Product Marketing Professional with a range of cross functional category experience.
I have over 20 years of experience in a variety of positions within different retail channels.
I began my career working in retail stores, starting from a part-time employee and progressing into store management. I was able to learn operations, people management, and building cross team relationships early on in my career. I mastered the art of excellence in customer service from an industry leading organization, Walt Disney World Resorts.
Throughout my 10 years at Lane Bryant, I refined my management style, my customer-focused approach, transitioning into competitive and trend analysis as I moved in a merchant support role. Using the skills acquired in the store operations field, I was able to quickly adapt in corporate retail, applying this knowledge to my own Assistant Merchant role, while training and mentoring interns.
After Lane Bryant, I moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and held progressive roles at Kohl’s Department Stores. It was here that I refined my skills in analysis, product development, sourcing, production, and negotiations. I also visited some of Kohl’s manufacturers in China, India, Guatemala, and more. It was through these travels I was able to learn manufacturing and efficiencies in production.
At Batteries Plus, as well as my current role at American Tack & Hardware, I have gained additional product knowledge in hardlines, with a focus on commodities like various battery categories, consumer electronics, and residential lighting. In my current organization, I have held the role of Smartsheet Admin, managing the New Product Development process. I have developed new product process and guided the team on process improvement. I am the market, product, and category expert for my assigned categories. I define the overall strategy and roadmap, follow trends within the industry, co-design product concepts with manufacturers, define specifications for the concept and development of products, negotiate all costs and supplier terms, and deliver these to market through various sales channels. I am involved in all steps of the process, guiding and informing my cross functional teams in order to deliver innovative, timely products to market.
For more information regarding my professional experience, see my LinkedIn profile or download my printable resume, below.