Donna Shunk

Donna Shunk has enriched the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry with her strategic brilliance and leadership for more than 25 years. Having progressed through key roles at industry giants such as Warner-Lambert Consumer Healthcare, Bayer Consumer Products, Mars Wrigley, and Lavazza NA, she has carved out a niche as a top-tier CPG sales professional. Her extensive background spans OTC/HBA, Food, and Beverage sectors, where she has consistently pushed the envelope in driving business growth and fostering strong market positions.

 

Donna’s approach to the fast-paced CPG industry involves building sustainable business strategies and cultivating long-term relationships with buyers and C-level executives, establishing her as a linchpin. She is renowned as a pivotal sales leader with a robust determination to drive results and a knack for developing innovative retail in-store activities and comprehensive sales strategies. Her expertise also extends to managing national broker teams, navigating third-party vendor relationships, and nurturing customer rapport across diverse channels, including FDM, Convenience, Specialty, and B2B.

 

Focused intently on sales within the CPG sector, Donna has skillfully applied her formidable capabilities in developing targeted sales strategies, crafting persuasive fact-based selling stories, and fostering deep trust with clients. Her remarkable ability to consistently exceed sales goals has resulted in her being handpicked by the Vice President of Sales for various strategic roles, underscoring her value and leadership within her teams.

 

Navigating Complex Sales Environments

 

Donna's proficiency in developing and executing robust sales and trade strategies across multiple channels is a testament to her ability to surpass gross and net sales objectives. She is adept at synthesizing strategic insights and operational execution, which drives sustainable growth, new business development, and customer expansion across retail operations, merchandising, and category management.

 

An expert in evaluating business initiatives, Donna delivers compelling, fact-based presentations that significantly influence decision-makers. Her entrepreneurial mindset, strong business acumen, and ability to handle complex situations enable her to maintain organizational values and consistently exceed objectives.

 

Her strategic foresight leads to continual profitable growth. She heads critical initiatives such as annual category line reviews, new product launches, distribution strategies, and high-level executive meetings.

 

Mastering Sales Dynamics

 

Donna Shunk is exceptional at formulating and implementing effective sales and trade strategies that exceed sales expectations. Her leadership in coordinating broker sales teams and category managers has been pivotal in aligning sales activities with corporate objectives, leading to substantial growth, optimized promotion and trade spending, and improved sales forecast accuracy.

 

In her recent tenure at Lavazza NA, Donna has showcased extraordinary growth metrics from 2021 to 2023, with notable sales upsurges at major retailers such as Publix, H-E-B, Meijer, and Ingles, alongside collective advancements at AWG, Supervalu, Lowes Food, and KVAT. These achievements highlight her consistent delivery of stellar sales performance across her career.

 

Sales and Market Expansion Expertise

 

With extensive hands-on experience, Donna has developed expertise in several critical sales functions, including new business development. In this role, she has been instrumental in spotting and seizing market opportunities, thus driving expansion into new territories and customer bases.

 

Her strategic acumen in category management, shopper marketing, and merchandising has enabled her to develop and implement successful in-store campaigns that enhance consumer engagement and drive significant sales increases, showcasing her detail-oriented and execution-focused approach.

 

Personal Insights into Donna’s Life

 

Outside of her professional achievements, Donna leads a rich and diverse personal life, marked by her love for learning and sharing knowledge on various subjects. Her passion for animal welfare and her commitment to a pescatarian lifestyle since 2003 underline her dedication to ethical living. She supports animal rights organizations, including The Farm Sanctuary, to combat factory farming and promote animal welfare.

 

Advocating for a Better World

 

Donna's commitment extends beyond professional and personal interests into significant advocacy for environmental and animal welfare causes. She actively supports the Environmental Working Group (EWG), utilizing it to promote healthier and more sustainable consumer choices. Her community and family are central to her life, fostering strong bonds with loved ones and contributing positively to community initiatives.

 

Donna Shunk is a leader in her industry and a beacon of personal integrity and commitment, making her a respected and inspirational figure in her professional sphere and beyond.