Austin Russell Email & Phone Number

Seattle, WA, US

Assigned to a SOW that supported an established client and one of the most recognized brands on the planet, Nike, to implement a new supply chain visibility product.

• This role helped launch a new supply chain visibility / track & trace product for one of the most complex supply chains in retail. As part of the Supply Chain Product Management and Supply Chain Innovations team, my.
• Developed, led, and executed 10 successful product User Acceptance Testing (UAT) sessions utilizing Kanban in Xray for Jira, with ~100 user stories and use cases defined and ~200 test scripts written, and managing over.
• Owned defect management prioritization of +140 issues from UAT and hypercare to enable on time go-lives.
• Represented the Voice of the Customer (VoC) for ~225 business users across NA, EMEA, and APLA geographies, to prioritize the product roadmap, backlog, and development of new feature enhancements with our vendor partner.
• Designed and executed the functional testing of data integration of legacy and modern sources to a new service layer database, working cross-functionally with my technical product team, engineering, and vendor partners.
• Established and aligned Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across the business and vendor partner to monitor quality assurance (QA) visibility and drive performance metrics.

Issaquah, Washington

• This role in Costco IT supported multiple ERP projects in documenting, analyzing, and developing process and system workflows. Additionally facilitating and leading in-house training on Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
• Analyzed invoice data and conducted process time studies within Costco's 67 northwest region Tire Centers, delivering recommendations to the VP of Operations to improve operational efficiency and profitability.
• Collaborated with product owners and end-users to provide comprehensive “as-is” and “to-be” process documentation and fit gap analysis support for the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP tool in Costco's North.
• Created process and system flows, and detailed technical business requirements to enable global location master data centralization of ~200 new warehouse construction and remodel projects annually, ensuring source to.
• Led Kanban, Value Stream Mapping, and 5S segments of an elective Lean Six Sigma training program for over 400 of Costco's approximately 1,800 IT employees.
• Drove the creation and documentation of four critical Enterprise Networking Services process SOPs.

• This role was responsible for identifying opportunities in the legacy assortment space management process and implementing a new product to enhance the customer experience.
• Led the iterative development and process design for a new Corporate Assortment Grouping product - coding a k-means clustering algorithm and embedded SQL queries in MS Excel VBA - to automate store space productivity.
• Led the development and optimization of a new Class level CATMAN (Category Management) process, delivering a 4x more accurate output over previous Department level CATMAN.
• Improved partnership with Retail Directors through transparency and effective communication, resulting in a 50% reduction of time required to review qualitative store feedback on audit recommendations.
• Served on the employee engagement committee at REI; focused on guiding the engagement, coaching, mentorship, and cross-company exposure for Merchandising employees.

Greater Seattle Area

• Provided in-depth competitive market assortment overlap and pricing insights. Additionally reviewed promotional and clearance pricing governance to support Merchandising strategies.
• Spearheaded the development of a comprehensive competitive pricing and assortment analytics platform, performing market analysis of top SaaS vendors and developing API connection with chosen vendor.
• Represented the Merchandising pyramid in a cross-company council dedicated to guaranteeing the successful execution of marketing campaigns and events, both online and in stores.
• Delivered the review of +40K annual item price changes, frequently partnering with Legal Counsel and advising MLT to ensure FTC compliance and a positive customer experience.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Optimized the clearance strategies and execution on over $650M of annual clearance inventory, resulting in $7M of annual incremental gross margin.
• Generated new and innovative markdown methods that pushed conventional norms and system limitations, resulting in an average of 15% improved capture rate.
• Captained several company-wide markdown events; developing, organizing, and communicating key strategies and deliverables to Merch DVPs and Store Operations leadership.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Managed and forecast $450M in first cost receipts for the private brands Outdoor Sports vendor matrix (+20 vendors).
• Maintained vendor communication and relationships through partnership with five international offices.
• Organized and led a collaborative and proactive brand exit strategy.
• Championed new safety stock contingency plans on $5M of available inventory in half the typical lead-time.
• Delivered $16M in chase receipts through effective communication with vendor partners.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Managed and forecast $300M in first cost receipts for the Entertainment, Electronics, and Non-Retail vendor matrix (+10 vendors).
• Maintained vendor communication and relationships through partnership with seven international offices.
• Overhauled four Non-Retail programs by establishing key criteria, developing action plans, and driving process improvements; reducing costs up to 44%.
• Initiated and amended the use of Best Methods strategic tools in an undeveloped Non-Retail business in order to manage critical timing and action steps.
• Successfully mitigated $13M in liable inventory through effective vendor management and proactive communication.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Responsible for monitoring and supporting logistics metrics for company key vendor partners.
• Reported and communicated supply chain operational metrics to both internal and vendor audiences.
• Improved all key logistical performances through improved communication and merchant training.
• Identified a data reporting discrepancy in Automated Receiving Technology (ART) Flow, which led to improved reporting and less chargebacks for our Strategic Partners.
• Processed, researched, and executed vendor chargeback disputes.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Co-managed chain of four health and nutrition oriented retail stores.
• Managed overall operations for two of four specialty merchandise stores.
• Responsible for talent acquisition, scheduling, inventory and account management.
• Developed the business strategy, identified the location, and organized the process of opening a new store front.
• Fostered a customer service focused culture through employee coaching and product education.

Executive Mba

Part of the 39th EMBA cohort at Quantic School of Business and Technology. Partnering with fellow students from across the globe was an.

Ba, Italian & Spanish Studies

Activities and Societies: U of M Jazz Singers Spent my first two years focused on pursuing vocal performance, only to change course to.

Education record

Full immersion study abroad program for the academic year.