Adiaha Balewa
Teaneck
Summary
Dedicated Sourcing and Production professional with a history of meeting company goals utilizing consistent and organized practices. Skilled in working under pressure and adapting to new situations and challenges to best enhance the organizational brand.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Product Manager
SPARC Group LLC
05.2022 - Current
- Manage the product development process for the Aeropostale Gender Neutral fleece and Women's active/intimates/lounge/sleep/fashion fleece categories
- Oversee all facets of development sampling (concept + color, buy samples, red flag samples, tailoring samples) from initial tech pack hand off to floorset build, HLE and IR
- Monitor development ratios to ensure adoption rates remain with 60-70% range
- Align with Fabric R&D team to source knit and woven fabrications, and trims
- Attend all fit sessions to ensure calendar deliverables are maintained
- Review vendor submits with design to advise comments
- Work with planning and merchandising to facilitate reorders
- Evaluate shade bands to meet acceptable wash standards for bulk production
PRODUCTION MANAGER
GINA GROUP
06.2021 - 05.2022
- Monitor all facets of production to ensure timely delivery of products via WIP report creation/maintenance
- Work with logistics and import team to build load plans for the division to ensure goods ship according to confirmed ETD
- Negotiate deliverables and milestone dates for all cut-to-orders
- Negotiate costing from initial development to final placement for all brands (Rampage, Kensie, Daisy Fuentes, Halston, Adrienne Vittadini)
- Build and create all costing charts to review with the President of the Division
- Work closely with design on new development and proto sampling
- Source new factories in conjunction with the Director of Production and manage factory base for quality, cost, delivery
- Manage on-time placement of final buys with the President of the Division
- Work closely with Design to ensure on-time approvals
PRODUCTION MANAGER
CENTRIC BRANDS LLC
02.2019 - 02.2020
- Streamline the factory base for maximum performance of product execution and company deliverables
- Negotiate deliverables and plan factory capacity for the Timberland Socks direct retail and wholesale markets
- Negotiate costing from initial development to final placement to ensure profitability for volume buys
- Work closely with Director of Sales and Director of Merchandising to review and align seasonal needs
- Build and create all costing charts to review with sales team and licensor
- Work closely with design on factory allocation and proto sampling
- Manage factory base for quality, cost, delivery with design, product development, and senior management
- Evaluate and manage vendor performance critically based on purchase order history of on-time delivery, lead time, quality acceptance rates, fulfilment, and margins to accurately report on-time performance (OTP) to licensor
- Manage on-time placement of final buys with staff and cross-functional teams, tracking of WIP and production from hand off to final deliveries and ensure all necessary approvals have been obtained
- Manage non-compliance/claims chargebacks with vendors
- Partner with Merchandising, Design and Sales to ensure correct execution of products in production and attain agreed-upon margin goals and delivery
- Review size / fit / color of all PPS and advise comments to factories
- Work closely with Design to ensure on-time approvals
- Execute quality control initiatives, including QA analysis and solutions
- Effectively manage a team of three Production Coordinators and Merchandisers in both the NYO and Asia office locations
PRODUCT SOURCING MANAGER
CUTIE PIE BABY
10.2016 - 02.2019
- Direct support to VP of Production and Sourcing
- Cross-functional collaboration with design and vendors for new development and sourcing
- Manage portfolio of product for six brands totaling an annual business of $50 million
- Assist in incremental revenue opportunities of $2.5 million in core programs
- Increased GM% by 4 basis points
- Point person for cost negotiating and engineering to meet target margin
- Successfully land final costs down 3-5% from LY and PY
- Review and decide final placement of all production/sourcing with VP of Production
- Manage private label orders with sales team for big box retailers
- Manage and oversee entire first proto sampling process with all vendors
- Communicate order details/size breakdown to vendors for all orders/programs
- Identify issues and review all customer orders for production team to issue VPO
- Oversee production coordinators to ensure VPOs are issued to factory in timely manner
ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION MANAGER
DELTA GALIL USA
12.2014 - 09.2016
- Negotiate production deliverables with overseas factories (China, Malaysia, Bangladesh)
- Approve/reject vessel/air bookings via Expeditors OMB site
- Review sales order commits to determine x-factory date and issue PO to overseas vendors
- Work closely with design and product development teams to ensure timely approvals of samples/submits
- Research and analyze debit notes and outstanding debts to submit to AP
- Create/maintain/monitor WIP report to ensure timely delivery to customers
- Work closely with the Bangladesh team to ensure PO’s are accurately created with correct cost and deliverables
- Procured required manufacturing equipment and parts.
