Wendy Carges Email & Phone Number

Active mentor partner in structured cross-company mentoring program focused on helping women build confidence and advance their professional ambitions, careers.

Hoffman Estates

Led domestic US and off-shore third party partnerships and licensed businesses for Sears and Kmart; Responsible for overall business performance and quality of business relationships. • Consistently exceeded annual profit contribution and income plan. • Stabilized business, created process and negotiated assumption agreements with 180+ partners over 90-day period, maintaining all business relationships to protect future income to company.• Orchestrated the creation of a corporate-wide process to leverage vacant real estate off-setting over $750,000 of operating expense in its first 6 months while reinforcing company's commitment to serve its local community- Provided leadership and intervention at highest levels to resolve controversial situations, partner negotiations, and to influence senior leader stakeholders - Primary contact and lead with key partner executive teams

Hoffman Estates

Delivered incremental profitability to company thru third party relationships offering extended product or services at Sears, Kmart both at store level and in integrated retail channels. Lead team of functional experts supporting new business development, partnership management and success, operational and marketing support, financial planning and general P+L efficiencies. Responsible to extend key partner relationships into broader ShopYourWay program to further strengthen overall relationship and value to members in and outside retail formats.• Prioritized work of operations and contract management functions to maximize resources, streamlining processes to ensure contract compliance and superior level of operational support and communications to partner and store teams.• Led team and 180+ third party partners thru bankruptcy process maintaining planned profit contribution and partner engagement, connectivity.- Developed an 'agency-like' strategy and operational process to create long-term, short-term Shop in Shop and Pop-Up event programs within Sears and Kmart channels and ShopYourWay membership programs (in-store, online).

Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States

Drove incremental company profits, brand extension and increased customer contact thru the creation of new and support of existing national licensed business and partnerships at Sears and Kmart. Accountable for the overall financial, operational and contractual performance of existing partnerships while developing new partnerships and programs to extend, strengthen Sears and Kmart brand reach and customer engagement. • Recognized as an internal consultant and partner to merchandise business leaders in developing non-traditional retail business models creating more than 2,500 pop-up and shop-in-shop locations nationwide.• Drove incremental growth and profit contribution of assigned 100+ partners, delivering nearly $100 million profit contribution annually to ensure collective division's performance.• Created and executed multiple new business programs delivering an incremental profit contribution of $7 million annually, increasing space productivity 3-4 fold.

Sears, Chicago South

Directed and led the overall financial performance and customer experience at 14 high-profile urban and suburban Chicagoland Sears full line retail locations producing more than $400,000,000 in annual revenue.• Drove improvement in national performance ranking from near bottom of the nation to the top quartile of 110 districts in 18 months• Rebuilt district, store management teams to ensure focus on customer, delivering results

Led the 5-region, 42 district national field management team and business development function for Sears Roebuck & Co.'s free-standing Sears Authorized Dealer Store division. • Established standards of excellence to improve quality/level of support to 800+ Dealer Store locations, reduced Dealer turnover 11% and increased Dealer/Owner satisfaction 200 bps• Developed market identification analysis, new dealer recruitment programs, national credit acquisition program, store support and audit processes that drove new store growth and improved operational and financial opportunity for dealer/owners.• Championed and led 6 Sigma change projects for division that drove process efficiencies that drove 15% reduction in turnover time of transition stores to new owners.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Public Relations And Communications

Executive Courses, Strategic Management And Financial Management