Architect of Innovative Retail Channels

Curetê is a multi-channel fashion startup that offers women a platform to own and operate their own businesses that promises to deliver superior, personal, custom, private shopping experiences to consumers. I currently oversee all bottom- and top-line factors, including company vision, long-range strategic planning, setting revenue objectives, digital support, inventory and distribution, and customer service. I independently orchestrate the design, development, sourcing and merchandising of the sportswear collection, and am responsible for building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with influential brands that offer complementary product lines to Curetê’s entrepreneurial retail partners, creating a sophisticated distribution option for traditional and emerging brands.

Responsible for a $50M-$80M women’s retail sportswear and accessory business, yielding 35% year-over-year sales growth. I directed merchandising, product development, category assortment budget, manufacturing lead-team, relationship management, branding and visual presentation strategies while overseeing the Corporate Leadership Team, financial planning and retail pricing processes, and Inventory management of 200-300M units. I facilitated seamless issue resolution and troubleshooting, conducted performance evaluations, seasonal training and motivational programs, utilized financial data to identify and leverage growth opportunities, and was an integral player in developing online retail tactics and entrepreneurial proof-of-concept models.Selected Achievements:● Spearheaded the development and implementation of performance plans and internal process improvements, ensuring alignment with company vision and ultimately brought multi-million dollars in savings.● Implemented cross-team collaborative measures that inspired engagement on driving brand vision, giving way to targeted product lines that triggered a 30% increase in customer acquisitions. ● Increased profitability with a 16% drop in average retail overhead costs and 4% gross margin increase through streamlining operational processes and aggressive negotiations with vendor partners. ● Realized significant cost savings and increased process efficiencies by shifting tech pack work from the USA to China. ● Key player in developing product lines that capitalized on emerging trends and analyzed respective sales data, rendering 70-80% sell-through rates at regular price.

Orchestrated the merchandising strategy, product development, product planning, and lifestyle/category assortments of 1,000 SKUs annually. My additional responsibilities included: leveraging an advanced understanding of sales drivers, customer perceptions, competitors, statistical analysis and current trends to capitalize growth; collaborating with the Design, Planning, Sourcing, and Cross-Functional teams to ensure seasonally strategic and appropriate inventory; liaising with vendor partners to ensure merchandising needs were understood and production deadlines were met; regularly communicated performance metrics to the CEO and developed strategies for improvement where needed; and supervised costing and retail pricing processes. Selected Achievements: • Directed raw materials sourcing and product lifecycles to yield record-low mark-downs allowing for exceeding of financial objectives. • Managed product and merchandising plans for a product line that consistently had a 70% sell-through rate at regular price due to effective analysis of trending sales data, allowing for more precise product quantity orders

Directed product and marketing strategies, launching the Helios & Luna collection into nearly 100 specialty retailers, including Neiman Marcus.I developed the Annual Operating Plan, including marketing and advertising budget administration, technological acquisitions, costs of goods, and general/administrative expenses. Additionally, I recruited, trained, mentored, and developed new sales talent, motivating them to deliver agendas and achieve sales objectives, while simultaneously overseeing all merchandising strategies and product line assortments, utilizing regional market analysis to maximize distribution. I also proved to be very successfully with negotiating contracts with retail partners.Selected Achievement:• Successfully launched a wholesale fashion label that generated $5M in sales in first year.