Alex W. Kiyimba
LUXURY RETAIL OPERATIONS & RETAIL EXCELLENCE
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About
Luxury retail operations leader with 15+ years of experience across luxury, fashion, and specialty retail, including responsibility for a luxury showroom representing 35 watch brands and approximately $40M in business volume. Experienced in operational governance, inventory and e-commerce fulfillment, high-value merchandise, security, client service, process improvement, team development, and cross-functional execution. Proven ability to standardize workflows, strengthen controls, support commercial priorities, and deliver consistent retail and digital fulfillment experiences.
Strong communicator with experience in payroll and budget controls, vendor coordination, repairs, logistics, and Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, SAP, and Microsoft Office.
Experience
Operations Manager - WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND - New York, NY
(2024-01)
- Oversee daily operations for a luxury showroom representing 35 watch brands and approximately $40M in business volume, ensuring consistent execution of operational, security, inventory, and client-service standards.
- Maintain operational controls for high-value merchandise, including inventory counts, reconciliations, discrepancy investigations, merchandise movement, and documentation.
- Coordinate incoming and outgoing shipments, transfers, logistics, and merchandise movement while ensuring accuracy and compliance with established procedures.
- Support e-commerce and omnichannel fulfillment workflows by coordinating merchandise availability, order-related movement, shipment preparation, documentation, and accurate product flow.
- Coordinate merchandise repairs for showroom inventory and client-owned timepieces, managing intake, documentation, service workflows, shipment tracking, vendor relationships, and client communication.
- Identify opportunities to streamline and standardize operational procedures, improve workflows, strengthen controls, and increase productivity.
- Manage showroom supply ordering and inventory levels while balancing operational requirements with cost-conscious planning and business needs.
- Support launches, promotional initiatives, events, and brand programs by coordinating operational requirements and preparing teams for successful execution.
Operations Manager - DIESEL - New York, NY
(2021-01 - 2024-01)
- Managed store operations across sales floor and back-of-house functions, ensuring consistent execution of company procedures, operational standards, and daily business priorities.
- Partnered with the Store Manager on business initiatives that contributed to a 25% increase in sales versus the prior year.
- Managed receiving, stock organization, replenishment, inventory movement, and back-of-house procedures while maintaining an efficient operating environment.
- Supported e-commerce/omnichannel order fulfillment and merchandise flow, coordinating product availability, shipment processing, and accurate movement between store and customer channels.
- Identified operational opportunities and implemented process improvements to strengthen productivity, merchandise flow, inventory accuracy, and store execution.
- Managed staffing schedules and payroll expectations while balancing business needs, employee coverage, and controllable operating expenses.
- Recruited, onboarded, trained, coached, and developed employees through evaluations, development plans, and ongoing feedback.
- Coordinated vendor and supplier relationships while supporting loss prevention, merchandise protection, customer-service standards, and operational compliance.
Department Manager - H&M - New York, NY
(2017-01 - 2021-01)
- Managed daily department operations while ensuring consistent execution of company procedures, customer-service standards, merchandising priorities, and business objectives.
- Analyzed sales trends and business performance to identify opportunities for improved productivity, customer engagement, and commercial results.
- Recruited, onboarded, trained, coached, and developed employees while supporting succession planning and long-term team development.
- Managed inventory processes, replenishment, merchandise organization, and operational follow-up to maintain product availability and store standards.
- Managed weekly payroll against sales, balancing staffing requirements with business performance and operating priorities.
- Communicated operational expectations, business initiatives, and performance objectives to employees and followed up on execution.
- Ensured compliance with company policies, procedures, operational standards, and customer-service expectations.
Assistant Store Manager - FOREVER 21 - New York, NY
(2013-01 - 2017-01)
- Supported the Store Manager in daily store operations, sales initiatives, customer experience, inventory, staffing, and company standards.
- Supported sales-floor leadership and team engagement to maintain customer focus and achieve store business objectives.
- Recruited, onboarded, trained, coached, and developed employees while supporting retention and succession planning.
- Managed inventory, replenishment, merchandise organization, staffing schedules, and payroll expectations to support changing business needs.
- Implemented shrink-awareness and loss-prevention practices designed to reduce merchandise losses and strengthen inventory controls.
- Communicated operational priorities, company initiatives, procedures, and expectations to team members and followed up on execution.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration - Management - HERZING UNIVERSITY
Associate Degree - Accounting - MAKERERE UNIVERSITY
