Mark C. Cordes
Director of Promotional Merchandising - Advertising, Walgreen Co.
Mark Cordes is director of promotional merchandising for Walgreens advertising department. Mark started his Walgreens career in 1981 as an assistant store manager and was promoted to ad merchandiser at the corporate office in 1983, to supervisor of ad merchandising in 1988, and to manager of ad merchandising in 1992. He was named to his current position in 2001. Mark received a bachelor’s of business degree from Western Illinois University, Macomb, in 1981.
Patrick T. Faye
Divisional Merchandise Manager - Purchasing, Walgreen Co.
Pat Faye is divisional merchandise manager of purchasing for Walgreens. He started his Walgreens career in 1980 as an ad merchandiser, was promoted to assistant buyer in 1984, and to automotive buyer in 1985. Pat was named to his current position in 2001. He received a B.A. degree in business from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, in 1980.
Jay Forbes
Vice President - Lebhar-Friedman
Jay Forbes has dedicated his professional career over more than four decades with the Lebhar-Friedman retail trade publishing group to tracking the fortunes of the food, drug and mass market retailing sectors, in addition to the consumer goods manufacturing community. A graduate of the City College of New York, he first joined Lebhar-Friedman as an advertising sales representative for its Chain Store Age Supermarket editions. He progressed to the position of National Sales Manager of Chain Store Age Drug , was promoted to Manager of Sales Development, and subsequently appointed Publisher of Discount Store News . In 1980 he was made Group Executive for the corporation, with responsibility for all ancillary divisions, and in 1983 was appointed VP/Group Publisher for Drug Store News . He was promoted to his current position, Vice President of Customer Development for Lebhar-Friedman, in 1996. Combining broad industry knowledge with first-hand observations, Jay is a frequent presenter at retail industry gatherings, and is routinely invited to share his unique industry analysis and insights with principals and executives at major chain operators - including CVS, Sears/Kmart, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart and others.
Kristen M. Galayda
Manager, Training Initiatives, Walgreen Co.
Kristen Galayda is manager of training initiatives for Walgreens. She started her Walgreens career in 2001 as an analyst and became an associate category manger in 2003. She was promoted to manager of training initiatives in 2005. Kristen received a B.S. degree in political science from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, in 1991.
Mike Jones
Vice President, Business Development and Trade Relations, Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc
Michael E. Jones joined Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1997 as Vice President Sales Development and Trade Relations. As a senior member of the strategic team at Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Michael has helped moved Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to the forefront of the OTC business as the leading niche company in OTC sales and marketing. With more than 25 years in the OTC/HBC industry, Michael has spent the majority of his career in sales and trade marketing. Prior to joining Del, he was the Vice President of Market Source Field Service, and in that capacity he oversaw the growth and development of Market Source into a national retail marketing company with such leading clients as CVS, Walgreens, Revlon, Colgate Palmolive and Rubbermaid. Michael has been a driving member of many industry boards (GMDC, RILA, NACDS, CDMA and GMA) and currently serves as the Chairperson for the National Associational of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Outreach and Business Development (ORBD) Work Group, Best Business Practices. He is a graduate of Boston College with an advanced degree from Fairfield University.
Catherine N. Lindner
Divisional Vice President Marketing Development, Walgreen Co.
Catherine Lindner is a divisional vice president of marketing development for Walgreen Co., based in Deerfield, Ill.
She joined the company in 1999 as a category manager in purchasing. She was promoted to a divisional merchandise manager for beauty and fashion in 2000 and to a divisional vice president in 2004. She was named to her current position in 2006.
She received a B.S. degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame in 1988 and an M.B.A. in marketing from DePaul University, Chicago, in 1995.
Before joining Walgreens she was employed by Information Resources Inc., Chicago.
Dan Mack
Vice President of Consumer Sales & Customer Marketing, DenTek Oral Care, Inc.
