Meredith Richards Email & Phone Number

Supports the recruitment team and hiring managers with onboarding, pre-employment, reporting, and administrative activities. Serves as a liaison between candidates and the hiring teams through inclusion, teamwork, and being agile to meet challenging hiring goals.• Coordinate end to end communication regarding orientation for newly hired candidates and the hiring, HR, training teams and cross functional partners.• Assist with troubleshooting and resolving pre-hire delays, including researching and resolving potential system issues, while monitoring orientation attendance results to keep the hiring team advised on reschedules and updates.• Prepare reporting and complete audits related to pre and post hire cleanup and system correction activities for various processes.• Own and coordinate the associate referral process payout for volume hiring roles.

Expanded depth and breadth of retail experience by joining a corporate environment and driving talent acquisition across multiple distribution centers. Collaborated within a team environment to accelerate hiring, facilitate the interview process, and onboard new team members every week to support all distribution centers in the Columbus area. • Represent the Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret brands while sourcing and selecting seasonal team members to support peak operations, communicating critical information to ensure the onboarding and retention of top talent.• Engaged in stretch assignments expanding involvement in the talent acquisition process, coordinating interview schedules, arranging screening tests, creating offer letters, and assisting with the new hire orientation program.

Columbus, Ohio Area

Focused on digital operations while continuing to manage a new flagship location, navigating the challenges of the pandemic by supporting the owners in an organizational restructuring, promoting e-commerce capabilities, and rebuilding a post-pandemic team. Tracked and analyzed e-commerce data to pinpoint opportunities for product mix, sizing, and pricing improvements. Took the lead on companywide visual and digital merchandising, collaborating with store teams to ensure visual and brand alignment.• Performed business analysis to review category performance, e-commerce results, and product and size selling, recommending seasonal strategies based on historical data, and coordinating with owners to build and execute the brand’s vision.• Balanced assortment to protect top-line sales and profitability, designing and implementing merchandising strategies to achieve high customer engagement, realize sales forecast, and minimize aging inventory and markdowns.• Hired, trained, and provided continual coaching for 10+ team members, rebuilding the team following the pandemic, and creating a positive workplace culture with engaged sales associates professionally representing the Vernacular brand.

Columbus, Ohio

Earned a rapid promotion within 3 months of hire, progressing from sales associate to management of the company’s flagship store with accountability for leading as many as 15 team members. Recruited, trained, and managed a high-performing team, establishing the creative vision, visual merchandising plan, and digital marketing strategies cascaded throughout 7 locations. Oversaw e-commerce operations, processing online orders, communicating with customers, and ensuring an optimal customer experience.• Established and drove brand strategy and market positioning, building comprehensive merchandise plans, developing assortments, allocating products, and partnering with the owner to identify and capitalize on consumer and industry trends.• Escalated customer engagement by initiating targeted digital marketing and social media campaigns, leveraging the voice of the customer to provide product and styling recommendations aligned with inventory availability and margin objectives.• Informed product buying trips by relaying emerging trends, customer preferences, and sales feedback, playing an integral role in the owners selecting merchandise that resulted in high-velocity sales, strong margins, and competitive differentiation.

Columbus, Ohio Area

Given the creative freedom to develop and implement merchandising strategies at the store level, ensuring compliance with floor-set direction, company standards, inventory availability, and local market preferences. Maintained expert product knowledge to serve as a customer resource, assisting in the selection of best-fit merchandise within a brand known for quality and performance.• Reviewed planograms, inventory availability, and seasonal visual objectives to build merchandise displays, demonstrating strong project management skills, keen attention to detail, and a high level of forethought when creating visuals.

Following participation in the visual art education master’s program at The Ohio State University—and with a PreK-12 Art Education teaching license—joined a school and planned and facilitated visual arts lessons for diverse students. Created in-school galleries and art shows to showcase students’ work, invited guest artists to speak to classes, and ultimately created a highly engaging environment.• Planned and supervised age-appropriate lessons, art projects, and visits by guest artists.• Established art standards for student evaluation. • Displayed students' work in schools, galleries, and art shows.• Attended professional development meetings and teacher training workshops.• Member on the Communications Committee and collaboratively worked with other art educators to enhance art in the community through art shows, visiting artists, and created art for the school district.• Selected, ordered, and organized art materials and supplies for classrooms.• Designed logo for special event and fundraiser.

• Implemented lessons provided for various grade levels and courses.• Re-enforced rules for behaviors to maintain order among the students. • Collaborated with other teachers and integrated music, language arts, and math into art activities.• Prepared materials and classroom for art projects and activities.

• Instruct how to paint bisque and demonstrate painting techniques in the store studio and off-site events.• Stock and set up unique displays for merchandise and promotional events.• Design and paint customized pottery pieces; handle customers’ painted art pieces by glazing and firing bisque.• In charge of opening and closing the store; operate and balance the cash register.