James Hildebranski

219-659-3517
219-670-7601 (cell)
jhcfbb08@westpost.net
619 119th St.
Whiting, IN 46394
Executive Qualifications Summary
Senior Operations Director: Distribution
Consummate Business Leader with 20+ years experience driving profitable growth i
n challenging and competitive retail organizations. Strong communication, negoti
ation, and employee development aptitude. Steadfast focus on cost reduction, exp
ense control, and process improvement while maintaining consistent product quali
ty.
Key Competencies
Change Management P&L Project Management Start Ups & Turnarounds Strategic P
lanning Inventory Management Logistics Risk Management Budgeting Workforce
Planning
Professional Experience
Sports Authority, Romeoville, IL (Corporate Office in Englewood, CO) 1995 to 20
10
Full line, national sporting goods retailer with 432 stores in 47 states. Romeov
ille, DC: 453K sq. ft. facility servicing 68 stores in the Midwest, processing 1
5M units per year.
Director of Distribution, Midwest Region (1998 to 2010)
Full control over operations spanning HR, supplies, process improvement, product
ivity, and shipping and receiving. Established project timelines and budgets. En
sured on-time and on-budget project completion. Collaborated with Corporate offi
ce and customers regarding hot to market merchandise, new store openings and rem
odelings, new processes, and special projects.
Achieved 4%-6% budget improvement year-over-year to rank #1 out of five distrib
ution centers by reviewing and rectifying productivity issues, utilizing strateg
ic change management strategies, and carefully monitoring R&M and Supply expense
s.
Relocated distribution center operations on-time and on-budget with zero interr
uptions to receipt processing and deliveries. Success led to leadership roles in
future relocation projects.
Cut payroll costs from .23 to .135 per unit in a 12-year period through retrain
ing, best practice implementation, and inclusion of automated processes.
Assisted growth of back stock replenishment from 2% of business to 15%+ leading
to increased productivity through implementation of required strict standards (
100%-115%).
Regional Operations Manager (1995 to 1998)
Hired for previous operational experience with simultaneous multi-store manageme
nt, remodelings, and openings. Multi-faceted role involving R&M and supply purch
asing for 38 stores, regional inventory training, payroll allocation, and sales
per hour monitoring. Created SOP book including front-end operations, warehouse
management, cash room procedures, and inventory procedures.
Garnered top inventory results by accurately preparing and managing inventory s
ervice.
Introduced centralized R&M approval process for 38 stores saving $125K in first
12 months.
Standardized processes by implementing a central SOP manual cover all operation
s.
 Saved more than $100K annually by introducing a centralized supply requisition
system to control expenses.
Sportmart, Willowbrook, IL 1991 to 1995
Full line, national sporting goods retailer with 432 stores in 47 states. Romeov
ille, DC: 453K sq. ft. facility servicing 68 stores in the Midwest, processing 1
5M units per year.
Store Manager
Oversight for four locations over four-year period. Led store manager training p
rogram.
Increased sales volume for all four locations by 5%-18%.
Previous Employment Experience
Store Manager at Berey Brothers, Hammond, IN
Store Manager at Evans Inc., Chicago, IL
Department Manager & Assistant Buyer at Marshall Fields, Chicago, IL
Education
B.S. Management, Indiana University, Bloomington IN
B.S. Marketing, Indiana University, Bloomington IN