Dan Mack is currently the Vice President of Consumer Sales & Customer Marketing at DenTek Oral Care – Consumer Group which is a manufacturer of specialty oral care products supplied to retailers in the United States, Europe and a portion of Canada. In this role Dan is responsible for leading the customer development/customer marketing/category management processes in the food, drug, mass and club channels. Prior to DenTek, he was the Vice President of Consumer Sales at GOJO Industries Inc – Consumer Group, where he led customer development and category management and helped build PURELL into a category-defining brand. Dan started his career with GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Healthcare and held many leadership roles, including National Manager of Sales Training and Divisional Sales Manager. He developed and facilitated a number of business development and sales management training conferences for all levels of the field sales organization and has a unique blend of sales and customer marketing experiences with both large and small consumer package good companies. Dan received his B.A., Business Administration / Psychology, Hope College, Holland, MI.
Andrew E. McClure
Manager – Vendor Accounting, Walgreen Co.
Andrew McClure is manager of vendor accounting for Walgreens’ Danville, IL, accounting office. He joined Walgreens in 1999 as a post auditor in Danville and was promoted in 2003 to an assistant manager of systems and operations. He was named to his current position in 2004. Andrew received double B.S. degrees in finance and business administration from Illinois State University, Normal, IL, in 1999.
Carrie Merrit
Consumer Marketing Manager, Walgreen Co.
Carrie Merritt is the Consumer Marketing Manager at Walgreens. In her role, Carrie develops and implements strategic marketing plans for Walgreens key private brands as well as the company’s most valuable customer segments. Prior to joining Walgreens, she was the brand manager for the corporate travel brands at Orbitz. Carrie has also had experience developing comprehensive market research reports at Mintel International Group, and branding RR Donnelley’s former direct marketing agency. Carrie has a M.B.A. in marketing and economics from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and a B.S. in economics from Miami of Ohio.
Michael J. Olson
Director of Merchandising – Purchasing, Walgreen Co.
Mike Olson is director of in-store merchandising in Walgreens purchasing department. He joined Walgreens in 1978 as a service clerk in Tucson, AZ, while still in college. Mike was a store manager in Tucson and Odessa, TX, and was promoted to a district manager in Cincinnati in 1990. He came to the corporate office as director of in-store merchandising in 2003. Mike received a B.A. degree from the University of Arizona in 1980.
Ronald P. Otto
President, National Sales Solutions, LLC.
Ron Otto is president and founder of National Sales Solutions, LLC, a sales and marketing consulting firm headquartered in St. Louis, MO. At NSS, the focus is on helping small to medium-size manufacturers of health care related products launch new brands in the Drug, Food, and Mass class of trade. Prior to starting NSS, Ron was Senior Vice President of Sales for Patient Education Media, where he was responsible for national sales and marketing for a $26-million division of Time Life. Ron started his career and spent 16 years with Richardson-Vicks, a division of P&G, where he held many leadership roles including Vice President of National Accounts and Division Manager. He managed all aspects of new product development at retail for both large and niche brands.
Ron has served as president of National Association of General Merchandise Representatives (NAGMR), a rep association. He is also Chairperson for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Outreach and Business Development Broker/Rep workgroup. Ron graduated from Southeast Missouri University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing.
Anita Perez
President and Managing Member, National Launch Group
Anita Greggs Perez has more than 20 years experience successfully launching products and building businesses across multiple consumer and healthcare product categories – including OTC, medical/diagnostic, skincare, sporting goods and natural/organic segments. As President and Managing Member of National Launch Group, LLC, she works closely with entrepreneurs and small companies to effectively develop and execute their strategic marketing, sales and promotional plans for both branded and private label product lines. Prior to starting her own business, she was Vice President of Sales for Frontier Natural Products, Director of Business Development for Hypoguard USA, and held national account positions with Beiersdorf, Medisense-Abbott, Olin-Winchester and Stanley Tools. Anita’s background encompasses comprehensive strategic planning, brand management, package design, public relations, public speaking, sales and corporate communications.
George J. Riedl
Executive Vice President – Marketing, Walgreen Co.
