Forty Under 40: Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds, 27, played baseball for the Razorbacks as a situational player, but a career in the game wasn’t in the cards.

The Austin native came to the University of Arkansas because his father played ball under Coach Norm DeBriyn and Reynolds was able to do the same for a year.

But Reynolds said school was always first, so he focused his attention on studying international business with an emphasis in finance and a minor in Spanish. He earned his degree in 2004.

In 2005, Reynolds joined Kraft Foods as a sales rep with the Wal-Mart direct team. There, he managed the company’s sales within 20 stores in an eastern Oklahoma territory, generating more than $12 million monthly.

Within a year-and-a-half, he was promoted to a business analyst role and then worked with the international division for about six months, which afforded him the opportunity to travel the world.

Then he joined Kraft’s beverage category, its Nabisco division and eventually served as a junior category adviser for the cheese category on the Wal-Mart team.

In early ‘09, Reynolds took a job with RW3 Technologies, which helps retail suppliers manage sales and inventory data.

Reynolds’ advice to up-and-comers is to “treat yourself like a brand.” And, “Don’t compromise who you are and what you’re about.”