Unforeseen family circumstances led to a planned career break that was later extended to build a rental property portfolio.

Product lifecycle management and P&L responsibility for Cut-Sheet Paper and Writing Instruments product categories with $300M in annual sales. Conducted market and competitive analysis to identify product/pricing opportunities and assortment gaps. Monitored and analyzed category KPI’s to ensure categories were meeting profitability and inventory targets. Negotiated product costs and marketing support funding with suppliers. Developed supplier-specific annual marketing plans to promote new products and maximize sales during peak back-to-school season. Directly managed two associate-level employees.

Responsible for end-to-end product lifecycle management, new product planning, and brand/product marketing strategy and execution. Conducted market and competitive research to identify opportunities for new products, features, improvements, and strategic pricing adjustments. Performed deep-dive analyses and utilized insights to develop go-forward product line optimization/rationalization strategies. Prioritized new product development projects in collaboration with executive leadership team. Developed product positioning, marketing messaging, and planned and executed product launches. Led content creation efforts including the development of sales collateral, product specification sheets, digital catalog, website product content, email marketing campaigns, and social media content. Tracked and analyzed marketing campaign performance (social, email, and website metrics). Partnered with external marketing agency on SEO optimization.

Led go-to-market strategy for eight consumer product categories. Responsible for product lifecycle management of all SKUS from launch to discontinuation. Analyzed sales, conducted market/competitive research, and developed go-forward product category strategies that increased revenue and profitability for Design Group and its national retailer customer base. Provided guidance to internal product development teams regarding sales trends, volume projections, customer requirements, packaging design, and pricing strategy. Developed detailed financial assortment plans for corporate buying teams at Walmart and Joann stores. Maintained master price list for 6,000 SKUs, analyzing volume-based pricing from suppliers and customer contract pricing.

A support role responsible for assisting a team of two retail buyers with merchandise planning, product lifecycle management, product evaluations, visual merchandising, sales reporting/analysis, product pricing, and field communications.