Kristin Karkar Email & Phone Number

California, United States

San Francisco, Ca, Us

• Directing and empowering a high-performing team of 7 professionals as the leader of the Old Navy Men's PD division. • Previously spearheaded the Old Navy Baby PD team consisting of 11 members, setting new standards for excellence in product development.• Orchestrated the relaunch the Men's Core T-shirt business by significantly upgrading fabric for 2024 while generating $500K savings in annual product costs.• Exceeded Q4 23 AUC/COGS target by 250 basis points and declined costs by 8% YOY. • Accelerated Spring 23 speed to market and responsive goals through strategic implementation of a shorter production lead-time calendar enabling agile decision-making based on current trends.• Led the highly successful "Kids and Baby Value Summit" driving $2.6M in savings during Q1 of 2020 for the Baby department by incorporating product changes that delivered enhanced customer value and adopting innovative processes such as virtual samples.• Pioneered the establishment of a virtual line adoption process in collaboration with cross-functional leaders, modernizing new ways of working during the Covid-19 shutdown.• Created a color and print approval SOP incorporating a new digital approval process to save significant time and resources for the company.• Instrumental as the PD lead for diverse company initiatives spanning family sleepwear, graphics pipeline work, Global Market product pull forwards, Logo Fleece and the People Committee.• Founded a business book club at work to foster learning, growth and connection for junior members in the organization.

New York, New York, Us

• Reported directly to the VP of Knits Production and managed a team of 5 production managers.• Championed the complete product lifecycle of 6 divisions of men's and kids' apparel, from initial prototypes through bulk production, delivering quality and customer satisfaction.• Established valuable vendor relationships, ensured vendor comprehension of product requirements, and negotiated optimal prices to meet business goals.• Introduced six new strategic direct vendors in 2017 to optimize product offerings and improve prices, saving $5M for fiscal 2018. • Managed competing priorities between Design and Merchandising leads to build compelling assortments that met both design intent and company margin goals.• Effectively communicated J.Crew's seasonal strategy to overseas vendors creating seamless alignment with corporate objectives.• Collaborated with department VPs in weekly meetings about evolving trends and sales projections to promptly convey revised company needs to vendors, enabling swift adaptation and response.• Spearheaded the redefinition of all corporate processes and played a vital role in customizing J.Crew's new PLM system software as a key member of the leadership task force, driving innovation and operational excellence.

New York, Us

• Reported directly to the Vice President of Production and supervised a team of two associate product managers.• Coordinated and implemented departmental sourcing strategy and selected vendor allocations quarterly.• Led the product life cycle from concept through final production for seven activewear departments.• Launched the Live Love Dream activewear brand in 2013 and helped grow it to be one of Aeropostale’s best-selling divisions. • Negotiated and approved product costing to meet corporate gross margin goals of 50% after promo.• Improved speed to market through strategic decisions on order placement and production timeline negotiations.• Attended product handoff meetings and proactively advised the design team of any callouts or concerns.• Coordinated team efforts to devise a robust testing strategy, timeline and successful rollout of the highest performing products.• Developed our premium #BestBootyEver active legging fabric that became a core year-round fabrication and business.• Negotiated lower prices on a key item program with vendors saving Aeropostale $33K in 2014.• Successfully fast-tracked 340K units of 17 different styles to meet increased customer demand during Q3 and Q4 of 2013.

Us

• Reported to the Vice President of Production, supervised one production coordinator.• Managed global production for the Men's Chaps Ralph Lauren business from order placement through shipping for over 9 million knit and sweater garments annually. • Facilitated the weekly cross-functional team meetings, spearheading discussions and driving resolutions for outstanding product issues.• Proactively organized and executed a graphic tee testing program for Kohl’s to optimize sell-through.• Developed and mentored one production coordinator resulting in her promotion.

Pittsburgh, Pa, Us

• Managed and oversaw the production of over 12 million units annually, as well as supervised two assistant coordinators• Conducted on-site factory visits to assess production capabilities, inspected current production, and improved overall processes.• Negotiated FOB costs to meet company IMU goals. • Developed and integrated four new vendors into department sourcing strategy.• Responsible for chargebacks on late delivery or defective quality orders to offset lost sales.

Pittsburgh, Pa, Us

• Successfully completed a rigorous 6-month training program, honing expertise in retail management, and enhancing business acumen for more effective leadership.• Performed competitive shopping analysis to identify trends and opportunities for future season planning.• Analyzed sales reports and created selling recaps to present to executives at weekly business review meetings.• Pitched a new customized denim bar to upper management that was implemented in flagship stores.