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Product Development Manager

Highly accomplished, results-driven, and multifaceted leader with over twelve years of impressive success in the design, development and management of multiple products and product lines. Running company-wide cross functional collaborative design strategies, managing regional and global product offerings based on sales strategies, and leading large-scale collaborative projects, from inception to successful completion, while making and executing sound strategic decisions. Passionately striving towards constant improvement while displaying excellent leadership, organization, and people management skills.

-	Full oversight of product categories; boots, gloves, bags, knives, hoods and wetsuits
-	Developed and implemented a 5-year plan to restructure the bag line resulting in a 20% margin increase, 45% decrease in warranty returns and a “Best Buy” award from Scuba Lab Magazine
-	Sourced new bag suppliers while establishing a “consolidated purchasing program” to leverage our purchasing power. The higher material consumption and efficiencies in production resulted in a 45% cost reduction when compared to our previous purchasing habits and supplier costs
-	Managed source of supply change and cost vs benefit analysis on wetsuits for (North America.) The new designs resulted in a 9% cost reduction and 12% margin increase
-	Established a new source of supply, negotiated costs and re-designed the “Squeeze” knives resulting in a 5.6% sales increase, 18% cost reduction and a “Testers Choice” award from Scuba Lab Magazine
-	Collaborated with “the world’s premier maritime commandos” to develop the Argonaut Knives, resulting in 12% incremental knife sales increase
-	Implemented a sales and market analysis on our neoprene boot strategy to re-designing the full product line, launch globally applicable products, reduce SKU count by 36%, increase margin by 3% and establish a marketable universal image
-	Managed the implementation of a global data transfer from local ERP systems to a centralized MDM, Oracle for boots, bags, gloves, knives, wetsuits and hoods including part numbers, EAN’s, UPC’s, BOM’s, FOB’s, MOQ’s and testing certificate status
-	Led global Scuba marketplace trend and consumer analysis for graphics, colors, treatments, trims and packaging applications resulting in internationally accepted products before salesmen samples are shown to consumers
-	Worked with licensed brand names such as: Michael Phelps and Phillipe Cousteau Jr.

- Designed, developed and launch boots, gloves, bags knives and wetsuits for Aqua Lung
- Advanced material research and concept ideation with a focus on trim and construction 
- Implemented Scuba marketplace trend and consumer analysis with a focus on SKU reduction and consistency
- Development of technical specifications for communication with foreign factories 
-Strategized design with manufacturing to drive retail price targets 
-Presented seasonal product launches with global affiliates

Product Development Manager & Product Designer 

-	Designed and illustrate unique textile constructions
-	Successfully expanded over 397 designs for merchandising in Costco, Target and Walmart generating over $4,000,000.00 in revenue
-	Worked directly with factories in China and India
-	Developed trend and brand analysis for Keurig, Corelle, Kitchen-Aid, Ralph Lauren, Fiestaware, Guy Fieri, Calvin Klein, Vera & Farberware
-	Presented concepts and sales presentations for kitchen textile license agreements

CAD Designer

Hardlines Technical Designer & Consultant,  5.11 Tactical Surplus: Modesto, CA
- Develop new camouflage pattern for SWAT and other Law enforcement teams
- Draft new soft goods for designer at full scale in Illustrator for production
- Develop T-shirt graphics designed for 5.11 Tactical’s target market
- Developed the hardlines technical library including all bags, pouches, holsters, belts, pads, watches, glasses, knives and hats using reference sheets in Microsoft Excell
- Draft all products in Illustrator at full scale for factory production in China
- Collect a bill of materials and pricing for each product
- Communicate prototype changes to factories in China to ensure the product is mass-produced to the designer’s specifications

Hardlines Technical Designer & Consultant

Design Intern Crye Associates: Brooklyn, NY
- Work closely with the US Special Forces to assist in design and develop of new technology including heating systems/masks for high altitude low deploy (HALO) diving suits, CAGE armor chassis, Airframe helmet & chops and gear pouch sets.
- Prototype concepts for field testing from patterns built in PAD for manufacturing, casting bullet proof plates for testing, build HALO dive masks from CAD plans, prototype temperature control circulatory systems.

Design Intern

Find out detailed information about Kenneth Bontje, Product Development Manager in Victoria, BC

Kenneth Bontje: Product Development Manager in Victoria, BC

Kenneth Bontje

Aqua Lung

Aqua Lung America

Town and Country Living

5.11 Tactical

Crye Associates

Glasgow School of the Art

Pratt Institute of Design