· FOR GE AIRCRAFT ENGINES, Cincinnati, OH: As the lead consultant I coordinated over 200 extranet user groups to migrate the content of their websites and extranet sites into a single content manager. The content manager provided an easy way to publish new content to the website for all user groups (non-internet savvy) giving them a consistent style and menu structure and keeping high-level security and top-secret government data safe. Conducted research for the Architecture, Technology and Operations division recommending new website development projects for both internal use and as a value-add for customers and vendors. Assisted in the mapping of all security levels, including government top-secret data, allowing controlled access to the Extranet for all user group segments. Laid the framework for the eCommerce sections of the Extranet used for vendors to purchase products and service contacts. The first web-based transaction was a service contract for $2.5M.
 
· FOR MONTGOMERY WARD, Chicago, IL: As project owner, I designed a new corporate website. Managed the internal development and graphics teams. Key participation in the website’s marketing, advertising and promotional campaigns both on the Internet and through conventional marketing methods; print and television commercials for 342 stores nationwide. Provided direction for future additions such as a children’s section and a major sports team section for stores that are located in and sell official sport clothing lines.
 
Developed the online catalog of Wards products for Apparel, Fine Jewelry, Electronics, Home Fashions, Furniture, Housewares, Appliances, Automotive, and Lawn & Garden departments. Designed, built and managed 7 new eCommerce websites providing products and services to the general public. These eCommerce websites included: 

▪ NATIONAL PARTS CENTER: Scheduling of repair services, nationwide. Searchable order system for both Montgomery Ward repair workers and the general public do-it-yourself customers. Hosted over 400,000 cataloged parts and accessories for electronics, appliances and lawn & garden products.

▪ THRIFTY AUTO RENTAL: Online real-time reservation system for car and light truck rentals at over 500 locations nationwide accepting Wards credit cards and major credit cards.

▪ WARDS FLOWERS: Web based flower ordering system for delivery of flower arrangements. Creation of the Wards Flowers Registry, with automated reminders one week prior to special occasions.

▪ WARDS MATTRESS BY PHONE: Extended the convenience of shopping by phone for a new mattress to the Internet, allowing customers to see the products prior to ordering. Value-added services included free delivery, free set-up and haul away, free bed frame and free Scotchguard Treatment.

▪ WARDS OPTICAL: Online real-time appointment service for stores with an Optical Center.

▪ MIRACLE-EAR® CENTER AT WARDS: Online real-time appointment service for stores with a Hearing Center. Services included hearing testing, hearing aid fitting, cleanings and checkups, and hearing aid batteries and accessories.

▪ WARDS HAIR SALON: Online real-time appointment service for stores hosting a hair salon. Order hair products online.

· FOR GMV NETWORK, Chicago, IL: Acting as the Director of Business Development for this software and hardware streaming media company while the owners considered purchase offers. Within 2 months, I had relationships with vendors to bundle our streaming media encoder software within their media player hardware including RealNetworks, VewCast and Osprey. Partnered with organizations in Internet streaming radio and video like Bloomberg, CNET Radio, ZDTV / ZD Radio and PRNewswire. This company was sold in 3 months.
 
· FOR CTG (COMPUTER TASK GROUP), Chicago, IL: Acting  as a Principal Consultant, I provided high-level eBusiness solutions, customized to the client’s needs, including sales support, project lead and high-level web architecture. Developed e-strategies to provide clients with either cost savings and/or profit by using the Internet. Assisted in all "front-end" aspects of projects, including planning, costing, and application development resources management. Provided mentoring, training and education in eBusiness technologies to peers, business partners, and clients. Keynote speaker for seminars and workshops.
 
· FOR REMINGTON-MICROSHARE, Schaumburg, IL: Acting as the lead eBusiness Consultant I developed eStrategies, design eBusiness solutions and provided proof of concept to customers and potential clients. Development of the "Mastermind" Meeting which provides the client with a high-level project outline. Responsible for a staff of 8, six web developers, a graphic artist and a full time webmaster. A keen observer of people, events, opportunities, and early trends, resulting in increased staff augmentation, additional projects and new revenue streams.
 
· FOR SHIELDS MENELEY PARTNERS, LLC., Chicago, IL: Designed and marketed this Advisory and Coaching firm's website. Participated in Customer Relationship Management campaign marketing, both Internet and conventional, for their Board of Directors and Senior Executives clientele.
 
· FOR TELEOS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, Philadelphia, PA: Designed and marketed this Global Senior Leadership, Counseling and Executive Coaching Institute's website. Developed and executed an International online marketing campaign for the Institutes Leadership Development Center and "Bestselling Books". Trained employees to self-manage and make changes to the website.
 
· FOR THE ULTIMATE BUSINESS SOLUTION, INC, Chicago, IL: Acting as the Chief Information Officer (CIO), I played a lead role in the start-up of this Corporate Health Care Benefits Broker. Offering a value-added website office solutions increased clients by leaps and bounds. The concept of the Ultimate Business Solution: Providing the 'Best-of-Breed' front and back office applications, via the web, in payroll, accounting, human resources, benefits communications, sales force automation, and customer relationship management (CRM), in affordable packages, to small businesses ( less than 350 employees ) operating in any Industry.
 