George Riedl is executive vice president of marketing for Walgreens. He oversees advertising, marketing services and research, purchasing, merchandising and importing. George joined Walgreens in 1982 as a pharmacy intern, graduating the following year with a B.S. degree in pharmacy from the University of Illinois. He was a store pharmacist and a district pharmacy supervisor until 1991, when he was promoted to company headquarters. George held various positions in Walgreens pharmacy services, purchasing and e-commerce departments before being named a general merchandise manager in purchasing in 2000. He was made a vice president in 2001, a senior vice president in 2003 and an executive vice president in 2006.
David Staszak
Vice President of Sales - Triumph Pharmaceuticals Inc.
David Staszak, Vice President of Sales - Triumph Pharmaceuticals Inc., has over 20 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry. His career began with Energizer, where he held positions of increasing responsibility in cross-functional areas. While in sales management, he was responsible for the business at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. In Brand Marketing, David managed retailer marketing and promotional programs. As General Manager of Retail Operations, he oversaw store execution nationwide across all trade channels (Food, Drug, Mass, Club, Electronic, and Home stores). David joined Triumph Pharmaceuticals, makers of SmartMouth™ brand products, in 2005. As Vice President of Sales, the ascent of SmartMouth™ to national prominence has been rewarding, as this "small company" competes effectively against much larger brands in the oral care category. Since the introduction of these brands to retail, sales have tripled each year. David is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Rich Swanson
Principal, The Swanson Group
Rich Swanson has been a senior sales and marketing executive in the consumer-products goods industry for 30 years. Rich began his career with Procter & Gamble, where he honed his marketing and sales skills in their paper division. He later accepted a management position with Confab Inc., a category-leading private-label manufacturer. During the next 18 years with Confab, Rich managed many strategic initiatives and with his team, built Confab (disposable absorbent products) to be one of the most successful private label companies in North America.
Since 1998 Rich has been a Principal Partner in The Swanson Group (TSG), a customer driven, value-added, sales and marketing service provider that enhances the competitive position and profitability of retailer and manufacturing clients by leveraging their combined strengths. TSG has developed and lead strategic initiatives with leading national brand companies, managed U.S. sales and ongoing national initiatives for branded and retailer brand companies, and most recently, worked with OEM clients to design and implement a more “direct to retailer” strategic position.
David A. Van Howe
Corporate Vice President – Purchasing,
Walgreen Co.
David Van Howe is corporate vice president of purchasing for Walgreens. David joined Walgreens in 2000 as general merchandise manager of beauty and fashion. He was promoted to a divisional vice president in 2004 and most recently oversaw the purchasing department’s health and wellness division. He has more than 30 years of retail experience, including operations and purchasing positions with Kmart, Arbor Drugs and CVS/pharmacy (which acquired Arbor in 1998). He was promoted to his current position in 2007. David attended Oakland University in Rochester Hills, MI.
Mark Young
Chairman, Western Creative, Inc.
Being, himself, an entrepreneur for the last three decades, Mark has learned the art of aggressive business marketing. He has always found himself dabbling in business ventures wherever opportunity was knocking, and now, with a well-rounded résumé from a variety of industries, he uses his depth of experience to affect growth in organizations seeking expansion. Co-founder and CEO of Western Creative, Inc. – a full-service advertising and marketing agency located in the Detroit area – Mark claims that nothing gives him greater pleasure than watching a client succeed and knowing he was pivotal in the success. Although he has been responsible for many NACDS success stories, he credits these successes primarily to his ability to partner with his clients, rather than the traditional approach of most agencies. In addition to his chairmanship at Western Creative, Inc., Mark keeps his finger on the pulse of consumer goods as 50% owner of Chuck Woolery Signature Products – a manufacturer and distributor of outdoor sporting goods equipment and novelty products co-owned by television celebrity Chuck Woolery. Mark frequently appears as a keynote speaker at sales / marketing seminars and conventions nationwide.