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Product Manager

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

Steelcase, Inc

Steelcase, Inc

Attwood Corporation (a Brunswick Company)

Ocean Consulting, LLC

Ideomed

Tiger Lab

Daymon Worldwide at Meijer

Daymon Worldwide at Meijer

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Kendall College of Art and Design

MIT Sloan and MIT CSAIL

Western Michigan University