Meredith Bell Email & Phone Number

Ventura, California, United States

Work with product, marketing, supply and international planning teams to create and execute merchandise financial and commercialization plans. Regularly navigate supply chain issues and development constraints by coming up with creative solutions that best serve our customer, our global partners, and our financial goals.

Ventura, Ca

Developed and implemented systemic inventory planning and allocation for new East Coast Distribution Center; work included:-Sku level forecast management for entire North American product line-Collaboration with crossfunctional partners to develop new allocation and planning processes; including development of automated systemic forecast updates, automated crossdocking and direct from factory shipments, and ad hoc inventory transfers to continually optimize inventory levels-Developed reporting within PowerBI and Excel to help track KPIs such as in stock rates, split shipments, and forecast accuracy-Worked closely with IT on ERP system development within legacy system and D365 implementation to automate and support the new forecasting and logistical processes-Workstream management with cross functional partners (IT, Logistics, Finance, & Omni Channel Planning partners) as well as external contractors

San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area

- Responsible for delivering an excellent customer experience through the strategic management of inventory for two high-volume product categories in the DTC Channel (Cookware & Bakeware, >2,000 skus, >$100M FY2016). - Partner with the internal cross functional teams to maximize sales and in-stocks, optimize inventory turn, ensure seamless new product launches, and drive profitable growth. - Own monthly forecasting of department level open-to-buy and recommend near term actions to achieve sales goals and budgeted inventory EOMs.- Create and present pre-season, item-level sales plans that align with product rankings, merchandising strategies and tops-down financial goals. Build and maintain strategies that balance the composition of new and core, carry-over merchandise, support in-stock and turn objectives, and fit within the bounds of departmental receipt budget. - Perform in-season, item level forecasting and ad-hoc analysis to identify inventory-related risks and opportunities for chase. Recommend promotional pricing that maximizes sales and margin and balances inventory. Determine markdown and end-of-life disposition strategies for non-go forward products.- Determine item level order quantities and flow strategies and partner with internal teams as well as external vendors to ensure timely and accurate execution of purchase orders.- Resolve escalated backorder, quality, vendor or inventory issues as needed.- Train and develop team of planners and assistant planners through guided training sessions, weekly check ins, formal reviews, and goal setting. Interview candidates and help make hiring recommendations.- Test functionality and viability of new brand planning tool, assist in training and brand roll out and adoption of tool, collaborate with pilot team to develop best practices.- Built internal tracker for cross functional teams to monitor vendor funded activity, enabling future forecasting and goal setting for product and marketing funded initiatives.

San Francisco Bay Area

- Manage forecasting, launches, inventory flow, and budget for an assortment of >1,500 skus.- Extrapolate vendor buy plans and work with international and domestic vendors to meet lead times, order requirements, and additional supply chain requirements/obstacles.- Manage product through supply chain to ensure timely delivery and receipt of inventory.- Work cross functionally with merchandising and e-commerce teams to ensure smooth and accurate online product launches.- Review backorder forecasting reports and maintain backorder notifications to optimize customer service.- Collaborate with merchandising team to make assortment updates and develop inventory strategies for seasonal, core, and future products.- Manage and present monthly budget updates to VP, Director, and team members in Open To Buy meetings.- Develop Assistant Planners by setting attainable and necessary goals to ensure they have the training and tools to become successful planners.- Serve as a Super User to help with testing and implementation of new planning system overhaul.

Project Management• Led and collaborated on Comprehensive Payment Review projects for hospitals in California, Oregon, Washington, and Missouri. Streamlined workflow to help clients resolve accounts receivable and increase potential client revenue. • Served as a support resource for our client on specialized billing and collection processes; acted as a liaison between Triage and the client to help integrate additional Triage service lines to suit our client partners’ needs.• Presented project findings to key client contacts (CEOs, CFOs, Directors) on a bi-weekly, bi-monthly, and quarterly basis. Provided analytical support for hospital management on improved contract provisions. Strategized and presented trainings tailored to individual client needs in order to educate client staff and improve their internal processes.Event Management• Active leader on internal committee promoting Triage Culture; planning and coordinating in-office and off-site company events for >400 employees, such as: Company Teambuilding Day, planning and promoting New Hire Happy Hours and Welcome Events, planning in-office Holiday and Life Event celebrations.• Led the Media Committee for annual State of Triage business meeting; created and produced short comedic and inspirational videos to be broadcast to the company throughout the day.• Awarded the 2012 & 2013 Guiding Principal Award for Fun, one of the core company values; nominated by colleagues and management for creating a professional, productive and fun work environment. Internal Committee Work• Lead the 3-day Kick-Off trainings for all newly on-boarded employees, serving as the welcoming face for the company.• Lead Intermediate Audit training, teaching associates how to build out queries, macros, reports, and forms using SQL in Microsoft Access.• Selected to take role of company expert on Transplant Compensation; analyze financial impact of contract and reimbursement changes for clients and disseminate knowledge firm wide.

• Conducted audits to analyze trends and identify underlying revenue cycle errors resulting from contract language misapplications• Worked on project teams for five different provider systems across California, Oregon, Washington and Missouri• Assisted with internal initiatives including industry research, culture, and staff training projects.

Ba, Economics, Minors In History And Accounting

Activities and Societies: College Ambassador, Residential Advisor, Kappa Kappa Gamma

California Wine Appellation Specialist