MANUFACTURING Professional Summary Seasoned Category Manager with over 5 years of private label product management experience. Well-versed in product line planning, merchandising, and vendor performance evaluation. Proficient in purchasing and procurement environments. Excels at supporting businesses by negotiating reduced product costs, improving inventory turn, and maximizing profitability.
Category Manager develops and executes [Type] spend category strategy as part of company sourcing plan. Develops and executes category and commodity strategies, negotiates and awards supplier contracts and conducts commodity and supplier business reviews. Improves company profitability, asset management performance and supports improved customer delivery through thoughtful supply base network design.
Skills
Private Label Category Management
Product Lifecycle Management
Strategic Product Portfolio Planning
Continuous Process Improvement
Market Intelligence
Competitive Analysis
Sales Support
Product Training
Pricing Strategy
Gross Margin Improvement
Inventory Management
Go-To-Market Strategy
Packaging Strategy
Vendor Negotiation
Advanced MS Office Proficiency
Advanced PLM/MRP/ERP/CRM Software Proficiency
Streamline, MicroStrategy
Ad, MRP
Budget, Negotiation
Business plan, Net-A
Catalogs, Packaging
Competitive research, PLM
Competitive Analysis, Presentations
Concept, Pricing
CRM, Process Improvement
Delivery, Processes
Product Design, Procurement
Product Development, Protocols
E-commerce, Purchasing
Ecommerce, Quality
EDI, Express
ERP, Safety
Financial, Sales
Forecasting, Sales forecasting
Inventory Management, Sales Support
Inventory control, Shipping
Inventory, Strategy
Legal, Strategic
Market, Supply Chain
MS Office, Vision
Education
Goldsmithing Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RIExpected in ā āMaster of Fine Arts:Jewelry Design - GPA:
French Language Earlham CollegeRichmond, INExpected in ā āBachelor of Arts: - GPA:
Brady Corporation - Director of Product Development Grand Rapids, MI, 10/2019 - 04/2020
Has directed all end to end category management operations from concept to market launch, through a geographically diverse manufacturing base with over 100 suppliers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Korea, Philippines, Israel, Italy, and Germany.
Grew from designer to category manager due to established ability to reduce costs, streamline procurement processes, negotiate terms, optimize supplier relationships, and successfully transfer product concepts into the manufacturing landscape.
Key stakeholder in the $650 million cash acquisition of Silpada Designs by Avon Products Inc.
Responsible for implementing consumer product safety testing, and social responsibility compliance of Silpada Designsā global supply chain according to parent companyās legal requirements.
Largest US Jewelry Manufacturer.
500M annual sales.
Directed the Product Design and Development Team within the Supply Chain Department to ensure consistent flow of new gold and diamond jewelry products being released on Stullerās ecommerce site and print catalogs.
Analyzed market needs, historical sales data (MicroStrategy), competitive research, and consumer feedback (Salesforce) to create new product portfolios in alignment with short- and long-term strategies and within the scope and capabilities of the supply chain.
VP Design & Product Development.
American Express - VP Product Development Virginia, MN, 01/2015 - 03/2019
Start-Up Luxury Jewelry Brand.
10M annual sales.
Responsible for the strategic business plan, brand vision, and fiscal budget for Legend Amrapali, a luxury gold and diamond jewelry brand sold at Harrods, Selfridges, Neiman Marcus, and Net-A-Porter.
Directed end to end procurement of jewelry from Asian suppliers.
Managed 80 wholesale accounts and DTC e-commerce business.
Responsible for production schedules, MOQ, BOM costing, and cost to wholesale margin.
Managed purchase orders, return shipments, EDI compliance, stock forecasting, order fulfilment and delivery.
Provided weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual, and ad hoc financial reports to company founders.
VP Design & Product Development.
American Express - VP Product Development West Palm Beach, FL, 11/2008 - 10/2013
Largest US importer of Sterling Silver Jewelry.
350M annual sales ā¢In charge of identifying and on boarding new suppliers, supplier allocation, MOQ negotiation, costing, gross margin, production schedules, outer and inner packaging requirements, quality inspection, consumer product safety testing, delivery dates, flow, and exit strategies.
Responsible for sales forecasting, demand planning, inventory control, and weekly PO quantities.
Created daily, weekly, monthly, and ad-hoc inventory, sales, demand, and fulfillment reports pinpointing supplier capacity, inventory levels, delivery status, and shortfalls between demand and on order quantities.
Trained Purchasing and Sourcing teams on effective supplier loading tactics and achievable shipping dates to meet target stock levels and exceed customer expectations without compromising quality, or speed to market.
Hired, mentored, and managed 22 employees to maximize productivity and trained staff on best practices and protocols.
Licensee for Major Costume Jewelry & Accessories Private Label Brands.
50M annual sales.
Managed the design, product development, and sourcing of seasonal collections for specialty retailers within strict price point margins (Coldwater Creek, Davidās Bridal, Express, and JCPenney).
Communicated with Asian Manufacturers on daily basis, stakeholder in supplier loading, negotiated costs, maintained sample development calendar, and expedited delivery of samples under tight deadlines for market week presentations at NY showroom.
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