MARK KOTCHER
St Louis
Summary
Transformational retail and wholesale executive with 30+ years of proven success driving revenue, margin, and market share for $1.9B organizations. Expertise scaling omnichannel sales, revitalizing underperforming stores, expanding profitable product lines, and building high-performance teams across merchandising, marketing, and operations. Adept at delivering sustainable top- and bottom-line growth in highly competitive grocery and discount sectors. Recognized AI expert, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance sales prospecting, business analysis, and market research at Save A Lot and across revenue operations. By embedding AI into sales prospecting and market analysis, signed more new customers under my leadership than in the company’s history, accelerating revenue growth and expanding market reach. This strategic AI adoption has ushered in a new era of store-level success, driving operational excellence and sustained local market growth.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Vice President of Sales & Operations
SAVE A LOT FOOD STORES
St. Louis
12.2022 - Current
- Executive owner of all revenue streams for $1.9B grocery retailer and wholesaler.
- Rebuilt field sales & operations structure driving +11% sales uplift and store-level turnaround across 200+ locations.
- P&L responsibility for 50+ corporate stores, achieving +16% sales growth and +4% customer count.
- Launched new wholesale sales division (+35% sales growth) and e-commerce marketplaces (sales tripled 3 years running).
- Developed predictive out-of-stock reporting, unlocking $75M in annual purchases and +2% sales lift.
- Leading strategic initiative to grow closeouts to 20% of total volume by 2028.
- Integrated advanced AI tools into sales prospecting and business analysis, signing more new customers under my leadership than at any point in company history.
- Pioneered AI-driven store performance analytics, ushering in a new era of store-level success and operational excellence.
Vice President of Merchandising – Center Store
SAVE A LOT FOOD STORES
St. Louis
07.2022 - 06.2023
- Recruited to lead Center Store Category Team, Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Food Safety.
- Generated +9% increase in total purchases, outperforming nearly every discounter nationwide, by developing new category plans and promotional programs.
- Added +$120M annually (+7% sales growth) by introducing 100+ new items as part of category review process.
- Revamped ad strategy to drive sales and profits +6% through 'fewer, bigger, better' approach to customer acquisition.
- Recruited numerous previous associates to return to Save A Lot including backfilling own VP role.
Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development
RESOURCE ONE
St. Louis
01.2019 - 06.2022
- Managed $90M+ in sales to Save A Lot while sourcing new vendor partners across 175+ suppliers.
- Expanded footprint into major national retailers (UNFI, Albertsons, 99 Only, Grocery Outlet, C&S).
- Launched 'Resource One Technologies' platform delivering +6.4% total store sales lift at 8:1 ROI.
- Signed 49 new vendors (~30% of company total) and developed e-commerce supplier network.
Senior Industry Strategies Director
JDA Systems (Blue Yonder)
Virtual
11.2018 - 03.2019
- Led North American retail strategy and go-to-market execution including AI and SaaS initiatives.
Various Executive Roles
SAVE A LOT FOOD STORES
St. Louis
01.2007 - 12.2017
- Directed $2.2B retail & wholesale sales, leading category management, merchandising, and marketing.
- Delivered +13% private label sales growth and outperformed national discounters.
- Exceeded gross margin targets, boosted customer count, and drove national brand campaigns adding $90M+ revenue.
Education
Doctor of Management - All But Dissertation
Webster University
Master of Business Administration - Management/Entrepreneurship
Saint Louis University
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Management
John Carroll University
Food Executive Program -
Cornell University
Certificate, Chief Revenue Officer - Expected Dec 2025
Wharton Executive Education
Skills
- P&L Ownership
- P&L Responsibility
- Omnichannel Revenue Growth
- Strategic Merchandising
- Category Leadership
- Store Turnaround
- Operational Excellence
- Private Label Development
- Branded Product Development
- Wholesale Channel Expansion
- Closeout Channel Expansion
- Executive Team Leadership
- Board Reporting
Personal Information
Title: Chief Revenue Officer | Retail & Wholesale Growth Leader
Education And Executive Programs
- Doctor of Management (All But Dissertation), Webster University
- Master of Business Administration, Management/Entrepreneurship, Saint Louis University
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Management, John Carroll University
- Food Executive Program, Cornell University
- Certificate, Chief Revenue Officer (Expected Dec 2025), Wharton Executive Education
Earlier Career
Additional leadership roles in brand/category management, pricing, marketing analytics, and sales support at Spectrum Brands, Catalina Health, Silgan Plastics, and Moog Automotive.
Timeline
Senior Vice President of Sales & Operations
SAVE A LOT FOOD STORES
12.2022 - Current
Vice President of Merchandising – Center Store
SAVE A LOT FOOD STORES
07.2022 - 06.2023
Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development
RESOURCE ONE
01.2019 - 06.2022
Senior Industry Strategies Director
JDA Systems (Blue Yonder)
11.2018 - 03.2019
Various Executive Roles
SAVE A LOT FOOD STORES
01.2007 - 12.2017
Doctor of Management - All But Dissertation
Webster University
Master of Business Administration - Management/Entrepreneurship
Saint Louis University
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Management
John Carroll University
Food Executive Program -
Cornell University
Certificate, Chief Revenue Officer - Expected Dec 2025
Wharton Executive Education
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