Gerardo Santiago

About Gerardo Santiago

I am a Vice President–level commercial leader with over 15 years of international experience driving sales growth, market expansion, and strategic business development across the food, beverage, nutraceutical, and ingredient industries. I specialize in building high-performing teams, developing global commercial strategies, and creating long-term customer partnerships that deliver sustainable revenue and profitability.My expertise includes global B2B sales leadership, complex contract and licensing negotiations, P&L management, forecasting and budgeting, brand positioning, and market intelligence. Throughout my career, I have managed and expanded strategic relationships with multinational customers and partners across more than 50 countries, consistently aligning commercial execution with corporate growth objectives.In addition to corporate leadership, I have a strong entrepreneurial background. Prior to my current role, I owned and operated several businesses, including serving as President of Direct Access Lending Group LLC, where I led all operational, sales, marketing, and regulatory functions for nine years. Today, I continue to pursue entrepreneurial ventures, including retail and franchise development, bringing my passion for business building and community-focused growth into new markets.Earlier in my career, I built a strong operational and process management foundation through roles with major financial institutions such as Citibank and Bank One (now JPMorgan Chase), and as a process improvement consultant for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and LaSalle Bank (now Chase Bank). These experiences shaped my analytical and operational leadership approach, which I continue to apply in global commercial environments.I am passionate about leadership development, market innovation, and helping organizations translate strategy into measurable business results.

Experience

1. Vice President of Beverage Sales & Marketing

   MartinBauer

   Mar 2022 — Present · Secaucus, NJ, US

Education

• DePaul University

  B.S., Management

  1998 — 2002

Skills

• Income Statement
• Forecasting
• Leadership
• Account Management
• Collaborative Problem Solving
• Budgets
• Key Account Management
• Business Development
• Crm
• Program Management
• International Development
• P&L Management
• Customer Relationship Management (Crm)
• Consumer Products
• Management
• Team Building
• Business Planning
• Operations Management
• Competitive Analysis
• Data Analysis
• Sales Management
• Retail
• Marketing
• Strategy
• Building Relationships
• Sales Operations
• International Business
• Global Business Development
• New Business Development
• Key Account Development
• Product Marketing
• International Sales
• Sales
• Brand Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Marketing Strategy
• Market Planning
• Strategic Planning
• Pricing
• Negotiation