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Product Manager

Project Management

I am an energetic, entrepreneurial-minded, innovation manager who has demonstrated success within both large organizations and small start-ups. I thrive in cultures of thought leadership and opportunity development.

Areas of Expertise:
- Innovation Management
- Product Management
- Business Development

•	Challenge:
o	Manage the largest Wood category business segment ($122m), improving profitability, establishing strategic direction, and developing new segment opportunities. 
•	Skills enhanced:
o	Foresight and Visioning practice immersion to inform post-Covid pivots 
o	Use of design thinking and synthesis skills to support broader Wood category strategic review 
o	Manufacturing and operational process improvement
o	Cross-functional team leadership and development 
o	Development of new data analytics skills via Tableau
•	Successes:
o	Launch of new parametric product line 
o	Profitability improvement of product collections
o	Continuation of membership with the Pioneer Data Driven Marketing team


•	Challenge:
o	Manage the Organizational Worktools business segment ($20m), growing the business and developing new segment opportunities. 
•	Skills enhanced:
o	Cross-functional product development processes
o	Manufacturing and operational process immersion 
o	Development of impactful communications for dealer channels
o	Process development to launch new Worktools partner opportunities
o	Internal network development to be more efficient and effective 
•	Successes:
o	Recognition for work on post-launch product activities
o	Use of design thinking and synthesis skills to drive sales tactics on an underperforming product solution 
o	Developed a hybrid process to launch new Worktools partner product 
o	In fiscal year 2019 (calendar 2018), grew the segment by 13% vs prior year and 4% over plan
o	Recognition for partnership with New Business Innovation to validate a new product solution 
o	Member of the Pioneer Data Driven Marketing team


Senior Product Marketing Specialist

•	Challenge:
o	Manage the MotorGuide parts business and assist the Product Manager in strategic product development initiatives, including the development of consumer research plans and project leadership.
•	Skills enhanced:
o	Design thinking methodology 
o	Data synthesis
o	Program business case analysis
o	Product lifecycle management
o	Cross-functional team leadership 
o	New process development
o	Development of business strategy
•	Successes:
o	Developed a consumer research structure to support a partner request
o	Recognized by Director of Sales and Marketing for key consumer research plan
o	Development and consideration of new service center strategy (currently under review) 
o	Selected for small team to lead company strategic brainstorming initiative 


Associate Product Manager

GR Eats | September 2015 – present | Grand Rapids, MI
•	Challenge:
o	Assist Founder in the development of business plan and branding strategy.
•	Successes:
o	Owner gaining deeper understanding of applicable methods for engaging consumer
o	Identification of brand strategy
o	Owner recognizing new value in product line

Michigan Small Business Development Corporation | August 2015 – October 2015 | Grand Rapids, MI
•	Challenge:
o	Assist Marketing Manager in executing strategic marketing initiatives.
•	Successes:
o	Projects successfully implemented and completed on time

Intryst | April 2015 – May 2015 | Grand Rapids, MI
•	Challenge:
o	Assist Founder in obtaining funding from the State of Michigan to pay for UI/UX development, and further identify the target audience.
•	Successes:
o	Secured $14,500 in state funding
o	Identified pivot in target audience

Founder

•	Challenge:
o	Complete the Abriiz Super Analysis by breaking into the Managed Care market; creating partner relationships, collecting mission-critical validation data, and generating sustainable revenue.  
•	Skills enhanced:
o	Lead generation best practices and outreach efficiencies
o	Sales cycle management via Salesforce software
o	Ability to build partner relationships via electronic mediums
o	Enhanced teleconferencing sales-ability
o	Account management process building 
o	Ability to develop partner contractual agreements 
o	Product positioning and pricing validation 
o	Clinical trial implementation best practices 
•	Successes:
o	Contributing member to reaching funding milestones in relation to the Abriiz Super Analysis
o	In 2014, signed 50% of new partner agreements included in the Abriiz Super Analysis

