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Trail running

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Product Manager - Outdoor & Work

A creative and driven leader with a passion for innovative product creation and bringing stories to life. A believer that diverse and inclusive teams have the most potential to yield the best business results. Expert at driving brand and merchandising excellence from concept to development and implementation of go-to-market strategies. Creative problem solver who is very entrepreneurial with a history of pioneering new business initiatives. Strong skills in inspiring teams, design thinking, and curiosity. Known for identifying trends, realizing technical innovations, and creating products and brand strategies that maximize profits and brand appeal. Proven record of delivering business profitability with category growth and market share. Highly skilled in cross-sectional team management and influence with a focus on process streamlining. I believe in the power of big ideas that challenge the status quo and the ability of passionate people to bring them to life. 

Ariat International is a premium footwear and apparel brand committed to innovation, quality, integrity, teamwork, and respect. They are one of the top equestrian, outdoor, and work brands in the world. Product quality is non-negotiable.
Responsible for developing line assortments and merchandise strategies that result in high-demand products
Headed the incorporation of consumer insights into the design and development process and leveraged learnings for sales and marketing teams
Fostered a collaborative work environment for the product creation team
Partner with cross-functional and international teams to ensure briefs are developed in accordance with the brand and category strategies and global market needs
Leverage analytics, market research, consumer insights, and trend reports to inform in-season and future product strategies and initiatives that align with company objectives
Manage product creation process to ensure that key milestones are achieved
Utilize business analysis tools and research to identify growth opportunities
Set pricing structures to meet revenue and profitability targets
Founding member of the sustainability team, working to reduce chemicals in the supply chain, waste, and water usage, improve efficiencies, establishing an animal welfare policy, and employee education and engagement
Translate key product concepts, technical attributes, and key points of differentiation into easy to understand consumer-facing communications for sales and marketing teams
Collaborate with product engineers, external biomechanics groups, and testings labs to build new modules specific to the product use environment and provide key findings to stakeholders

Allegro, A Division of Conair, was a product design house & consumer goods company specializing in travel accessories & beauty organization. We managed our own in-house brands & partnered with retailers to develop their Private Label programs from concept to consumer.
Brought in over $15M in annual revenue from CVS, Rite Aid, & Walgreens
Doubled revenue from $2.5M to $5M at CVS with Private Label development
Overhauled Rite Aid, from 19% service levels & $400K in sales to 100% service levels & $1.2M in sales in less than a year 
Improved discounter channel profitability from -12% to +35% in less than six months Managed merchandising & account teams to ensure strategies were executed & financial targets achieved
Pioneered private label product development programs for multiple Fortune 500 companies leading to sustained double-digit annual growth 
Promoted the use of sustainable materials, recycled packaging, & waste reduction
Built the strategic category vision for private label programs, licensed products, & discounters 
Mentored a highly collaborative & innovative cross-functional team
Established organizational processes for private label programs 
Supported sales executives with critical analysis & led new program pitches with key retailers 
Managed the merchandising, development, packaging, & marketing for licensed products - Disney, Elle, Bebe, Revlon, & It’s Judy Time
Led teams through several transformational work processes & system implementations

Merchandise/Product Development Manager

Select Group of Companies is an organization comprised of seven companies with over 33 offices in Northern California, Lake Tahoe, & Northern Nevada. It has regularly been named one of the Top 100 Real Estate Companies in the US. 
Recognized at Coldwell Banker, ERA, & Century 21 National conferences for excellence in advertising & recruitment campaigns
Worked closely with an agent in Tahoe to secure a $43M listing
Increased involvement with the marketing department from less than 5% to more than 85% 
Led a creative team to develop effective marketing materials & campaigns that surpassed business goals
Responsible for developing, implementing, & executing strategic marketing plans for the entire organization
Analyzed consumer behavior, market trends, & buying/selling habits to improve the effectiveness 
Built strategic relationships with key industry partners, agencies, & vendors
Drove successful marketing campaigns from ideation to execution, analyzing & pivoting as market conditions changed
Coached & mentored agents & advisors on social media, including best practices 
Oversaw all communications, public relations, social media, promotional, & recruiting activities
Launched blogging & social media which strengthened engagement & brand awareness 

Marketing Manager

2Cool Corp was a small company that represented a line of high-end spiritual jewelry, had its own line of cause-based bracelets, and had a lifestyle blog that focused on eco-fashion, clean beauty, and lifestyle for the environmentally and socially conscious consumer.
Developed and led marketing campaigns for the Balinese luxury jewelry and sacred objects brand Shankari, increasing revenue from $1.2M to $4.6M in 18 months 
Coordinated the launch of I'm Tired of... and White Apricot websites, including site merchandising, e-commerce, social media, advertising, etc.
Developed engaging and highly sharable content, a robust social media presence, impactful ad campaigns, and contests that increased site traffic, engagement, subscribers, and sales 
Created landing pages and optimized user experience on an on-going basis as market conditions changed
Analyzed and evaluated emerging technologies and provided leadership with necessary insight for adoption where appropriate
Analyzed and reported on the performance of all digital marketing campaigns
Developed partnerships with thousands of eco-fashion, clean beauty, eco-friendly lifestyle brands, and non-profit organizations
Conducted extensive market research on eco-friendly and socially responsible fashion and beauty brands, target customers, and marketplace 
Conducted extensive research on non-profit partners
Built content marketing strategy and calendar from the ground up
Led inbound marketing strategies that drove website traffic, customer acquisition, brand partnership acquisition, and consumer engagement

Find out detailed information about Susan Thompson, Product Manager - Outdoor & Work in Portland, OR

Susan Thompson: Product Manager - Outdoor & Work in Portland, OR

Susan Thompson: Product Manager - Outdoor & Work in Portland, OR

Susan Thompson

Ariat International

Allegro, A Division of Conair

Select Group of Companies

2Cool Corp

American InterContinental University