Lowell "Rick" Sanford 1829 Kenilworth Ave. #307B, Charlotte, NC 28203 Home: 919-606-0002 - Cell: 919-6 06-0002 : rs167cccc@westpost.

net Executive Profile Accomplished Retail Executive with MBA. President and founder of Wide Shoe Wareh ouse, a five store, $4.5 million specialty shoe retailer. Demonstrated ability t o plan, develop, and execute successful business strategies from start-up to mat uration. Skill Highlights Small business development Expertise in operations and finance Background in retail management, merchandising, purchasing, finance, inventory control Human resources management, hiring, training Proven ability to plan, organize, and execute business strategy Budget Analysis, analytical skills Strong track record of execution against strategic objectives 20+ years management experience Strong verbal and written communication skills Excellent management and leadership skills Core Accomplishments Business Development: Conceived, developed, and executed specialty retail shoe concept, Wide Shoe War ehouse, resulting in five stores, eight straight years of profitability, excepti onal high turn rate, and $4.5 million in annual sales. Developed marketing strategy which resulted in 90,000 active customer base. Human Resources: Hired, trained, and managed store staff of 8-10, for five retail stores. Develo ped program for increased retention. Fiscal Management Managed all financial activities for company. Accountable for all P&L.

Operations Management: Managed purchasing, marketing, personnel, lease negotiations, inventory control . Negotiated contracts for property leases, long term agreements with vendors, te levision, radio, and outdoor advertisement companies, bank loans and credit line s. Professional Experience President May 2001 to June 2011 Wide Shoe Warehouse, Inc - Raleigh/Charlotte, North Carolina Conceived concept, strategy, and business plan for Wide Shoe Warehouse, a five s tore specialty retail shoe chain, generating $4.5 million annually in 2007 and 2 008. Generated new business through aggressive marketing plan, including direct mail, television, radio, outdoor advertising, and social networking. Developed b usiness plan and raised $100,000 for start-up. Managed team of store managers, a ssistant managers, and 25 associates. Surpassed revenue, turn, and profit goals for eight straight years. Accountable for all aspects of business, including fin ance, purchasing, personnel management, inventory control, and customer satisfac tion. Operations/Store Manager June 1999 to June 2001 Dillard's, Inc .- Durham, North Carolina Managed Dillard's Department store in Durham, North Carolina.Oversaw store P&L, inventory, customer satisfaction, hiring, training, and managing personnel of 75 associates. Developed innovative training methods that included on-floor associ ate decision making. Sales increase of eight percent in 1999 and four percent in 2000, despite plans by parent company to close the store in 2002. President June 1990 to December 1996 Action Custom Apparel - Studio City, CA Planned and developed company devoted to promotional apparel for corporate custo mers. Customers included Harley Davidson, Pepsi-Cola, Disney Studios, Universal Studios, as well as hundreds of hotels and restaurants throughout the country. M anaged finance, marketing, clothing design, and distribution. Sales exceeded $60 0,000 annually. President March 1980 to August 1995 Action Footgear - Los Angeles, CA Conceived, developed, and executed start-up of two-store athletic shoe chain. Sa les volume exceeded $900,000 with profits, margins, and inventory turns betterin g industry standards. Managed inventory, purchasing, and finance, as well as hir

ed, trained, and managed personnel. Education Queens University of Charlotte 1998 Charlotte, North Carolina Graduate Business MBA Studied all aspects of business for both large and small companies. Emphasis on management, marketing, economics, and finance. Wrote case studies that became pa rt of curriculum. Cal State University Northridge 1991 Northridge, CA Political Science BA Studied American and international politics and economics. Keywords