Joaquin Gutierrez

General Manager, Merchandising

Siman Department Stores

El Salvador

Professional Summary

Joaquin Gutierrez is the highly-motivated general merchandising manager in charge of the purchasing team that buys and manages an inventory of 240,000 active SKUs at Siman Department Stores, which is owned by the Almacenes Siman Company. He operates 14 stores in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Costa Rica, with more than 130,000 square meters of retail space. He leads a group of 12 managers and more than 100 employees in those four countries, giving strategic direction of the merchandise mix, which includes decisions on suppliers and what brands to carry, and is supportive in key negotiations with new and existing vendors and brands. Joaquin wears many hats at Siman. He works with data to determine product investment opportunities, design business plans based on market analyses of customer needs in specific trade areas, which result in financial projections to decide conditions for business partnerships; leads the sales annual budget process and the bi-annual strategic business planning process; has final responsibility on the gross margin contribution of the company; and is responsible for the overall management of store, overseeing staff, maintaining merchandise and providing exemplary customer service. Joaquin has been very successful during his six-and-a-half years at Siman. He achieves sales objectives, maintains high operational standards, and exceeds merchandising goals. With his persistence and diligence, he has built a highly motivated team, furthering associates’ skills. In addition to possessing strong organizational and customer service skills, Joaquin’s most transferable skills include building lasting relationships with customers to expand the client book, managing the sales team by continually motivating the staff to exceed sales and productivity goals, fostering a positive, upbeat and energetic atmosphere in each store, exceeding expectations by identifying store trends and communicating these trends to the buyer, and analyzing sales reports and data to determine business needs and if the company needs to develop new marketing strategies. Joaquin received his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador, and then he earned his MBA in general management from the Darden Graduate School at University of Virginia. He is a board member of Instituto para la Colaboración y Educación Familiar in San Salvador in order to help parents develop strategies to better educate their children.

Skills

Specialization

Business Development; Business Intelligence; Operational Management; Consulting; Project Management; Program Development; Staff Development; Training; Brand Management; Brand Development