Shannon Strom, ACS CCP
Division Cheese Specialist at Quality Food Center- Claim this Profile
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English Native or bilingual proficiency
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Japanese Limited working proficiency
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French Elementary proficiency
Topline Score
Bio
Credentials
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Murray's Basic Skills
Murray's CheeseJan, 2013- Nov, 2024 -
Murray's Red Jacket Certification
Murray's CheeseJan, 2013- Nov, 2024 -
Japanese Language Proficiency Test
The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchange and ServicesJul, 2007- Nov, 2024 -
Certified Cheese Professional
American Cheese SocietySep, 2014- Nov, 2024
Experience
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Quality Food Center
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United States
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100 - 200 Employee
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Division Cheese Specialist
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Jul 2017 - Present
Manages and oversees Murray's Cheese and Specialty Cheese programs under the Deli/Bakery Merchandising team for Quality Food Centers, a division of Kroger, in the Pacific Northwest region. Coordinates with Murray's Cheese Masters in stores to determine store needs to provide training, merchandising, or operational support for the program - including helping with inventory management, core assortment, visual case/display merchandising, etc. Oversees and supports new Murray's Cheese Shop openings in stores as needed to drive sales success with the program. Coordinates with the Kroger and QFC teams to execute and implement program standards in stores and provide necessary support for implementation, including any troubleshooting with operational challenges. Closely works with the Murray's Cheese Specialist locally to support Murray's training classes, demos, & events in the division and to support program standards & execution. Coordinates with and supports local producers to promote and educate customers and associates on local cheeses in our market. Show less
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Murray's Cheese
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United States
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Retail
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100 - 200 Employee
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Cheese Master
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May 2014 - Jul 2017
I supervised a strong team of associates in our Greenwood Fred Meyer Murray's Cheese Shop, ranked as one of the top Murray's Cheese shops in the Kroger Enterprise, and one of the top five shops within the Fred Meyer division. Our focus is on quality customer service and education to spread the curd about cheese! I was in charge of merchandising products within the shop to reflect changing trends and seasons; providing an example of customer-first service with a sample and a smile every day; educating both our associates and our customers about the glory of cheese through both training and public cheese-tasting classes; organizing product demonstrations to increase consumer awareness and add-on sales; maintaining inventory and monitoring shrink according to company policies; enforcing all company policies and standards in practice within the shop; setting sales goals and encouraging our team to rise to meet them; hiring and training new associates in basic skills and product knowledge; working with other department heads to cross-promote cheese with other food products in our store; as well as constantly seeking out new educational opportunities and experiences to further my knowledge and expertise in the cheese industry. Attended the American Cheese Society Conference in July 2014 and passed the ACS Certified Cheese Professional Exam to become a Certified Cheese Professional. Show less
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Cheese Master, Secondary
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Jan 2013 - May 2014
Since January, I have assisted in establishing the Greenwood Fred Meyer Murray's Cheese shop, already ranked as one of the top five shops in the company, and one of the top ten Murray's Cheese shops in the Kroger enterprise on a weekly basis.With Murray's Cheese I continue to develop product knowledge based on current trends in the marketplace; organize product demonstrations to educate customers and increase awareness about Murray's Cheese shops; provide customer-first service service, with a sample and a smile to every customer; write daily tours and assignments for cheese associates; train new associates and cheese masters; merchandise the cheese shop and displays to reflect changing inventory and market trends; maintain inventory through careful ordering and shrink reduction according to company policy; plan and teach classes to educate customers about cheese and generate further interest in the shop; assist the Cheesemaster in all aspects of shop management, sales, and merchandising in the cheese shop. Show less
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Fred Meyer
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Retail
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700 & Above Employee
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Lead Cheese Steward
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Aug 2009 - Jan 2013
At the Ballard Fred Meyer, I lead a small team of focused associates to grow our business into one of the top cheese departments in the company, as well as in the entire Kroger enterprise, every week. Our department was frequently held up to others as a positive example, and was recognized as being the best place for new cheese associates to learn on the job. I established the cheese department at the Ballard Fred Meyer location. My team and I provided friendly, customer-first service; merchandised cheese cases and satellite displays of cheese and accompanying food products; maintained inventory, through controlled ordering and waste reduction practices in accordance with company policy; planned and executed cross-merchandising and cross-selling events with department managers to promote sales throughout the store; wrote daily tours and assignments for associates working in the cheese department; researched cheese knowledge independently, including production information, cheese terms, and history; trained new cheese associates and cheese leads for a range of stores in the district. Show less
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The Container Store
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United States
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Retail
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700 & Above Employee
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Visual Sales / Merchandise Processing
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Nov 2008 - Jul 2009
Merchandise Processor at the Tigard and Bellevue Container Stores. Duties included unloading and merchandising product in the store; building or reworking displays as per set company plans; organizing and maintaining inventory; setting signs and ads according to company plan; cleaning the store floor in preparation for store opening. Merchandise Processor at the Tigard and Bellevue Container Stores. Duties included unloading and merchandising product in the store; building or reworking displays as per set company plans; organizing and maintaining inventory; setting signs and ads according to company plan; cleaning the store floor in preparation for store opening.
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Morioka Board of Education
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Morioka, Iwate, Japan
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Assistant English Teacher
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Sep 2006 - Jul 2008
I was an Assistant English Teacher to 4 Junior High Schools and 8 Elementary Schools in the Tamayama Area in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. I taught English to junior high / elementary school students; coordinated with a number of Japanese teachers of English to plan lessons; organized cross-cultural activities and events to facilitate English learning and cultural sensitivity among students; researched new methods and activities for classroom learning; and created educational materials for students at various grade levels (flashcards, worksheets, speeches, reading practice, grammar guides, etc.) In addition, I attended instructional seminars at the Board of Education with other teachers to discuss various teaching techniques, and to brainstorm new ideas for facilitating language learning at all grade levels. I also offered private tutoring for students preparing for speech contests or particular language tests. Show less
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Education
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2001 - 2006
Willamette University
B.A., English, Japanese Studies
Community
