Oversee category planning, joint business planning, and supplier negotiation. Lead collection, cadence and communication of internal, supplier, and syndicated data insights. Lead development of standardized reporting, process automation and workflows that drive best in class Merchandising. Lead supplier diversity program, including strategy implementation, stakeholder alignment, external collaboration, measurement and reinforcement.

Oversee and refine category vendor negotiations process to deliver COGS savings for the Merchandising organization. Establish and monitor annual financial targets for vendor negotiations. Build and lead cross-functional teams to create processes and standardize guardrails for data inputs to the negotiations process.

Developed overall strategic alignment with the CEO, COO, and other C-Suite leaders. Led monthly meetings with the company’s nine most senior executives, focused on ensuring that the company’s initiatives and projects were executed in conjunction with the strategic plan.

Led a team focused on driving growth through customer-focused strategies and data-driven risk-taking. Consistent record of increased volume responsibility from $50M to $85M. Presented at division meetings to gather actionable store feedback for continuous improvement and implemented teammates’ suggestions which fostered greater synergy and buy-in. Traveled to Italy, Spain, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Tunisia for product procurement and trade shows.

Buyer - Ladies swimwear, wool coats, moderate sportswear and dressesCoordinated all aspects of the business including financial planning, budgeting and forecasting, product selection, vendor negotiations, advertising strategy, merchandise placement, promotional pricing, inventory control, end-to-end product tracking, and distribution.