Sonja Schmidt Email & Phone Number

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Category Development Manager for Gourmet Specialty Foods & Fresh

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

During my maternity leave after the birth of my first (2018) and my second child (2020), I focused on maintaining and enhancing my skill set. That involved several online courses, leadership activities, and continuing education to ensure that I remained up-to-date on industry happenings.

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

• Consulted to leading Australian retailers and brands to help scale their eBay channel. Key clients: Myer, Rebel, Anaconda, Chemist Warehouse, Temple & Webster, SurfStitch, Bonds, Lorna Jane, Glue Store, City Beach, Quiksilver, Roxy, Kathmandu, Styletread• Delivered strategies which resulted in a growth rate of +20% above unmanaged account portfolio, achieved 117% to annual target for 2016.• Launched Click & Collect solution with one of Australia’s biggest retailers, Myer (67 stores).• Developed category plans inclusive of market trends, competitor activity, brand strategy, new product initiatives and pricing architecture as well as guidance across integration, improving performance and the implementation of technical and operational efficiencies.• Planned and led broad and targeted marketing campaigns across multiple verticals and channels utilising cross-functional teams. Including onsite, eDM and advertising.

Berlin, Germany

• Managed strategic fashion merchants through the existing sales channels ebay.de marketplace and brand4friends shopping club. Responsible for the full strategy and P&L for the Fashion category including the implementation of inventory planning and marketing programs.• Delivered growth for new and existing merchants for over 10% above net budget in a market in a low single digit growth phase. • Executed the biggest fashion site relaunch in eBay history called “The Fashion Collective”.• Created and led a team of four Account Managers with a group of accounts valued at over €130m in annual sales and successfully conducted an average of 3 new shop launches per month.• Successfully launched new fashion brands on ebay.de, such as Peek &Cloppenburg (leading retailer in DE with +100 stores) and VF Corporation (one of world´s biggest fashion companies).

Berlin, Germany

• Managed category performance related to sourcing/buying, pricing, merchandising, inventory and promotional programs.• Received the best employee annual review score with 145% achievement to targets and work goals.• Won brands4friends Award for launch of the first two direct to customers stores on eBay and the successful cooperation with the most important strategic partner (VF group).• Led the global first direct to customer distribution initiative from end to end including; business development, account management, buying and inventory management strategy.• Successfully developed and delivered the first eBay direct to customer distribution initiative in cooperation with brands4friends, which delivered €5m GMV uplift per year.

Berlin, Germany

• Managed 20 fashion sellers on the eBay marketplace and helped them scale and grow their eBay channel.• Delivered growth against budget by 4.3% through planned inventory and marketing strategies and awarded an eBay ‘Spot’ award for implementing new marketing initiatives with key partners.• Successfully planned and executed key projects with the most important fashion brands like Marc O´ Polo or the VF Corporation.• Developed category plans to identify growth opportunities including broad and targeted marketing campaigns across multiple verticals and channels utilising cross-functional teams.

Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

• Responsible for the largest retailers in the largest global market delivering over €10m in annual sales.Key clients: Peek &Cloppenburg KG Düsseldorf, Peek &Cloppenburg KG Hamburg, E. Breuninger GmbH & Co. Stuttgart• Successfully introduced a new automatic stock order system, which increased the sales of the core range by over 30% YoY.• Developed go-to-market plans which resulted in 18% YoY growth in the first year.

Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

• Area Sales Manager for a territory including 45 fashion wholesale clients delivering over €2.5m in sales and achieved 14% YoY sales growth through existing clients.• Actively generated new business and re-activated eight dormant clients.• Conducted sales training programs for 30 sales associates who positively influenced the sales results in the wholesale stores by 15% YoY.• Implemented a new stock selection model, which increased stock orders by over 20% YoY

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Diplom-Betriebswirtin Fh / Diploma Of Business Administration, Business Administration / Marketing & Communication, 1,7

Hotel Trainee