Automatic Merchandiser - 16

INDIVIDUAL

Michael Lovett

Sharon A. Peyer

Lovett is the founding CEO of Vagabond, a
technology solutions provider to the food,
beverage and facilities service industry that
Michael
has helped hundreds of middle-market route
Lovett
operators achieve higher margins by using
technology to establish core business principles. Furthering his commitment to the food services industry, Michael
co-founded Legend Capital, which operates $30M worth of
food services companies across the country and has made
over $2M in investments into small vending operators. Lovett
believes that technology is only as good as the amount that
it's used to drive operational excellence. He advises that
operators commit to certain steps - connecting machines,
respecting planograms, merchandising menus, prekitting,
dynamic scheduling, consolidating routes, converting to
break room markets and engaging directly with consumers
- in order to be in a good place to lead the industry's charge
against outside threats. He views traditional convenience
stores, e-commerce and delivery services among the biggest
threats to the industry but believes operators are uniquely
qualified to address these threats by embracing break room
markets and upgrading business processes in line with the
rest of the retail world.

Connectivity Solutions

Founder & CEO, Vagabond

David Marler

VP, Business Development & Media, Crane

In leading business development and media,
Peyer focuses on growing Crane's electronic
payment, enterprise resource management
Sharon A.
Peyer
and consumer engagement offerings. Since
joining the company in 2016, she has played a key role in
developing and commercializing Crane's latest connectivity
offerings, including Crane's Media Network, "MediaNet."
This massive network has grown to over 40,000 vending screens nationwide and now engages over 20 million
monthly consumers, while delivering compelling sales and
consumer behavior insights to self-service retailers and thirdparty brands. In the year to come, it will continue to bring
advertisers and operators incremental profits, while ensuring the industry breaks new ground with consumers, whose
demands for personalized service, broad payment acceptance
and immediate gratification are constantly evolving. Crane's
suite of connectivity solutions will continue to address the
remote management, transaction fulfillment and security
challenges required to succeed in unattended retail, particularly in light of encroaching competition from omnichannel
retail giants.

Brian Pollock

Area Sales Manager for Phoenix, Rocky

VP, Sales & Marketing,

Mountain, & Northwest, Vistar

LightSpeed Automation

Pollock has been a part of the Vistar team
since 2008. As a measure of his success, he
has received multiple sales awards within
Brian
Pollock
the company. He has seen and adapted
to the different segments and channels of business, taken
on substantial projects and developed serious sales savvy,
especially in the college retail sector. The team has expanded
products to diversify its offerings as a distribution company
and has adapted to the challenges it faces to remain a strong
contender in the c-store segment. He believes embracing
consumer trends and products that are thriving in different channels is key for the automatic retail industry. Pollock
recently became area sales manager for the company and
now oversees sales for the Phoenix, Northwest and Rocky
Mountain regions. He is eager to make accomplishments for
the company in this new role while embracing the exciting
changes in the industry.

Marler has managed the grassroots development of a sales strategy including lead
David
generation, pipeline management and sales
Marler
forecasting to drive sales for LightSpeed
Automation. In response to the challenge of meeting operators' increased needs for technology in the warehouse for
prekitting, his company created a subscription model to help
operators afford the upfront cost of the picking system they
need. His marketing approach positions LightSpeed Automation as a trusted partner and solutions-based provider for
operators' inventory management needs. He has developed
a wealth of experience in a relationship-based marketing
program that engages both customers and prospects with
educational benefits of technology and provides a venue for
the exchanging of information within the industry.

16

Automatic Merchandiser * December 2019
Automatic Merchandiser

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automatic Merchandiser