· FOR NEXT GENERATION EQUITY RESEARCH, LLC., Chicago, IL: Created and marketed this Investment Research Company's website. Marketed online to companies with market capitalizations of $5 billion and below in the Technology, Consumer, energy and Healthcare industries.
 
· FOR COMPU-RESOURCES, INC., Chicago, IL: Redesigned the corporate website for this hardware and software retail store and computer repair company. Also designed printed marketing materials (brochures, flyers and business cards) mimicking the website look.
 
· FOR THE SS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, Palos Hills, IL: Designed and marketed the Church's first website. Personally shot all the photography used in this website. Trained a Pastor to manage and make simple changes to the website. Website has won many awards within the Greek Orthodox Church worldwide.
 
· FOR KORAES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - SS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, Palos Hills, IL: Designed and marketed the Church's Elementary School's website. Personally shot all the photography used in this website. Trained the School Administrator to manage and make simple changes to the website.
 
· FOR THE JENNIFER C. DAVENPORT AND ASSOCIATES, P.C., LAW FIRM, Chicago, IL: Designed the first website for this law firm. Developed link exchange and marketed online to generate clients.
 
· FOR ALLIGIANCE LEASING COMPANY, LLC., Chicago, IL: Designed and marketed this Capital Equipment Leasing Company's website specifically towards the Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Healthcare, VoIP, and Information Technologies industries.

· FOR LOVEJOY, INC, Downers Grove, IL: A global leader in couplings, power transmission, hydraulic components, and rubber suspension technology. Construction and marketing of a new corporate website. Built the company’s first online catalog. Input over 400, very complex, mechanical charts into Excel spreadsheets and converted them to PDF files for use in the website catalog.
 
· FOR ORBIS BROADCASTING GROUP, Chicago, IL: A leaders in the production of quality programming via various media -- broadcast television, cable, satellite, inflight, new media, Internet - specializing in innovative healthcare communications. Lead the reconstruction project team for the healthanswers.com first generation website into a new frames style website. Re-coded the HTML of all of the website’s 6,000 pages, including a membership only section for physicians.
 
· FOR MED-FIT, INC, - UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO HOSPITALS; WEISS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, Chicago, IL: Created, maintained, and marketed this Medical Practice website. Operations ceased after the U.S. Federal Government recalled the weight loss medication "Redux" in 1997.
 
· FOR SUREHOLD, Chicago, IL: Developed and executed a website marketing program for Adhesives and Abrasives for the Home, Craft & Hobby and increasing business to business (B2B) sales by 60%.
 
· FOR THE ART DEPARTMENT, Chicago, IL: Designed this well established graphic arts company's website while training their employees to design, develop and manage websites. They then were able to offer these services to their own service menu and clientele.
 
· FOR LMB ASSOCIATES, Highland Park, IL: Designed and marketed the corporate website of this premier Chicago-area search firm specializing in the recruitment of information technology professionals.
 
· FOR THE KSI CORPORATION, Chicago, IL: Developed and designed the corporate website for this full-service management consulting firm. Marketed the website to attract B2B clientele.
 
· FOR FITNESS INFORMATION TRAINING SERVICES "FITS", Hoffman Estates, IL: Designed this Health and Wellness Organizations' first 3 website designs. Trained the owner in Graphic Arts, HTML, and other important aspects for developing and maintaining their own website.
 
· FOR A-1 SPORTS & ACCESSORIES, Chicago, IL: Designed and marketed a simple sales based website for the makers of inside Golf and Hockey practice tools.
 
· FOR AMERICAN AUTO FUNDING CORPORATION, Park Ridge, IL: Pre-start up involvement. I developed and successfully deployed numerous short and long term sales and marketing programs aimed at increasing the quantity, and quality of the automobile consumer finance loan applications being received directly from car dealerships. After 52 weeks we had over $24 million in outstanding loans from 25 sales offices, located in 17 states. The company was purchased by GE Capital after only 55 weeks in business.
 

Automotive Dealership Experience

· FOR FRANK LETA HONDA, St. Louis, MO: The set-up a new BDC in less than 90 days, which included all new processes. I hired and trained a new staff, set policy and had made a big impact in increasing new business, boasting an average show ratio of 66%. Responsible for all Internet Marketing (SEO, SEM, PPC) and sales campaigns.
 
· FOR WEST COUNTY NISSAN, Ellisville, MO: Established a BDC in this start-up Nissan dealership. Averaged 55% (in 7 months) of all dealership sales from the BDC department and Internet inquiries. Managed the company website and built, from scratch, two additional marketing websites. Hired and trained an appointment setting staff. Responsible for all SEO, SEM, PPC, social media and company advertising.
 
· FOR DAVE SINCLAIR AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, St. Louis, MO: Combined the Internet departments of four roof-tops (Ford, Buick-Pontiac-GMC and 2 Lincoln-Mercury stores) into a single location. Hired and trained staff to contact Internet inquiries, send quotes, locate vehicles, and set appointments for sales at the showroom locations. Achieved a new company record: the highest growth month for total Internet sales.
 