ASSOCIATE PRE-PRODUCTION MANAGER
SEARS HOLDING CORPORATION
10.2012 - 10.2014
- Successfully reduced initial costing to land within 3-5% of final cost through analysis of historical costing and by working closely with design to cost engineer product as needed
- Facilitate entire pre-production process from VOS fabric development and vendor allocation to final costing and placement for knit/woven categories for all big boys brands: Canyon River Blues, Amplify, Basic Editions, Route 66, SK2, Joe Boxer Fleece (big boys/big girls/infant-toddler)
- Conduct market research to identify key items and “whitespace opportunities” to add to our core big boys brands
- Perform retail analysis of the competitive market to determine where merchandising teams can potentially improve IMU through increased retail prices
- Simultaneously and effectively manage three separate T&A calendars: fast fashion (27 week) / contemporary (30 week) / essentials (40 week)
- Assist design in merchandising key looks in preparation for Product Review
- Maintain daily communication between design, IBOs, sourcing teams and overseas offices to ensure team adheres to Time and Action deadlines
- Communicate updates and changes made to the line to all cross-functional teams
- Analyze merchandising seasonal needs lists to chart business growth
- Create seasonal reports to highlight the style development ratio in comparison to style adoption ratio for each brand
AXCESS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
LIZ CLAIBORNE, INC
01.2010 - 08.2012
- Researched, identified, sourced and negotiated all components of the product, pricing and capacity while maintaining and maximizing profit margin
- Coordinated all phases of product development and production: collaborated with design, merchandising, and overseas offices and manage time and action calendars
- Reviewed, analyzed and negotiated PLT’s to ensure factories adhere to calendar
- Worked closely with design to help reduce FOB for woven, knits, sweaters
- Created cost log download to analyze data with product development team, sales and design
- Prepared spreadsheets to review for pre-costing and final costing meetings
- Monitored early fabric/yarn commits while constantly communicating with sales
- Attended weekly fittings to document design changes for Li & Fung
- Ensured product category/classification and duty rates are correctly identified in the cost
Education
B.A. - Pre-Law
CUNY - The City College of New York
New York, NYSkills
- Tech Pack Analysis
- Competitor Analysis
- Market Research Analysis
- Product Metrics Tracking
- Project Management
- T/A Calendar Management
- Cost Engineering
- Cost Negotiation
- Staff Management
- Logistics
- MS Office, PLM, CMA, Arizona, Monarch, Visual 2000, Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator), StarPDM, Lightspeed, AS400, Movex, AMT
Timeline
Associate Product Manager
SPARC Group LLC
05.2022 - Current
PRODUCTION MANAGER
GINA GROUP
06.2021 - 05.2022
PRODUCTION MANAGER
CENTRIC BRANDS LLC
02.2019 - 02.2020
PRODUCT SOURCING MANAGER
CUTIE PIE BABY
10.2016 - 02.2019
ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION MANAGER
DELTA GALIL USA
12.2014 - 09.2016
ASSOCIATE PRE-PRODUCTION MANAGER
SEARS HOLDING CORPORATION
10.2012 - 10.2014
AXCESS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
LIZ CLAIBORNE, INC
01.2010 - 08.2012
B.A. - Pre-Law
CUNY - The City College of New York
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