Chris Wells Email & Phone Number

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Manage 25+-member team of sourcing, quality, HR, testing, compliance, finance, and logistics professionals. Create a fun and cooperative environment for the staff by promoting positivity and planning numerous team building activities each year. Manage the team with high expectations and require the staff to offer solutions rather than just highlight issues. Develop staff through coaching and leading by example and drive the staff's thinking, approach, and methodology. Align goals and objectives for each department in line with company strategy. Manage the operation's budget, expenses, overhead, and output. Develop and execute the company's global sourcing and procurement strategy, and manage vendor relationships and negotiations to accomplish company goals. Plan, direct, and coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and timeline requirements.

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Develop and implement BAMKO's sourcing strategies in accordance with quality, cost, and timeline requirements. Manage, lead and mentor over 20 personnel on the sourcing, project management, and logistics teams to ensure smooth execution of quotes and orders. Communicate daily with the U.S. team, provide updates on the company's priorities and projects, and coordinate solutions for a variety of situations. Implement procedures and policies that are effective and efficient.

Shanghai City, China

Direct the new product development plan to ensure product is sourced and developed at the best cost, with outstanding quality, and delivered on time. Manage and mentor sourcing team in Asia. Other duties include vendor selection and relationship management, finding and onboarding new factories, negotiating vendor terms, negotiating product costs, new product development, and managing delivery timelines.Accomplishments: •Used cost engineering to negotiate with vendors resulting in reduced costs in several product categories, including the core bath mat line, kitchen mat line, and accent rug line.•Led the development of several key new product initiatives, including a high-UV outdoor product line, car accessories line, a new border mat line, and an innovative non-skid technology.•Identified and developed new vendors for several categories of product.•Successful in the implementation of new payment terms and vendor agreement with key vendors.•Reorganized sourcing team to maximize efficiency and reduce overhead in the Shanghai, China office.•Developed a strategic sourcing matrix to track key vendor performance metrics and identify sourcing opportunities.

Katy, Tx

Lead private label product development and sourcing team for sports and leisure categories. Categories include team sports, indoor/outdoor games, fitness, wheeled goods, summer seasonal, and backpacks/luggage. Assist and supervise team in finding new suppliers, maximizing profitability, and achieving on time product delivery. Accomplishments: •Increased net margin in several categories, including outdoor games, sports balls, and fitness accessories. •Helped sourcing team identify and qualify new strategic vendors.•Streamlined several global sourcing tasks and procedures resulting in higher efficiency. •Key stakeholder in the development of Academy's private label cross fit product line.•Lowered FY2012 defectives by analyzing RTV (return to vendor) reports and working with my team to implement corrective action procedures for at risk products.

Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Responsible for development and execution of all new products, including product engineering, packaging, vendor selection, price negotiation, obtaining customer meeting samples, conducting sample reviews, and evaluating first production quality. Maintain supplier relationships through regular communication and factory visits. Train and manage team of product managers and graphic designers in Asia to satisfy the requirements of our national retailers (Walmart, Target, Sears, Kmart, Toys R Us, Big 5, Aldi, The Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc.) and the end consumer. Maintain high knowledge of United States sporting goods market to educate Asian product development team and vendors. Assist in leading customer meetings through sample preparation and product presentation. Accomplishments: •Increased company margins by forming key vendor alliances and negotiating entire customer programs.•Helped maximize vendor production capacity, reducing US-warehouse inventory levels by 50%.•Expanded vendor base within China and throughout SE Asia, helping to increase overall manufacturing capacity.•Vastly improved on time delivery for indoor and outdoor game categories through detailed management of timelines.•Reorganized Asian product development team to maximize efficiencies and retain key talent.•Supported team in development and introduction of several innovative new products to the market.•Created communication channel connecting US and Asian teams, which is critical for success of global corporations.•Advised product team of strenuous USA toy testing standards that were communicated by the compliance team.

Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Shanghai City, China

Oversee and prioritize all NA new product development initiatives in Asia, representing over $115M USD in annual revenue. Assist in communicating specifications, timelines, costs, industrial design, engineering issues, manufacturing issues, and quality control issues between the teams in the USA and Asia. Train Asian R.D. personnel regarding domestic USA market and product needs. Increase profit margins and on time delivery by reviewing alpha and production samples, focusing on product quality and market expectations. Lead presentations during customer meetings taking place in the Asian facility. Accomplishments: •Key stakeholder in global platform initiative resulting in increased manufacturing efficiencies and lower costs. •Helped manage new modality and strength projects; projects which were completely new to the product portfolio. •Directly executed several product development tasks on behalf of my US-based teammates, reducing international travel requirements and resulting in higher employee morale and lower corporate travel expenditures. •Helped implement a front load production plan to reduce bottlenecks and increase on-time shipments. •Chief project leader for iPod®, Bluetooth, and FitLinxx technologies. •Negotiated cost downs with factory, ensuring that quality and end-user expectations were kept as top priority. •Built respect and trust from the Asian and NA teams through effective negotiation and problem resolution processes.

Madison, Wisconsin Area

Lead, manage, assist, and coach team of product managers to execute cardio product lines for Horizon, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sears, Specialty Fitness, The Sports Authority, Canadian Tire, and Sam’s Club. Develop business plans for customers, manage competitive product spreadsheets, issue specs, implement ideas from marketing research, conduct product presentations and training, attend industry trade shows, help develop marketing collateral and user manuals. Coordinate NPD efforts with all departments, including accounting, industrial design, graphic design, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, quality control, sales, and customer service. Deliver innovative products that satisfy market needs and meet the customer’s demands for competitive costing, on time delivery and effective product sell through. Accomplishments: •Helped develop business plan and product line for Sears resulting in key new business for Horizon Fitness. •Managed implementation of several late changes to product strategy, minimizing frustration with the factory. •Led new technology projects including new folding treadmill platform, hi-res display, and pSEL technology. •Promoted to chief treadmill product manager and promoted again to International Product Manager, based on past performance within the US marketing company and the Asian production facility.

Tyler, Texas Area

Plan and execute new product plans for Nautilus, Trimline, Sears Canada, and Schwinn cardio product. Manage entire NPD process through interaction with industrial design, engineering, testing, purchasing, the legal team, customer service, finance, and marketing. Conduct focus groups and user surveys, attend trade shows, and visit national and international dealers. Lead product knowledge sessions across Canada for Sears. Collect end user product quality feedback and inform production facility of product quality issues. Improve profit margins through cost controls and implementing cost reductions. Accomplishments: •Developed the Nautilus Sport Series line of treadmills, implementing an interchangeable plug and play console system, allowing consumers to choose the display system that best fits their needs and budget.•Conceptualized the Nautilus Fitness Cartridge system, enabling a consumer to further customize their fitness equipment through the purchase of optional software programs. •Led product knowledge sessions at the International Dealer Meeting held in Boulder, CO. •Key player in outsourcing components and finished goods to Asian suppliers, improving profit margins.

Tyler, Texas

Manage website, budget, spiff program, sales collateral, warranty cards, annual dealer meeting, and obtain endorsements. Accomplishments: •Coordinated product photography, design and production of Trimline sales collateral and service manual. •Wrote monthly newsletter, informing dealers of new products, product sales tips, company and industry updates.•Coordinated trade shows, managing logistics, booth set up, travel arrangements, and execution of show agenda. •Conducted worldwide product knowledge sessions with customers and dealers.•Improved communication with Sears Canada stores, making personal calls to each store, collecting information on product quality, sales associate product recommendations, and unit sell through status.

Bba, Marketing And Speech Communication

Associates, General Business