· FOR NEWBOLD TOYOTA BMW SCION, O’Fallon, IL: Built a new Business Development Center for the Newbold’s. Responsible for hiring and managing a BDC staff. Trained the sales and management staff resulting in an increase of 30% higher closing ratio. Provided administration of Reynolds & Reynolds CRM and ongoing CRM training in functionality and best practices, maximizing the follow-up process and generating 41% more appointments.
 
· FOR THE HAGGERTY AUTO GROUP, Chicago, IL: (3 locations: Chevrolet, Pontiac-GMC, Ford) – Development of 3 Internet departments, one at each store. Combined vendor services saving 23% of the annual budget. Increased lead providers at all 3 stores resulting in Internet sales increase between 25% and 48%. Responsible for marketing, development and lead generation for 6 company websites.
 
· FOR THE AL PIEMONTE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, Chicago, IL: (4 locations: Ford, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Nissan) - Start-up of a Business Development Center (BDC) for all stores. Worked leads and calls at one location then feed appointments to the stores. Hired and trained entire staff. Redesigned 4 Reynolds and Reynolds websites and developed a new group website. Increased Internet sales by over 87% at the Ford store, and 41% sales increase over all stores.
 
· FOR WALTON CHRYSLER JEEP, Skokie, IL: Start-up of a new Internet Department. Hired and trained a non-automotive person and trained them to work and quote Internet leads and make appointments. Trained all management and staff to handle Internet customers. Built the company website from scratch.
 
· FOR SHARP CHEVROLET LLC, Skokie, IL: Restructured the Internet department placing the leads into a CRM. Worked with BZ Results website and CRM (BuzzTrak) to maximize appointments from sales leads. Tweaked the website to generate more leads. Built a new Cobalt website and set-up a new CRM to capture credit and vehicle leads. Controlled the Internet marketing for two websites.
 
· FOR THE GILLESPIE AUTO GROUP, Chicago, IL: (4 locations: Chevrolet-Pontiac, Chrysler, and two high-line used car lots; Freedom Auto Depot) - Reached a company milestone in January 2006 with 65 new vehicles sold via the Internet from the Chevy-Pontiac store. Responsible for all marketing, advertising, training and P&L for the department.
 
· FOR THE GREGORY AUTO GROUP, Highland Park, IL: (2 locations: Hyundai-Dodge, Chrysler-Jeep) - Within the first 90 days, I doubled the dealerships sales. In addition, I took control of the website marketing, increasing our Internet prospects by 40%. Set company policy for Internet sales. Trained the sales staff and managers. Re-designed, developed and managed the corporate websites, increasing Internet traffic by 246% over a 60-day period.
 
· FOR HAWKINSON NISSAN, Matteson, IL: Pre start-up involvement from owner’s home, as the CIO, for a 6 month project. Responsible for Internet generated sales leads resulting in an average of 55% of the dealerships total monthly sales. I managed all marketing campaigns, vendors, Internet Lead Providers (ILP), and CRM activities. Trained sales staff on an Internet lead follow-up system (CRM). Designed and developed the dealerships website which generated 42% of all incoming sales leads.
 
· FOR THE PORSCHE EXCHANGE, Highland Park, IL: Customized an ACT! Database supporting 6 sales people and 3 managers. Provided one-on-one training for sales, marketing, email management, and administrator level skills for the ACT! database. Designed and managed the dealerships first 3 websites which consistently generating 20%+ of the monthly car sales.
 
· FOR WESTGATE LINCOLN-MERCURY, Chicago, IL: The successful 60 day reengineering of the Internet Sales Department, resulted in an increase in sales of Internet customers by 38%. Built a new company website from scratch which generated over 11% of all vehicle sales leads.
  
· FOR MCKAY MAZDA-NISSAN AUTOMALL, Evanston, IL: The successful start-up of the “Oxford Bond and Investment Company”, a high-risk "buy-here pay-here" auto finance company located outside of the dealership. Responsibilities included P&L, business development, legal compliance, credit buying, collections, and staffing. Trained a sales and management staff of 28 to sell low-end used cars to high-risk credit buyers, producing premium profits from sales and financing charges.
 
· FOR KING NISSAN, Skokie, IL: The reorganization of the existing "buy-here pay-here" auto finance company. Trained management in credit sales and collections to increase profit, lessen operating expenses and control P&L.
 

Published Works

· “Integrating Smartphone Technology in Car Dealerships." GoArticles, Feb. 2011

· “Mobile Marketing – Will it Work for Car Dealers?" – Dealer Marketing Magazine, Cover Story - March 2011 ed. 
  
· “I can't find your website!” - Access Business Online NewsWeb, Dec 1996 

· “Basic Skills Make the Difference between Losing Money or Collecting what’s Due” - The Home and Small Business Reporter, November 1994 

· “Advanced Skip Tracing for Consumer Credit” - Copyright © 1989, ISBN: 027444730 

· “Verification and Investigation for Consumer Credit” - Copyright © 1990, ISBN: 033393805 

· CreditNet Journal - Publisher and Editor of a monthly online news and informational publication for the consumer credit and collection industry. Dissolved in 1996 

 
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