Space2b is a social enterprise comprising a retail outlet, art gallery, workshop and training space that helps support newly arrived migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to become financially independent. As Communications and Content Strategist, I work with the CEO, Operations Manager and Events Marketing Lead to reinvigorate copy and content across traditional and digital channels including website, EDMs and social media platforms.

As a Branding and Business Development Mentor with Space2b I work with newly arrived designers to help guide them through the ideation, branding, business development and regulatory processes involved in getting their product to market.

As a key advisor to the organisation’s board and senior management I was responsible for ensuring campaign activities and communications were ‘on brand’, the strategic management of its merchandise portfolio and the day-to-day operation and oversight of its commercial retail arm.

Two Bobs Branding is a boutique brand agency catering to the marketing, merchandise and business support needs of smaller commercial and social enterprises. We work with clients across a range of consumer and B2B sectors, helping them to pinpoint their target market, assess and curate their product and service offer, formulate their sales and marketing strategy, identify - and in some cases provide - resourcing requirements, develop their communication plan and roll-out their promotional activities across digital and traditional channels.

Owner and operator of Little Rebellion, an independent retailer that has partnered with and proudly supported over 100 individual boutique Australian brands across a range of product categories including Bath & Body, Colour Cosmetics, Confectionary, Facial Skincare, Fragrance, Home Decor, Men's Grooming, Stationery, Textiles and artisan collectibles.Originally launched as a bricks and mortar store, Little Rebellion transitioned to an online business model in 2018.

As a Project Lead I was charged with managing the Retail and Supply Chain project team in order to secure acceptance and approval of project deliverables, ensure appropriate BAU and project resources were available to deliver agreed scheduled outcomes and actively participate in the scoping, planning, analysis, design, development and testing phases of the project. This also involved working with the nominated vendor and internal stakeholders to successfully deliver Solution Design, System Configuration and Data Conversion and Migration strategies for new Point of Sale and Supply Chain technologies.

As Merchandise Planning Manager for the retail arm of the Australian Red Cross my core responsibility centred on driving business process improvements across all aspects of inventory management. This included establishing and managing an Open to Buy plan and store COGS budgets, analysing trading and stock supply patterns, identifying opportunities/risks and providing recommendations and strategies to achieve sales, stock turn and stock on hand targets.During my tenure the revisions made to purchasing and inventory management practices resulted in -* 40% reduction in excess stock holdings in less than 12 months* 50% decrease in store inventory expenditure from FY 2011 to FY 2012 * Renegotiated supplier trading terms achieving savings of over $50,000 per month* Redefined retail product categories and store grading/stock allocation grid* Successful implementation of Warehouse Recovery and Bill of Material processes

As General Manager of Merchandise and Retail Operations for independent boutique retailer Kleins Perfumery I developed and implemented policies and procedures in relation to all areas of retail operations, inventory, sales and staff management and set strategic goals for the ongoing development and growth of the business in accordance with its niche brand positioning. I was also responsible for the sourcing, acquisition and end-to-end financial management of an 80 brand / 2500+ sku product portfolio that included colour cosmetics, body, hair and skincare, fine fragrance, homewares and accessories.* The Kleins Perfumery brand transitioned to a wholesale and export business model in 2017. The original boutique in Fitzroy now trades as Lore Perfumery. www.kleinsperfumery.com.au

As the Brand Marketing and Merchandise Manager for aromatherapy inspired skin, body and hair care brand Aveda, I was responsible for the development and implementation of Aveda Corporation’s annual marketing plan across its Consumer and Professional Product Categories, including the introduction of complementary strategies for Retail and Wholesale divisions, formulation of the domestic brand pricing strategy, end-to-end management of its 800-sku product portfolio and all related financial planswww.aveda.com.au

As Brand Development, Marketing and Merchandise Strategist for Broadside Beauty I partnered with beauty industry brand owners and distributors on the commercial appraisal, sell-in and roll-out of innovative brand and product offers into the Australian market.I was engaged by Gina Rose and Philip Star, co-founders and owners of boutique Bath and Body brand Star & Rose, to implement a wholesale operations change management strategy, undertake detailed procurement process and supplier analysis, launch the preservative free, naturally based skincare collection 'Dose' and document business policies and procedures in readiness for the the sale of the business in late 2002.* The 'Star & Rose' brand is now owned and operated by Get Fresh Cosmetics Pty LtdI partnered with Susan Markin and the sales and marketing team at aromatherapy based cosmetic, skincare, spa and sunless tanning brand SHE Australia to lead the new product development program including conception, sourcing, design, copy, packaging and point of sale as well as trend analysis and competitor activity. Negotiating price, trading terms and freight conditions with local and overseas suppliers was also a key component of this project.www.sheaustralia.com.auWorking alongside CEO Frank Breen at cosmetic and fragrance distributor COSMAX Prestige Brands I was tasked with establishing the company’s new Lifestyle Division. This included appraising and recommending new product lines to further complement the existing brand portfolio, devising brand specific marketing, pricing and distribution plans and acting as the key liaison with respect to brand partners’ marketing initiatives, pricing and product developments.www.cosmax.com.au

The role of Business Development and Planning Manager with niche Australian body care company Stuf. was responsible for all areas of domestic and international sales operations including account specific marketing and distribution plans, range presentation, product assortment, pricing frameworks and the submission of product registration, labelling and formulation documentation for export markets. Financial accountability included budget planning and reporting, ongoing sales and inventory analysis, Open To Buy management, production plans and delivery schedules.

The Allocation Analyst component of this dual role was responsible for monitoring production timeframes and delivery schedules, order creation, stock allocation/reallocation, detailed sales and stock reporting, the ongoing improvement/revision of distribution systems and the management of new store processes. The Mail Order component was responsible for the establishment and supervision of mail order procedures and logistics, analysis of product sales and trading patterns for seasonal campaigns and range presentations and product training for call centre staff.