1. Josef D. Pettus
(678) 643-2662 4592 Lehigh Drive josefpettus2@hotmail.com
Marietta, GA 30068
LEADERSHIP PROFILE
• 7+ years of managerial experience in merchandising strategy for the world’s largest home improvement retailer
• 3+ years of experience in corporate/retail finance
• 5 years of project/operations management experience in a manufacturing environment for a Fortune 500 company
• Highly motivated with a strong desire for responsibility in strategic business decisions
• Excellent analytical skills complemented with high proficiency in oral and written communication
• Extensive experience and success in team-based activities, stemming from strong interpersonal and leadership
abilities
WORK HISTORY
January 2008 – present The Home Depot, Inc. Atlanta, GA
SR. MANAGER/MANAGER, ASSORTMENT PLANNING
• Led group of 4-5 Managers and 1-2 Sr. Analysts to support merchants in both the “Hardlines” and “Décor”
business units (each ~$20B in annual sales volume) in conducting Business Reviews and Product Line Reviews
• Provide assortment planning and strategic support to Merchandising SVPs
• Review external market and internal performance trends, supplier cost quotes and strategic proposals, and cross-
functional team input to develop go-forward strategy for the product categories reviewed
• Create presentation decks for Executive “sign off” on outcome and strategic direction for each review
• Managed 50 category reviews in 2014 with total annual sales volume of over $10 billion – resulted in an
estimated annualized financial impact of +$546M in sales and +$276M in gross margin
• Helped institutionalize the “store clustering” concept within The Home Depot by managing pilots across 2
merchandising departments and providing key analytics and support to several other departments
• Created and rolled out standards and tools for estimating the financial impact associated with strategic changes
made through the review process
• Created and managed the annual category review calendar and managed the monthly reporting process for the
Assortment Planning team
• Identified and implemented several process improvement initiatives for the Assortment Planning team
• Achieved “Top Performer” performance rating five times, including in both 2013 and 2014
• Received 2014 SSC Recognition Award for cross functional development of assortment localization tools
August 2006 – January 2008 The Home Depot, Inc. Atlanta, GA
MANAGER/SR. ANALYST, MERCHANDISING FINANCE
• Financial lead for over $7B of retail business in the Plumbing and Bath department
• Supported the Plumbing/Bath Merchandising Vice President and merchants in day-to-day business decisions
• Developed weekly and monthly forecasts, annual budgets, and monthly variance analyses
• Assisted merchants in determining appropriate pricing/promotional strategies, capital allocation, and vendor
negotiations
• Managed price change markdowns requested by all merchants within the department
• Promoted from Senior Analyst to Manager in less than one year with the company
2. Josef D. Pettus/Page 2
June 2004 – August 2006 Graphic Packaging International Marietta, GA
SENIOR FINANCE SPECIALIST
• Assumed Finance Manager duties for two business units with total annual sales of over $150 million
• Coordinated month-end closing activities, quarterly forecasts, and annual budget for the sales business units
• Assisted in the coordination and development of the company’s strategic long range plan, annual budget, and
quarterly financial forecasts, including relevant analyses and the preparation of effective presentations to senior
management and the Board of Directors
• Coordinated, maintained, and continuously improved several company-wide routine reporting processes,
including weekly sales, monthly fiber forecasts, monthly machine order forecasts, and actual fiber demand
• Learned and effectively utilized Applix TM-1, an OLAP-based business intelligence application, in all planning
and routine reporting processes and analyses of historical financial results
• Developed a training program and trained over 70 finance/accounting personnel in the use of TM-1
• Performed quarterly competitive analyses based on a set of key metrics
• Achieved “Exceptional” or “Above Expectations” ratings in all performance appraisal categories
June 1997 – July 2002 International Paper Company Natchez, MS
MANUFACTURING RESOURCE/ENGINEER
• Managed operations of scrap/reject recycling area including supervision of 14 employees in efforts to work
safely, minimize costs, maximize production, and ensure customer satisfaction
• Led effort to reduce scrap sales from approximately 460 tons/month in 1999 to 325 tons/month in 2001, which led
to savings of approximately $85,000/month
• Supported both manufacturing managers in Finished Products Business Unit and served in both capacities during
their absences
• Led regular ISO internal audits to ensure effectiveness of the mill’s quality system (Lead Auditor trained and
certified in August, 2001)
• Served as mill’s production scheduler in scheduling of both production lines (1000 tons/day total rate) for over 20
different products valued at approximately $750/ton
• Participated in customer partnership teams including team formed to eliminate wastes within supply chain
• Obtained skills in writing capital investment proposals and in project management and managed and implemented
capital projects with budgets up to $245,000
• Achieved “Key Contributor” (highest) performance rating three consecutive years based on achievement of
measurable individual goals
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Terry College of Business, University of Georgia, 2004
• GPA: 3.95
• Nominated to Beta Gamma Sigma (top 20 percent of class)
• Blumberg Scholarship and Terry MBA assistantship recipient
• Concentration in Finance, Marketing, and Operations
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME), University of Mississippi, 1997
• Major GPA: 3.73, Overall GPA: 3.68 (Cum Laude)
