1.
William Jordan V
Glen Ridge, NJ 07028 862.684.0155 william.the.fifth@me.com
linkedin.com/in/williamthefifth
Brand Strategist * Marketing Head * Start-Up Builder
• Build start-ups’ commercial infrastructures from the ground up—driving long-term growth and
profitability. Combine big-picture thinking with rigorous execution.
• Craft brand identities that position products and companies to capture #1 category positions.
Communicate across logos, taglines, ads, marketing, trademarks, media, trade shows, and conferences.
• Forge powerful partnerships to solidify growth and market dominance.
• Inspire teams to thrive—even in unforgiving retail environments and intensely competitive
manufacturing sectors. Build trust and accountability with exacting standards, inclusiveness, and humor.
Axion International, New Jersey and Ohio 2011 - present
VP, Marketing, Communication, and Strategy 2013 - present
Director, Business Development 2011 - 2013
As the 8th
person to join this now 178-person manufacturer of recycled plastic building materials, created—
from scratch—brand strategy and fully-functioning commercial infrastructure.
In four years, enabled Axion to become the upstart David to the Goliath of traditional timber, concrete, and
steel railway tie manufacturers—growing from <$.75M in revenue and three customers to $14.5M and 70
customers. Attained #1 position in composite rail tie category and became the standard by which all other
rail tie manufacturers’ products are measured throughout US, Australia, New Zealand.
Strategy development and execution
• Analyzed markets: Initiated rigorous industry, competitive, and product feasibility analyses to develop
more nuanced market views and more realistic plans for product development and growth.
• Established B2B focus: Transformed company that had been responding uniformly to every B2B and B2C
request—no matter the opportunity’s low ROI, such as four 2x6 boards for residential decks. Refocused
exclusively on much more profitable B2B customers, such as public transit agencies.
• Created customer focus: Reorganized company from making products customers might buy to solving
customers’ unique problems with custom-built solutions based on existing Axion product lines.
Integrated design, engineering, manufacturing, and sales to maintain this focus.
• Maximized profitability in two ways: 1) higher prices for higher-valued, customized products, and 2)
more sales per customer of expanded product offerings. Turned rail customers (65% of Axion’s revenue)
from -10% to +25% margins.
Branding and marketing
• Established marketing function, starting with defining Axion’s brand identity and then consistently
communicating it across all channels—corporate website; digital and print ads, brochures, technical
specs; trade show displays and association presentations; press releases and media placements.
• Multi-year brand awareness-building and marketing campaigns contributed to 23X customer acquisition
and >90% YOY customer retention.
• Developed “TESTED, PROVEN, SUPERIOR” brand message to distinguish ECOTRAX Composite Railroad Ties
from its less rigorously tested, and often failed, competitors. Grew ECOTRAX brand as main driver of
Axion’s business. Expanded product line from <$.5M to $10M.
• Created ads, trade show booth designs, brochures, logos, and videos using Adobe Premiere Pro,
Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop; and Cyberlink’s PowerDirector.
[Axion continued on next page]

2.
Sales process systemization
• Established lean but effective sales staffing model. Defined role and hired one externally-facing
senior technical sales manager supported by inside customer service/account managers. Acquired
optimal number of rail customers to meet revenue targets over course of multi-year sales cycles.
• Designed workflow that started with lead generation and ended with product delivery and technical
installation support. Led finance, manufacturing, and sales to agree on communication points
throughout workflow, including each sales opportunity’s probability and projected revenue.
Partnership and distributor negotiation and expansion
• Excelled at forging international partnerships due to in depth research on regional variations in macro
and micro economic factors (eg, local trade agreements), listening carefully to customers’ needs, and
patiently engaging in multi-year negotiations to meet those—as well as Axion’s—needs.
• For example, New Zealand and Australia’s lumber scarcity and wood preservatives’ ban made them
ideal markets for composite rail ties—and won Axion a 3-year, $8M deal with KiwiRail.
IP and trademark development
• Created unique brands and registered trademarks—ECOTRAX and STRUXURE—that provide consistent,
easy-to-understand ways to publicly communicate Axion products’ value and offer legal protection.
• Established and manage licensed patents and trade secrets to shape manufacturing processes and
further distinguish Axion from competitors. Lead IP prosecution efforts in Australia and New Zealand.
Supply chain and IT infrastructures
• Built shipping logistics function and turned it into distinctive customer service offering. Started by
creating basic shipping templates (bills of lading, packing lists) and processing procedures. Evolved to
negotiate low domestic and international freight rates that reduced costs by 30%.
• Designed, rolled out, and managed several integrated technology systems: Microsoft Office 365
Enterprise’s full suite; RingCentral VoIP system; centralized, easily accessible online library for all
corporate documents—legal, sales, marketing, technical. Generated efficiencies and cost savings by
minimizing data loss and security risks and maximizing employee participation.
Flounder Brewing Company, Hillsborough, New Jersey 2008 - present
Owner and Chief Cleaning Officer
With two partners, developed business plan and go-to-market strategy that enabled us to maintain 100%
ownership, operate part-time, grow it slowly over 20 years, adhere to explicit cut-off criteria, and have fun.
• Co-built marketing (brand, tag line, logo, bottle label), production, sales, distribution, and operations.
• Won Sam Adams’s 2016 “Brewing and Business Experienceship” year-long mentorship prize because of
Flounder beers’ uniqueness, receipt of three People’s Choice awards, brand narrative as captured in
“Experience Our Beer” tagline, and potential for growth.
• Currently leading financing efforts to support new growth plan and raise major capital. Created tiered
investment modeling and deliver presentations to potential investors.
Dawson Jordan LLC, San Francisco, California 2007 - 2008
Founding Member
Founded consultancy to help companies increase profitability using triple-bottom line business practices:
social, environmental, and financial. Worked primarily with California produce farmers (growers, packers, and
shippers) to improve inefficient on-site storage and transportation to distribution centers and groceries.
• Generated >50% IRR on capital with recycled-plastic shipping equipment rental model. Freed up capital
that would otherwise have been invested in quickly-depreciating wooden pallets, boxes, etc. Also
provided ERP supply-chain management.
• Closed firm when recession caused most companies to scale back on innovative logistics practices.

3.
Abercrombie & Fitch, southern Connecticut district 1998 – 2001
District Manager
Promoted seven times in three years and became second youngest to achieve district manager. Managed 10-
store district generating $29M in annual revenue with 300 employees.
• Recruited, trained, and groomed store managers, motivating them to increase same-store sales by 14%
YOY, double the company average. Zeroed in on the right people for the job—smart, energetic, and
willing to work long hours, but also funny and laid-back enough to thrive in unforgiving retail sales.
• Led by treating employees as equals, regularly seeking their opinions, and building trust. High-performing
teams held each other accountable. High morale reduced shrink rate by over 50% in just six months.
• Developed innovative staffing model to deal with seasonal variations in buying. Replaced never-ending
layoff/recruit/hire/train cycles with carefully adjusted, consistent number of per-store employees and per-
employee hours. This “smoothed out” payroll budgets and maintained lively, self-driven atmosphere.
Volunteer Leadership
• Governor of Board of Governors, Columbia University Club of New York 2012 – present
• Director, IvyLife-Columbia: All-Ivy Business Networking Community 2009 – 2012
Education
BA, American Studies, Columbia University, New York, New York 2006