Andrew Leighow Email & Phone Number

Greater Chicago Area

• Promoted to open and lead new higher volume locations in Oak Brook and Skokie, IL, bringing on new teams to expand the brand closer to Chicago
• Selected to become one of the first training store managers in the company and elevated current store to a training location based on success in coaching and educating new managers
• Chosen to lead the company’s first store in Illinois on 2019, introduced the brand to the Chicago market and advocated it to current and new customers through different sales strategies, achieving a wide loyalty base
• Successfully mentored and promoted 4 managers into new elevated management roles
• Coached the store team and cultivated a selling culture that resulted in a sales increase of 42% YoY in Q1 2021 vs. LY
• Oversaw all operational and visual aspects of the store that led to being awarded the Best Store in Visuals in 2020 and Inventory Excellence in 2023

Greater Chicago Area

Addison, Illinois

• Led the team in providing excellent customer service through coaching associates and promoting a better shopping environment for customers
• Managed all aspects of production including receiving and processing donations, achieving and exceeding production unit goals, and overseeing quality and quantity of donations processed for the sales floor
• Responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, and managing 50+ employees of the store
• Chosen as one of the Top 20 managers across the region to be part of Goodwill Industries Leadership Institute and undergo a 6-week intensive training on Business Planning, Marketing, Finance, and application of 7 Habit.

Northbrook, Illinois

• Responsible for all HR functions of the store with 250+ employees
• Managed the hiring needs of the store through job postings, interviews, and internal advancements
• Ensured HR policies and procedures are known and adhered to, including attendance, payroll, performance management, employee benefits, and labor contracts
• Daily use of HRIS systems, such as Virtual Edge, BrassRing, Kronos, and PeopleSoft, as well as the extensive use of Microsoft Office programs

Chicago Premium Outlets

• Manage a team composed of 3 Assistant Managers (AM), 2 Managers-in-Training (MIT), and 60 part-time associates
• Promoted to lead in opening a new outlet store in Illinois with projected yearly volume of $5 million
• Led overall direction setting and strategy execution in all functional areas to achieve 80% of sales for the first 4 months of operation exceeding district average sales for 2015
• Recruited 250 part-time associates and 3 MITs 2 months before the store opened
• Trained a total of 6 MITs and 4 were promoted to AMs in 6 months
• Led the store to Top 5 in 2015 Black Friday sales across the East Coast Abercrombie & Fitch Outlets

Greater Chicago Area

• Conducted audits for multiple stores to identify internal, external, and operational procedures to improve on that would help reduce shrink
• Trained over 20 managers and 150 part-time associates across all stores on safety awareness and methods to help prevent shoplifting events through role-playing and creation of SMART goals
• Collaborated and networked with other Asset Protection agents internally and externally to identify shoplifting trends and to work on investigations and apprehensions
• Utilized store business plans to create effective and efficient game plans with managers to increase business results and to lower shrink
• Partnered with local law enforcement agencies to prosecute all apprehended shoplifters
• Assigned to work in 2 of the highest volume stores in Illinois

Outlets At The Dells

• Led a team comprised of 5 managers and 50 part-time associates
• Developed 2 part-time associates and 1 Assistant Manager to Store Manager roles
• Consistently minimized shrink units to -13 per week
• Analyzed current and past sales reports to identify business trends and create plans to increase sales and units sold
• Effectively staffed the store especially on peak months by recruiting over 50 part-time associates
• Trained and developed team by setting achievable goals and communicating individual roles

Outlets At The Dells

• Worked with management team to ensure company goals and standards were achieved daily
• Assisted in managing and training over 50 associates in all areas including stockroom and sales floor
• Recruited an MIT candidate that got hired by District Manager within 5 months in the position
• Managed store operations such as scheduling, hours management, and theft deterrence
• Remerchandised visual presentations based on business trends to maximize profitability
• Implemented and directed asset protection initiatives to ensure low shrink results as well as protecting the brand image