VP Venue Operations & Merchandising at Moodswings/Worlds (2022-07 – Present)
Global startup that develops, produces and distributes immersive films & experiences.
- Global Workforce Leadership: Architected and manage a complex international operational footprint spanning 12 countries and 60+ cities; direct a multi-tier team including Regional Managers and a field staff of 200+ associates.
- Full-Cycle People Operations: Own the entire human capital lifecycle, including global recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and labor compliance.
- Systems Infrastructure: Sourced and implemented the company's foundational tech stack for payroll, scheduling, and training (Deputy, Insperity, Airtable), utilizing WhatsApp and Slack to maintain synchronized real-time communication across global time zones.
- Merchandise Strategy & Inception: Directed the end-to-end merchandising lifecycle, including product development, global sourcing, and inventory distribution; built and launched a full private label business from concept to market in under 5 months.
- Supply Chain & Logistics: Engineered the global warehouse and fulfillment strategy, sourcing local solutions to ensure 24/7 product availability across all venue locations.
- Cross-Functional Integration: Serve as the central pillar for cross-team communication, aligning Sales, Marketing, and Finance to ensure operational readiness for all global initiatives.
Senior Director of Merchandising at 1800Flowers (2012-01 – 2020-02)
- Growth & Revenue Expansion: Engineered a hybrid market strategy across E-commerce, Corporate Gifting, and Wholesale, securing triple-digit growth in QVC (+151%) and Wholesale (+180%) channels.
- Operational Efficiency (Lean/Kaizen): Pioneered Lean initiatives and Kaizen events focused on SKU rationalization; achieved a 48% increase in SKU productivity and a 19% reduction in out-of-stock conditions, driving a 7% increase in bottom-line profit.
- Crisis Management & Brand Protection: Led critical contingency operations during a failed enterprise inventory system rollout; protected brand equity during peak holiday season by manually stabilizing inventory visibility and managing service escalations.
- Team Leadership: Managed a cross-functional merchant team of 13 to architect assortments balanced by price-point, category, and engagement. Directed the corporate Merchandising Excellence Council to establish best practices across the entire 1-800-Flowers enterprise.
- Business Development: Built the 'Everyday Gifting' business from the ground up, scaling it to 18% of total annual revenue within three years.
- Process Standardization: Formalized the product development lifecycle, documenting internal controls and seasonal SKU guidelines that served as the template for all enterprise divisions.
- Performance Excellence: Delivered five consecutive years of record-breaking profit and sales growth, resulting in the highest profit contribution in the enterprise (21%).
Senior Merchandising Director, Corporate Sales & Wholesale / Merchandising Director, Confections & Bakery / Senior Buyer, Fruit, Gifts & Tabletop at Harry & David Holdings, Inc. (2010-01 – 2011-01)
- Global Product Development & Sourcing: Directed end-to-end product development for a $360M portfolio across seven major categories. Managed extensive international vendor partnerships in China, Vietnam, India, and the UK, traveling on-site to factories and showrooms to oversee the development of a $20M hard-goods business.
- B2B & Wholesale Transformation: Built the Wholesale division from the ground up, scaling the B2B and Wholesale business to $75M. Engineered a customization strategy that drove a 300% increase in B2B business and secured major new partnerships with Macy's, Costco, and Target.
- Category Turnaround & Optimization: Successfully transformed a double-digit declining category into a top-performing business unit through aggressive markdown management, strategic promotions, and assortment innovation.
- Team Building & Talent Mentorship: Established the inaugural wholesale team; pioneered a leadership culture that resulted in 5 direct reports being promoted to high-level executive positions within the organization.
- Product Innovation: Headed the development of diverse categories including Confections, Bakery, Wolferman's, Fruit, and Tabletop, ensuring a cohesive brand story across all domestic and international specialty vendors.
Director of Merchandising & Advertising, Lord & Taylor at Finlay Fine Jewelry, Inc. (1999-01 – 2005-01)
Merchandise Planning Analyst at Edison Brothers, Inc. (1996-01 – 1999-01)
