Leece Gottfried

Highly accomplished, strategic, results driven professional with extensive years of Merchandise Planning, Inventory Management and Distribution. Strong analytical skills, organized, detailed oriented and team player. Goal is to bring my expertise of planning into a company to improve profitability by maintaining inventory levels and improving GMROI.

Teaching assistant in the Reading Lab and 4th grade at Happy Valley Elementary School (2025-08 – Present)

• Working with 1st/2nd grade children needing help to get to grade level reading by practicing reading and sounding out syllables
• Partnering with the 4th grade teacher to teach children accelerated math problems and more efficient writing skills

Inventory Planner at Innersense Organic Beauty (2024-06 – 2025-02)

• Managed Open to Buy by balancing out receipts and flow of inventory
• Forecasted and managed the financial success of all the inventory for the company which includes shampoos, conditioners, stylers, hair masks, color products and more
• Partnered with the warehouse, European warehouses, component vendors such as Berlin, Tricor on a daily/weekly basis to ensure that the inventory was flowing in on a timely basis
• Collaborated with cross-functional leaders to communicate marketing plans to reach financial objectives
• Perform ad hoc analysis & recommend courses of action to drive sales & mitigate risk
• Team player by running weekly reports for the company and recapping business for cross functional team
• Recapped quarterly performance by analyzing key product categories to use for future seasons
• Organized cycle counts for the warehouse

Inventory Planner at Janie and Jack (2021-10 – 2024-05)

• Oversaw and managed the financial success of Accessories ($20 Million annual business for the Company), by meeting and/or exceeding sales, comp, gross margin, gross margin return on investment (GMROI) and inventory turn goals established at the corporate level
• Managed Open to Buy
• Partnered with cross-functional leaders to communicate Division-level merchandising plans within management to reach financial objectives
• Analyzed business on subclass level to ensure GM$ goals
• Perform ad hoc analysis & recommend courses of action to drive sales & mitigate risk
• Managed in season markdowns to ensure profitable results
• Team player by running weekly reports for the company and recapping business for cross functional team
• Recapped quarterly performance by analyzing key product categories to use for future seasons

Promotional Sales Rep at Jeckil Promotions/O2 Marketing (2018-09 – 2021-09)

• Worked with Top Salesperson in the office to grow business
• Guided companies to promote their business through the use of promotional products while providing high levels of customer service
• Built client portfolio daily and strived to achieve monthly sales goals

Inventory Planner at Title Nine, Emeryville, California (2010-06 – 2015-05)

• Analyzed weekly and monthly business trends through retail dollars, gross margin, and ROI by maintaining inventory levels and the profitability of the departments
• Managed Open to Buy
• Recapped quarterly performance by analyzing key product categories to use for future seasons
• Managed approximately 50 vendors each season. Sending purchase orders, following up on deliveries, reordering, cancelling inventory when needed
• Partnered with cross functional team to discuss merchandise and strategies for product
• Negotiated markdown $ with vendors while working closely with President, Owner, CFO and VP of merchandising
• Checked catalog copy each season to ensure correct information in the catalog to our customers

Inventory Planner | Distribution Manager, Gap Kids at Gap Inc., San Francisco, California (2000-06 – 2005-06)

• Oversaw and managed the financial success of Gap Kids Accessories and Gap Girls Divisions (a $600 Million annual business for the Company in 2005), by meeting and/or exceeding sales, comp, gross margin, gross margin return on investment (GMROI) and inventory turn goals established at the corporate level
• Partnered with cross-functional leaders to communicate Division-level merchandising plans within divisional management; translated plan to distribution strategies that support merchandising and financial objectives
• Strategized with cross-functional leaders to design Company initial release strategies
• Ensured that pre-season size, pre-pack, DC-split, and initial model stock strategies align with Company objectives
• Managed and developed a staff of 7 Distribution Analysts and evaluated their success promoting several to positions of higher responsibility
• Delivered timely strategic, tactical, and quarterly revenue goal presentations to all levels of senior management in order to promptly respond to real-time sales, distribution and pricing developments throughout any given season

Merchandise Planner | Distribution Planner at Gap Inc., San Francisco, California (1995-09 – 2000-06)

• Managed the largest volume contributor of the new Gap Body division, which reached over $60 Million in annual volume in 2000
• Analyzed weekly and monthly business trends through retail dollars, gross margin, and unit sales by maintaining inventory levels and the profitability of the departments
• Developed quarterly department financial and inventory plans by class and style; Presented plans to CEO of Gap Inc. and merchandising VP
• Recapped quarterly performance by analyzing key product categories to use for future seasons
• Participated in a cross functional team to establish best practices of Gap basic styles and developed plans to incorporate new processes

Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration – The American University, Washington, D.C.