Christopher Akins Email and Phone Number

Manages all aspects of projects/programs assigned. Acts as a conduit for all project information to ensure the meeting of all critical delivery, quality, and pricing expectations as well as meeting profit margin goals. Responsible for gathering all project related requirements, processing that information and establishing a plan, confirming the cost structure, producing a schedule, establishing project structure, understanding the requirements and overseeing the execution of the plan.•Assembles project plans and teamwork assignments, drives completion of tasks as warranted by each project and delivers projects at or above the predicted margin.•Leads project meetings and relays pertinent project information to required personnel and outside vendors. •Creates and manages project timelines to deliver product on time.•Recommends, implements and adheres to global standard project management processes and methodologies •Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and adhere to quality standards and customer expectations.•Develops project budget and tracks project expenses and spending.•Directs and monitors work efforts daily by identifying resource needs and performing quality reviews.•Tracks key project milestones and adjusts project plans and/or resources to meet the needs of customers. •Manages scope of project by enforcing proper change controls and documentation.•Coordinates communication throughout the project life cycle with all areas of the enterprise that impacts the scope, budget, risk and resources of the work effort.Identifies and leads improvement opportunities within assigned programs/projects.•Plans, directs, and coordinates activities of employee(s) to ensure goals or objectives are accomplished.•Mentors, coaches, trains and develops team.

Managed and delivered a wide range of indirect retail fixture & event projects from initial concept to implementation. Executed Global/Regional/Market strategies while delivering against market needs. Supported production needs for the entire North American region. • Spearheaded a mix of internal and external retail initiatives, overseeing the project’s entire lifecycle from conception to completion.• Streamlined the global order process for fixtures, components, and displays, specifically for New Product Development (NPD) launches and global replenishment orders. • Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams to ensure project success, including Retail Marketing, Sales, Category, Concept Designers, Development, Studio, the Global Retail Experience Team, Procurement, and Legal & Compliance.• Led a high-performing team of Associate Production Managers; Successfully executed over 2,000 retail rollouts several times annually. • Earned promotion to Manager position from Associate Manager within eight months of hire based on team leadership and process improvement initiatives.

Worked in partnership with sales team, creative engineers and designers to deliver high quality point-of-purchase fixtures and displays to retail clients. Executed with exceptional project management skills to ensure client deliverables and expectations were met and exceeded. • Worked closely with the sales team to engage clients from project inception through delivery.• Led internal teams and ensured use of best practices to ensure exceptional and timely results. • Provided clients and internal leadership with comprehensive inventory and sales reporting; leveraging data to inform strategic decisions and drive continuous improvement.

Served as the main point of contact and liaison between customers and internal teams to ensured seamless communication and alignment. Responsible for mapping customer business requirements to ensure comprehensive understanding of global operations, stakeholders, spending patterns, strategies, and goals. Successfully managed eight key accounts, fostered and nurtured existing business relationships while actively pursuing global business development opportunities.• Established strategic and mutually beneficial relationships with customers worldwide.• Leveraged meetings and reviews to align services with customer needs on a global scale.• Facilitated supply chain operations to ensure efficient and timely delivery of goods.• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimize logistics processes.• Acted as a trusted advisor to customers by actively addressing concerns and providing solutions.

Led and managed training programs in the grocery retail sector. Served as subject matter expert to store associates performing daily tasks on newly implemented systems and technology. • Coached and mentored employees with a focus on best practices and customer-centric approaches and solutions. • Ensured proper training during implementation phase; researched and analyzed conversion data and user response to measure impact of implemented changes.• Performed in-store training with management on POS and reporting systems.• Monitored employee progress and provided constructive feedback.

Led and facilitated open, close, relocate, and remodel experiences for new and existing store locations. Handled all facets of yearly store enhancement projects including fixture installations, capacity additions, and new technology integration for store operations and marketing teams. Responsible for approximately 300 stores.• Synchronized 50 new store openings per year in partnership with construction, marketing, IT help desk, procurement, merchandising, and store field teams.• Played integral role in implementing proper training and advancement strategies for store support specialist position. • Effectively communicated with store teams regarding project purpose, start and end dates, task lists, material delivery dates, and on-site staffing needs.

Directed and accomplished weekly category sales and lifecycle management goals in coordination with supply chain replenishment. Liaised with the accessory buying team and developed company-wide best practices for inventory replenishment and distribution. Keyed out strategic assortment plans and directed accurate allocations of initial buys and facilitated merchandise projects to balance stock levels and ensured current store seasonality.

Communicated with vendors and buyers to ensure up-to-date and accurate inventory reporting. Guaranteed resolution of issues associated with purchase orders and on time deliveries. Coordinated with the marketing team to meet advertising deadlines and ensure merchandise was properly represented in advertisements.

Performed classification of all import and export products company wide. Maintained current knowledge of U.S. and International Customs classification requirements. Updated and reviewed the classification tariff and duty rates on Brown Shoe Product system.