Asutosh Kumar Mishra

Results-driven brand and category leader with 12 years of experience shaping product strategy, brand growth and stakeholder alignment in fashion & lifestyle retail

Category Head at RELIANCE RETAIL (2023-01 – Present)

• P&L responsibility for Non-Apparel, Sleepwear and Innerwear categories at Azorte, managing an INR 80 Cr business
• Built and led cross functional teams across buying, merchandising and sourcing to drive operational excellence in an omnichannel format
• Launched these segments in the first year, contributing 5% of NSV (12% at present), while resolving exceptions and enabling sustainable business growth

Product Owner at ADIDAS AG (2022-01 – 2023-12)

• Core member of Adidas' global D2C transformation team, driving end-to-end value optimization initiatives for customers worldwide in unified commerce
• Led development of an integrated planning and replenishment tool under the Trans4m program representing business end-user with the solutions provider
• Optimized assortment planning, buying, allocation and replenishment processes with phased market roll-outs starting with North America followed by Europe

Chief Operating Officer at NFDI, MINISTRY OF TEXTILES (2020-01 – 2021-12)

• Established & operationalized Smart Wearable Systems (SWS) and Fashion & Lifestyle Accessories (F&LA) start-up incubators, launching operations in 90 days
• Onboarded 15 start-ups, 3 SMEs and 2 VC partners while defining operating policy and deploying an INR 1 Cr budget for infrastructure and procurement

Design Manager at TIMEX GROUP (2019-01 – 2020-12)

• Led category management and NPD for watches and wearables across SE Asia for Ted Baker, Benetton & Nautica managing an INR 150 Cr portfolio
• Delivered rapid growth initiatives including Covid contingency programmes generating INR 10 Cr & 4 wearable launches in H2 generating INR 25 Cr revenue
• Drove innovation through 100-SKUs seasonal portfolios in line with Timex HQ aligning global brand strategy, R&D, vendors and across channel requirement

Asst. Design Manager at RAYMOND LTD. (2017-01 – 2019-12)

• Led NPD for lifestyle, personal and travel accessories across Raymond, Made to Measure and Park Avenue, managing an INR 300 Cr business and aligning accessories with main apparel business to deliver a unified, one-stop brand proposition
• Turned around a stagnant category, delivering 15% average seasonal growth and executing launch strategies for 500 SKUs each season

Senior Designer at WILLIAM PENN PVT LTD. (2013-01 – 2017-12)

• Built and scaled Lapis Bard, a luxury writing and accessories brand contributing 15% revenue growth and company turnover to INR 100 Cr in 2 years, delivering 30% YoY growth
• Optimized manufacturing processes and vendor partnerships to enhance product quality, reduce costs and enable scalable new product launches

UI Designer at ITC INFOTECH (2012-01 – 2013-12)

• Part of core design team of marquee banking client Danske Bank
• Designed compliant UI/UX solutions for high-security banking applications

Master of Business Administration in Strategy and Marketing – Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (2021-01 – 2022-12)

Bachelor of Design in Fashion & Lifestyle Accessories – National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bhopal (2008-01 – 2012-12)