Looking for a job

Mark Ries

@markries

Message

Experienced foodservice sales and operations professional driving growth.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek a growth-focused foodservice role where I can lead sales, optimize distribution, manage purchasing/logistics, and train teams while working in a collaborative, customer-centric environment.

I am an experienced foodservice professional with a strong background in sales, customer service, purchasing, logistics, and operations management. I build strong relationships with customers, brokers, distributors, and vendors to drive business results.

As a Northeast Regional Sales Manager, I grew territory sales by 20% in 2023 and 13% in 2024, managed broker representation, and used CRM and Power BI to manage pipeline and territory performance. I regularly represented the company at major industry trade shows and conducted in-person and virtual trainings.

Previously, as an Account Executive and Import/Retail Sales Manager, I maintained distributor portfolios, developed sales plans, supported manufacturer-distributor collaboration, and managed international sourcing, purchase orders, and freight logistics. I oversaw retail accounts, EDI processes, and weekly shipments to large retailers.

I take pride in delivering exceptional customer service, executing marketing and distribution strategies, and contributing as an integral team member. I am seeking to further my career in the foodservice industry where I can apply my sales, sourcing, and operations expertise to drive growth.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Northeast Regional Sales Manager

DayMark Safety Systems

Apr 2023 - Feb 2025 (1 year 10 months)

Managed Northeastern distribution market (including Ohio, Michigan and Eastern Canada) and grew sales dollars by 20% in 2023 and 13% in 2024 across a $6M market while leading broker and distributor engagement.

Territory Management Broker Distributor Power BI Sales Training Pipeline Management

Account Executive

Advantage Waypoint

Jan 2020 - Apr 2023 (3 years 3 months)

Managed a portfolio of independent food distributors and restaurants across SE Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, executing sales plans and driving product conversions and incremental business for manufacturers from Jan 2020–Apr 2023.

Account Management Sales Planning Distributor Training Lead Generation Customer Service

Import Manager

Gessner Products Co., Inc.

Apr 2010 - Sep 2019 (9 years 5 months)

Placed purchase orders and managed factory and freight relationships across China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand to support national chain restaurant accounts and new product lines, while forecasting inventory and coordinating international logistics.

Sourcing Inventory Forecasting

Retail Sales Manager

Gessner Products Co., Inc.

Apr 2010 - Sep 2019 (9 years 5 months)

Managed $2.3M in retail sales, served as primary contact for Walmart and Family Dollar/Dollar Tree accounts (processing EDI orders), coordinated logistics to 42 DCs weekly and grew retail distribution through trade shows and rep management.

EDI Walmart Retail Link Quickbooks Logistics Coordination

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Babson College

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Management and Marketing

Activities and societies: Internships: Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort, The Philadelphia Cricket Club, Starwood Hotels & Resorts; Babson United Rugby Club; Sigma Phi Epsilon (Massachusetts Theta Chapter)

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with academic focus in Management and Marketing; participated in internships and campus clubs.