Mark Young's Email

I am a versatile senior executive with strong strategic, commercial, operational, and business development skills gained by loyally working within a selection of blue chip organisations (Hallmark, Asda / Wal-Mart, Deloitte) both in the UK and internationally. At Hallmark, my teams serviced a third of the UK Greeting Card market through a number of channels including all the major Grocers; prominent High Street department stores; independent card specialists and 200 branded retail stores. At Asda, food trading categories traded were multi billion. I have developed a breadth and depth of perspective through leading numerous diverse transformational initiatives, all within challenging fast paced customer focused environments. I have been fortunate enough to work alongside some outstanding mentors and peers. I have a proven track record of results and first hand experience of successful business turnarounds. My career progression to Board level has been achieved mainly within organisations through a reputation for delivering and collective sponsorship. At the core there is a strong personal passion to be involved in building and coaching teams to evolve their thinking, business acumen and aspirations. The talented people I have helped develop have risen through organisations. I believe in making hard work fun and love taking on a challenge. Specialities include: strategy; food and non-food retail; business development; relationship management; product development; operations and project delivery.

European Sales and Marketing Director @ A global stationery and impulse gift supplier to high street and multiple retailers. NPW pride themselves on creating insight led, innovative and engaging products. The culture is youthful and there is a real ambition to work hard for their customers to help define, lead and grow the categories they operate in. Product categories include: stationery and craft; beauty and fashion; games and gadgets; and home and party. For kids to big kids. Everyday and Seasonal. From September 2015 to Present (4 months) London, United KingdomCommercial Director @ Reporting to Hallmark's International President. Accountable for strategic development across Grocery, Wholesale, Retail, Franchise and Independents' channels through a team of a thousand head office, shop and field based employees. Responsibilities for business transformation, brand development, organisational and culture change. Achievements: Winning major new contracts through relationships, tailoring models and taking an insight driven lead to give value differentiation: - Tesco, sole supply agreement secured, increasing Hallmark UK turnover by 50%. The nature of the partnership will be transformational not just for Hallmark and Tesco but have far wider industry implications over time. - Morrisons, sole supply through a dedicated business unit securing 20% of Hallmark UK turnover. Category retail sales are growing ahead of the chain by mid single digit percentages. - Waitrose, Own brand sole supply agreement. Retail double-digit growth. - Co-Op, sole supply. Retail double-digit growth through new concept convenience trading proposition. - J Sainsbury, sole supply of JS Local store formats. Retail growth strong double-digit. Re-energised field sales teams. Years of business decline arrested within the Independents' channel and retail stores growing double-digit. Realigned product and customer mix to reduce exposure to marginal volatile business. Within this doubled the profitability of seasonal bulk business. Consolidated Hallmark’s Fashion and Wholesale Divisions into the UK business. Wholesale was a turnaround from a former loss making business. Reduced costs and improved effectiveness. Commercial headcount savings of £2m per annum within a wider project that delivered savings of over £10m per annum. Executive sponsor / chair for business transformation initiatives, including Oracle JD Edwards Enterprise Resource Planning and Integrated Business Planning. Development of talent by attracting new, valuing experience and succession planning. From February 2011 to August 2015 (4 years 7 months) Category Director @ Subsidiary Board Director with leadership of category, merchandising, retail implementation, marketing, new product development and creative teams to provide Marks & Spencer greeting cards and gifting through a unique sole supplier ‘outsourcing’ relationship. Achievements: Reinvigorated a solid yet under performing business through a focused definition of consumer wants and trading principles. Grew sales and profits by over 10% year on year (20%+ two year) against a backdrop of wider business decline. Constructed a strategic vision to deliver market outperformance through creating a destination shopping experience. Empowered people through a cultural shift of ownership, visibility of goals and performance. Employee Surveys have demonstrated greater employee engagement and levels of motivation. Developed a wide and effective network across both M&S and Hallmark to ease and accelerate business initiative. Installed a more aligned set of business processes to increase pace and consistency of product delivery. Secured significant funding from Hallmark Inc. to invest in a major expansion program at a time of unprecedented cut backs in the USA. The return on investment was measured in months. From April 2008 to March 2011 (3 years) General Manager - Food Trading @ GM Chilled Foods (2006-08); GM Fresh Meat & Poultry (2005-06); GM Supplier Development and Global Procurement (2002-05). Accountability for Chilled Foods (dairy, cheese, pies, cooked meats and fish), a £2Bn. category, and Fresh Meat and Poultry (beef, lamb, pork, poultry, bacon and sausage), a £1Bn. category. In both roles under performing / declining categories were turned around into market beating growth and profits were grown ahead of sales. There was a simple focus on getting merchandising basics right, strengthening supplier relationships and investing in quality. Both IGD Food Industry Awards and ‘Super Meat’ Award recognised the teams’ work externally for availability, supply chain excellence and new product development. Prior to Trading, leadership of Asda’s Global Procurement and Supplier Development Teams within Asda Brand. With an international remit, working mainly with Germany and USA businesses efficiency savings of over £100m engineered. A diverse range of strategic projects were undertaken. From taking two thirds of the time out of Asda’s product launch process to reconfiguring the value chain within the meat industry across multiple suppliers. External recognition included gaining the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, Corporate Gold accreditation of Excellence. From October 1992 to March 2008 (15 years 6 months) Senior @ Experience of Utility, Print and Education sectors From September 1988 to September 1992 (4 years 1 month)

BA (Hons), Industrial Economics @ University of Nottingham From 1985 to 1988 Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and WalesLeeds Grammar School Mark Young is skilled in: Inspiring Leadership, Business Strategy, Inspiring Teams, Business Transformation, Turnaround Strategy, Organizational Design, Culture Change, Multi-channel Retail, Retail Category Management, FMCG, Strategic Partnerships, Product Development, New Business Development, Driving Results, Retail