Business Development Manager

•	Challenge:
o	Build a business and investor strategy surrounding a manufactured medical device. This includes: development of product re-brand and market positioning, development of sustainable sales channel, introduction of investment dollars, development of remaining product line, and creation of an overall sustainable business. 
•	Skills enhanced:
o	Understanding of medical device market, specifically respiratory device segment
o	Sales-ability within respiratory device market
?	Keen understanding of respiratory sales channel and distribution management
o	Ability to write and negotiate partner agreements 
o	Understanding of political environment and business-impact as relating to medical device
o	Understanding of medical device design and engineering best practices
o	Business forecasting and planning in relation to medical device
o	Ability to build investor-targeted communications and pitch presentations
o	Ability to complete investor pitch presentations
o	Expansion of cross-company project management skills
o	Acceptance into the entrepreneurial environment within West Michigan
•	Successes:
o	Completion of Tiger Lab re-brand
o	Five distribution agreements negotiated and signed
o	Awarded $15,000 grant by the State of Michigan
o	Re-negotiated royalty agreement between manufacturing partner and inventor
o	In 2012, advanced Tiger Lab to semi-final round of the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition

Operations / Product Management / Jack of All Trades

•	Challenge:
o	Validate and develop private brand products, leading project teams across supplier partners, Daymon, and customer teams. 
•	Skills enhanced:
o	Consumer Packaged Goods product validation best practices
?	Ability to write and execute consumer e-panel testing
o	Expertise in analyzing customer data and market trends in order to identify areas of opportunity
o	Sales-ability of new product opportunities to various buying teams
o	Knowledge of developing new private brand programs, such as in-and-out seasonal programs
o	Trained in Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator, an integral skill in the ability to build effective project teams
o	Ability to lead product commercialization processes
o	Political savviness to lead cross-functional project execution
o	Ability to manage partner and customer expectations 
o	Daymon University professional development
•	Successes:
o	In 2011, led entire account team to win a corporate wide innovation challenge sponsored by Daymon Executive Vice President of Domestic Brokerage and corporate innovation team
o	In 2011, invited by the Director of the Daymon Resource Center Innovation Team to join the corporate Innovation Steering Committee
o	In 2010 and 2011, held Community Service Chair and led Daymon-Meijer account team in fundraising for Susan G Komen Race for the Cure
o	In 2011, led development and execution of Daymon-Meijer account Holiday gathering

Associate Business Manager of Innovation

•	Challenge:
o	Support the customer’s largest buying team (responsible for $750 million) in day-to-day needs, while concurrently supporting buying team’s private brand interests. 
•	Skills enhanced:
o	Knowledge of category management best practices 
?	Including expertise in product assortment and placement
o	Ability to analyze customer data and consumer insights in order to identify areas of opportunity
o	Execution of customer product promotional process
o	Experienced in facilitating cross-department projects 
o	Supplier management best practices
o	Ability to develop and sustain customer relationships across departments
o	Agility to adapt to changing roles and responsibilities
•	Successes:
o	Led the development and execution of a private brand meal solution program, working across multiple buying teams and departments in order to implement
o	Recognized by customer leadership for desk-support best practices and asked to implement a training guide for new associates
o	Successful in working with Buyer to expand private brand product facings at shelf
o	In 2009, Awarded one of four Thought Leadership Awards at Daymon Annual All Team conference

Merchandise Associate

•	Challenge:
o	Provide the highest level of customer service while gaining the sales-ability to assist branch leadership in hitting sales targets, generating new business, and cultivating current customer relationships.
•	Skills enhanced:
o	Strong skills in building client relationships
o	Known to exceed the needs and expectations of clients
o	Skilled at diffusing tense situations with customers
o	Solid ‘multi-tasker’
o	Further developed persuasive communication skills
o	Excellent sales experience
•	Success:
o	Acted as interim branch management between leadership shifts

Management Trainee

Find out detailed information about Alison Keutgen, Product Manager in Grand Rapids, MI

Alison Keutgen: Product Manager in Grand Rapids, MI

Alison Keutgen

Kendall College of Art and Design

MIT Sloan and MIT CSAIL

Western Michigan University