Director

• Balanced professional background in consumer goods, including both North America and International experience in corporate and retail environments, store and distribution centers, and import and domestic product.
• Solid experience in establishing category strategy, financial sales, inventory, and margin budgets, developing and implementation of new process and systems, establishing and managing the supply chain planning, assortment, replenishment and allocation, exceptionally well developed skills in research and data analysis.
• Mentor and leader, able to motivate staff to meet and exceed organizational goals; capitalize on staffs strengths and provide an atmosphere of respect to foster a productive team environment.
• Polished interpersonal, communicative and persuasive skills.  A professional with persistence and initiative who creates an innovative yet practical approach to developing and implementing company objectives; collaborate with CEO, President, Directors and Vice Presidents in the Planning, Buying, IT, Distribution, Ecommerce, Logistics, Visual Presentation, and Store Operations departments.
• Strong problem-solving skills; identify current and potential challenges, evaluate strategy alternatives and implement positive solutions.

Wholesale, Concessions
February 2013-February 2016
• Lead a team of Planning Managers, Associate Planners, Allocation Analysts, Financial Analyst, and Manager of Supply Chain for the international business development division
• Built sales, assortment and inventory strategies to grow each international and domestic partner's business
• Ensured monthly receipt planning was executed with logistic planning to meet and exceed revenue plans
• Established and spearheaded product assortment planning and allocation strategy by international partner, store attribute and volume grades that support the merchandising and financial objectives
• Developed and analyzed weekly statistical documents, collaborated with merchandising and store operations for recommendation actions
• Established and collaborated with the international and wholesale partners concerning business management strategies some of which included: merchandising needs, mix, inventory levels and markdown optimization
• Established and implemented new planning and allocation strategy related to process and systems. Collaborated with IT to establish project plans, implementation and ensure systems supported best practices
• Determined and executed supply chain process from two distribution centers: Hong Kong and US. Directed shipping plans and DC production with the Manager of Supply Chain
• Directed the financial planning process for the division including management of accounts, budget process and department expenses

Associate Planners, Allocation Analysts, Financial Analyst, and Manager of Supply Chain

Business Development - B2B Sales - International and North America

• Lead the inventory management and analysis team, which included a Manager of Allocation, Allocation Analysts, and New Store Planner for multiple store chains both in North America and Europe
• Established strategy to ensure accurate and timely placement of merchandise in the stores based on selling potential and global merchandising plans
• Directed the analysis of reviewing of sales trends and inventory levels for the purpose of adjusting strategy decisions (S&OP)
• Developed system upgrades for planning, replenishment and allocation.  Established reporting for multiple areas of the business such as planning, store operations, distribution center and buying to ensure management of company objectives
• Developed direct reports on methodologies and systems for commonality of techniques utilized which established best practices for allocation and analysis
• Established and implemented training programs for various departments and direct reports on education of the allocation process and systems.
• Established strategy for assortment prototypes and profiles to optimize sales and inventory goals
• Directed prototype, new, and remodel store planning process
• Initiated and developed the design documentation for the Assortment Planning project.  Documented guidelines for the present and future Assortment Planning process that was used to determine the vendor base
• Participated in vendor meetings to view Assortment Planning systems and determined the positives and negatives of each system, recommended the best option as it related to the established process
• Implemented the allocation system project plan, including participating on the design team, establishing timelines, system roll-out and new procedures
• Managed the inventory strategy initiative, system management and special projects for the Europe division for 2 years.  Traveled to Europe to partner with European peers and implemented North America best practices
• Key participant in the Claire's Ecommerce steering committee. Established fullfilment requirements and coordination of corporate distribution center and fullfillment center in inventories used in the implementation of Ecommerce
• Promoted to Director of Planning and Allocation-International

Executive Director, Inventory Management

• Created and implemented JDA Arthur planning system and MMS allocation system for Claire's Store's Inc.
• Collaborated between Planning and Allocation, IT and Financial Planning to ensure systems achieved company objectives.
• Established planning and allocation philosophies and methodologies
• Trained Planning, Allocation and Financial departments on new systems, including initial training, on-going training of more advanced applications and creation of manuals
• Established time lines and scope of work to obtain system rollout goals
• Created a planning system that delivered data consistency between all levels of the planning hierarchy and used as the primary planning tool
• Directed the process of automating the planning and allocation environments that provided business process consistency.
• Promoted to Director of Allocation

Manager of Planning and Allocation

May 1997-May 1999
• Established financial chain level plans to meet corporate sales, margin, and inventory turnover objectives.
• Developed assortment planning process to tie the chain level plans to store level plans.
• Managed open-to-buy, product flow, and supply chain process through an interactive process with buyers and vendors.
• Established store sales and inventory unit and dollar plans.
• Executed replenishment methodology through managing three Allocation Analysts.
• Managed the in-stock goals for advertisements.
• Forecasted basic item sales and inventories using the E3 replenishment system.

Merchandise Planner

• Managed staff of seven Allocation Analysts responsible for the allocation and replenishment of $443 million.
• Established store sales and inventory unit and dollar plans.
• Analyzed store inventories, sales trends, and promotional events to forecast the logistical flow of merchandise.
• Forecasted basic replenishment items for a 95% in-stock position.
• Promoted to Merchandise Planner.

Store Planner

• Allocated and distributed inventory to a 250 store chain.
• Promoted to Store Planner

Sally Simpson: Director in Chicago, IL

Sally Simpson

Walgreen Co., WBA

Finance-International

Claire's Stores, Inc

Allocation and Replenishment

Claire's Store's Inc

Wards

Wards

Wards

Gymboree

Cacique

Eastern Illinois University