RESUME

Employing a ‘test and learn’ approach to corporate retail strategy, entrepreneurial merchandising executive delivers tremendous business results helping market leaders and emerging brands gain wallet share. Specializes in reviving brand loyalty by balancing innovation with staying true to the core customer.

Throughout a successful 20-year buying and merchandising career, has been the driving force behind significant growth across apparel and accessories categories. Strategically identifies emerging trends and builds cohesive assortments that tell compelling brand stories.

Respected for strategic insight and creative excellence, ignites ongoing brand success through data-driven insights enhanced by deep industry expertise. The people-first leader has transformed retail apparel buying and merchandising by empowering teams to be thought leaders and nurturing the passion that inspires them each day.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Growth Strategies	Customer Experience	Market Research/Trend Analysis
Strategic Planning	Industry Partnerships	Complex Assortment Planning
Digital Merchandising	Product Forecasting & Planning	Team Coaching & Mentorship
Brand Differentiation	KPIs/P&L Management	Inventory Management

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ZULILY, Seattle, WA 2021 to 2023

Director of Merchandising/Divisional Merchandise Manager, Womens, Mens & Accessories (2022-2023)

Directed 62 merchants across women’s and men’s apparel, accessories, and sports licensing business units. Restructured 4 teams to support key strategic categories and mentored members’ professional growth.
Increased conversion through customer-focused product selection, deep personalization and limited-time deals that prompted frequent revisits, successfully reversing the 27% economy-fueled decline in overall site traffic.
Delivered 3090 bps YOY trend improvement for the division and boosted per unit margin performance 10% by negotiating more favorable vendor terms and nurturing undeveloped partnerships for sustained growth.
Decreased aged inventory by approximately 30% and sped up inventory turn through more stringent analysis and purchase requirements, and hyper-focused category and brand planning guided by real time data.
Created scalable Excel planning tools adopted by the entire team to report monthly quarterly and annualized forecasts, and actual to plan results.

Interim Director, Beauty, Wellness & Consumables (2021-2022)

Developed reporting with the data analytics team to analyze contribution profit and customer demographic shifts to enable the company to keep up with changing consumer preferences.
Despite company headwinds, improved category profitability by 225 bps over prior 9-month period and achieved 1% growth in total business portfolio through strategic assortment and vendor planning.

Merchandise Manager, Consumables (2021)

Formulated 3-year merchandising, marketing, fulfillment, and technology strategies for the nascent category. Increased total portfolio revenue by $4.4M year-over-year by curating unique items from small boutique brands.
Received the Leading with Purpose Award for a new incentive program rolled out to all teams that positively impacted engagement across the entire merchandising organization.
Drove $10M in incremental annual demand by reengaging key accounts and integrating category-focused account executives into the merchant team to develop new relationships, which required an entirely new process.

ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES, Woodstock, NY 2017 to 2021

Managing Member

Founded SERÁ and launched a startup brand of small batch essential oil products, and sourced and curated handmade housewares and lifestyle products from more than two dozen domestic and international artisans.
Provided e-commerce consulting as managing member of Bluestone Mavericks LLC, and built e-commerce stores on the Shopify platform, designing site layouts, navigation, and merchandising. Click here to see some projects.

SAKS OFF 5TH | GILT GROUPE, New York, NY 2012 to 2017

Senior Vice President/General Merchandise Manager, Mens | Saks OFF 5th and Gilt Groupe (2016-2017)

Led a VP-level team of more than 50 associates and increased sales and margin by refining buying processes. Expanded inventory productivity 3-5x through assortment planning that focused on geographic customer needs.
Generated $400M annualized comp sales and multichannel growth through trend forecasting and promotional pricing that drove engagement.
Evangelized company vision and leveraged strong market relationships to drive best assortments and priority status with vendors and cross-banner partners.

Vice President/Divisional Merchandise Manager, Mens | Saks OFF 5th (2014-2016)

Delivered YOY double-digit comp store growth, >10% increase in digital sales and $300M in annualized sales through trend-right assortments, key item holiday drivers and quarterly events.
Presented omni-channel marketing strategies to the executive team, banner president, and CEO as division representative. Directed team of 5-7 direct reports with product and category expertise who led 20 associates.

Senior Buyer, Sportswear & Footwear, Mens | Saks OFF 5th (2013-2014)

Reversed a comparative store sales downtrend and achieved an increase over previous year. Planned and strategized for +50% growth, implementing chainwide footwear repricing that upped gross margin +250 bps.
Tightened open-to-buy to ensure monthly trend and seasonally appropriate assortments. Implemented a pillar brand strategy to expand key resources into all doors for both footwear and sportswear.

Buyer, Men’s & Kids, FashionFix, Mens & Kids | Saks OFF 5th (2012-2013)

Achieved a 130% increase in Spring ’13 sales over the prior year. Expanded product assortment by increasing vendor matrix by 85% and raising portfolio penetration from 9% to 12%.
Embraced corporate omni-channel initiatives by partnering with store-line buying teams for expanded market presence. New target penetrations for underdeveloped businesses increased gross margin 900 bps over plan.

URBANDADDY/BLACKMARKET, New York, NY 2011 to 2012

Merchandise Manager, Mens

Conducted extensive market research to create an innovative approach to full price ecommerce for new lifestyle brand. Created scalable buying, merchandising, and customer service processes to support growth.
Constructed a strategic marketing plan and cultivated relationships with 80+ vendors. Attended domestic & international trade shows to discover unique products for market differentiation.

JOHN VARVATOS, New York, NY 2010 to 2011

Senior Buyer, Mens Tailored Clothing, Furnishings, Accessories & Footwear

Managed buying and merchandising for 11 luxury sales channels, collaborating with production and design departments, and licensee partners to refine assortments. Developed the first online shopping gift-giving tool.
Identified key items to enhance in-store brand image and coordinated new accessory launch with corporate and store visual teams. Reviewed sales daily with director of stores and adjusted purchases to deliver on plan.

DOLCE & GABBANA, New York, NY 2008 to 2010

Account Executive, Mens Apparel, Footwear, & Accessories

Represented the entire D&G collection of apparel, shoes, and accessories, delivering over $10M in annual sales. Selected merchandise from the worldwide collection to cater to a discerning luxury fashion clientele.
Managed the largest menswear accounts in the US and Canada, and more than a dozen North American specialty stores. Collaborated with ecommerce clients on assortment planning and digital merchandising.

BERGDORF GOODMAN, New York, NY 2002 to 2008

Mens Buyer, Tailored Clothing & Sportswear; Buyer, Furnishings; Associate Buyer, Furnishings; Assistant Buyer, Designer Sportswear, Men’s Tailored Clothing & Furnishings

EDUCATION

New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York, NY | Bachelor Degree, Individualized Major focusing on The Psychology of Identity and Its Reflection in Clothing

Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY | buying and merchandising coursework

Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA | MFA coursework in interior architecture & design