YULONDA ALMASI

Elgin, IL 60124 | (630) 390-5828 | Lashaalmasi@aol.com

EMPLOYMENT OBJECTIVE
Senior management position in a large enterprise that values Marketing/Market Research
EDUCATION
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Masters of Business Administration, 1998
Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, OH
Bachelors of Arts, Organizational Psychology, 1987
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CEO and Manager | The Bistro By the Pier | 2012 2015
I opened my own restaurant next door to Navy Pier, one of the busiest tourist spots in Chicago. I developed
the concept and operated all aspects of the business. I turned my vision of a restaurant, which featured
American Cuisine with Cajun Flair and Great Music, into a reality by leveraging my previous experience in
strategic consumer insights, concept development, recipe development, new business development and
marketing.
Created and executed plans for restaurant sales, profit and staff development
Set the budget and managed the financial statements
Planned and coordinated menus as well as created new recipes
Recruited, trained, managed and motivated diverse staff
Responded swiftly and effectively to customer queries and complaints
Established great working relationships with political leaders (i.e. Police Commissioner Dunn, Alderman
Riley) and key contacts within Business & Consumer Affairs
Organized online and promotional marketing activities
Maintained high standards of quality control, hygiene, and health and safety
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. | 1998 2012
I worked for one of the worlds largest food and beverage companies, Kraft Foods Group, Inc. for 14 years,
starting as a summer intern and rising to a senior position, as a Senior Consumer Insights Manager. I helped
identify profitable new products and new business platforms for the company. I managed suppliers and staff
across various businesses and strategic initiatives. My ability to be a strong team player, deep understanding
of the various forms of research, strategic thinking and communications skills helped push the company
forward and allowed me to ascend from a valuable intern to a seasoned senior level manager.
Sr. Consumer Insights Manager |2010 2012|
Planned and managed strategic research projects for the Breakthrough Innovation Team based on their
new product/business development goals and objectives
Supervised the design and execution of both qualitative and quantitative research for the Type II Diabetes
Online Program, evaluated the results, and presented final reports to upper management and cross
functional teams
Identified the top 10 New Product Platforms (i.e. Big Bets) with projected volume of at least $25,000,000
annually for the Vice President of Breakthrough Innovation
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YULONDA ALMASI
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE CONTD
Consumer Insights Manager |2008 2010|
Lead a team of researchers in the development of both qualitative and quantitative research designed to
test the effectiveness of the Kraft Diabetes Online Program
Created Krafts Cross Generational Study of Generation Xers and Baby Boomers to fine-tune our
communications with these cohorts, presented the findings and implications at AARP event with 1000+ in
attendance
Executed reports and presentations to share strategic learning with product developers, advertising
managers and other leaders across the company
Sr. Research Manager |2006 2008|
Assessed key drivers of consumer liking for Kraft Dips (based on previous product testing) to identify focus
areas for product quality improvement to reduce consumer complaints
Planned Categories Annual Recipe Screen to identify the next set of signature recipes and strategic
partners
Organized and analyzed a Dips Market Structure which identified its true competitive set, other
opportunities and threats to the business
Research Manager |2003 2006|
Conducted a Multi-Cultural Kids Audit, which was used by the Kraft Kids Alliance to understand similarities
and differences between African-Americans, Hispanics and Whites. The findings were used to lay the
foundation for superior marketing communications/plans to strategically reach all kids
Developed and managed the South Beach Diet Research Teams Budget of $1,250,000
Supervised, encouraged and directed the development of the South Beach Diets Intern
Associate Research Manager |2001 2003|
Provided strategic direction for the Tombstone Team as to which of the top pizza concepts teen boys
preferred: Regional Favorite or Favorite Foods to ensure that the final product line launched met
consumer needs and sales volume equal to or better than the existing items on shelf.
Partnered with the Category Planner to conduct a Hendry Market Structure Analysis to identify white
space for DiGiorno and Tombstone
Assistant Research Manager |2000 2001|
Completed the 1st Annual Ethnic Situational Analysis which included an Ethnic Tracker that identified
regional ethnic market vulnerabilities to local competitors
Executed Kraft Regular Singles Hot Pack vs. Borden, Pace and Schreiber, a productivity initiative which
resulted in a $5,000,000 - $7,000,000 annual cost savings
Conducted a Con Screen on 10 Kid Snacking concepts to build the base businesses pipeline of new product
ideas
Research Analyst Summer Intern |1997|
Completed an analysis of the Indulgent Snacking Category which provided insight to the Philadelphia New
Product Development Team for the launch of the Philly Snack Bar
Analyzed and integrated multiple qualitative and quantitative data sources to identify strategic
opportunities and provided recommendations for future research areas of focus
Skills: Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint