Year-on-year reduction in shrink across region – 3.1% Fall 2008 - $1.6 million improvement
        Participated in Regional Management Task Force influencing policies related to role clarity,
        schedule optimization, customer experience programs, and annual review process. Revised
        Standard Operating Procedures for stand-alone brand and contributed to streamlined on-boarding
        standards for all field management and associates.
Tom Lawless                     847-204-1464                                                     Page 2
EXPRESS (cont’d)
District Sales Manager, Chicago, IL                       (2002 – 2005)
Responsible for supervision of up to 10 stores generating $26 million in annual sales volume. Assess
strengths and developmental opportunities in store teams and coach to consistent goals and standards
through use of company management tools/ processes. Integrated two brands into one through alignment
of talent and merchandise strategies in collaboration with market team and home office partners.
Appointed to Talent Task Force team contributing to company standards related to District Manager role
clarity. Managed pilot market for laptop rollout and dashboard reporting.

        Seven consecutive top third seasons to Last Year sales - +$3.7 million increase
        Four consecutive seasons of shrink reduction – Fall 2003 = 1.7% / $208,000 improvement
        Three-time attendee of President’s Leadership Conference recognizing top performance results.

STRUCTURE, Limited Brands, Chicago, IL                                                        1992 – 2002
District Sales Manager                                     (1998 – 2002)
Responsible for driving sales and managing operational excellence in 9 stores generating sales of $18
million in annual sales. Sourced, recruited and hired top talent within Chicago market. Ensured that each
store met visual execution standards while delivering an exceptional in store customer experience.

        Coached and developed talent to next level roles and responsibilities
        Established and led execution of district business strategies driving Key Performance Indicator
        results that maximized performance and successful achievement of sales goals
        Contributed to Best Practice task force team implementing key policy and procedure updates
        contributing to growth of the business and fundamental operating practices
        Recognized and awarded for delivering top results and developing bench of talent

Store Management – Co Manager/ Store Manager, (1992 – 1998)
Ensured the execution of company standards and maximized in store sales performance. Promoted to
next level roles seven times during tenure in stores. Assigned to new store opening team in support of
expanded real estate growth in Midwest market.
        Managed flagship location - Michigan Avenue
        Four-time Regional Manager pick of the month for sales performance and team development

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
LAWSON PRODUCTS, Chicago, IL                    Field Sales Manager


                                             EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, Marketing Management                   Augustana College              Rock Island, IL