• Responsible for the strategic direction and positioning of our existing and future product direction, price positioning, quality, fit and execution of our Omni Channel merchandise assortment, ensuring all merchandise departments strategic investment objectives are aligned to that of the organizational strategy, from selling price, margin, gross profit, stock depreciation and freshness culminating in our total merchandise plan. • My role involves accounting for the strategic business change, through development of future solutions and processes, and including training and implementing these throughout the merchandise team.• Collaboration with all stakeholders throughout the business to formulate clear and accurate business strategy that is customer centric, innovative results focussed.

Promoted to Planning Director for the MRP Apparel division and was responsible for formulating and implementation of the divisional financial merchandise planning strategic objectives, market share growth and brand positioning Achievements:• Contributed towards the division achieving our stretched annual plan of 10/2/20 in our F2016 financial year. (R10bil in sales, R2bil operating profit, 20% operating margin)

Executive starting in Male Gender (Menswear and Boy swear), and from 2011 to include the Female Gender business (Ladieswear and Girl swear) as designate Planning Director I was responsible for formulating and implementation of the divisional Strategic objectives, market share growth, brand positioning and team culture and succession.Leadership and Mentoring• Developing objectives for improvement and learning for each planner within the team.• Ensuring the succession planning objectives where achievable and recruitment requirements executed.Product Strategy• Formulating and executing a balanced assortment plan to meet the consumers’ needs and requirements, trend relevant and driving value.• Managing the assortment factors planned to ensure a balanced assortment against the strategic objectives set.• Reacting and re-projecting of the portfolio sales plans based on current trade and what the consumer is shopping into, adapting future assortments to account for the shifts.• Managing the merchandise allocation strategy to stores in line with consumer behaviour and current trade ensuring store current performance and trade requirements are accounted for and plans incorporate these shifts.• Managing input and maintained margins, from input margin through to product markdowns and depreciation is managed. Achievements:• Promotion to Divisional Planning Director April 2014