ALEKSANDRA MCGRATH
Orland Park,IL
Summary
Data-driven Maritime Logistics & Transportation Analyst with 11 years of experience optimizing transportation networks, analyzing freight costs and improving carrier performance. Skilled in leveraging advanced Excel function, TMS/ERP systems and BI tools to deliver actionable insights that reduce costs, improve service levels and support strategic decision-making.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Capacity and Supply Chain Planner
NEWELL BRANDS
01.2023 - Current
- Completed and communicated Supplier Forecasts and Capacity Plans to Sourcing, Sales and Management teams.
- Directed and oversaw daily operations for a high-volume warehouse supporting air, ground, and ocean freight logistics, ensuring compliance with company standards and federal regulations.
- Managed P&L performance, achieving 19% profitability improvement through cost-control strategies and operational efficiencies.
- Lead and develop a team of 5 employees, providing training, coaching, and performance evaluations to strengthen skills and accountability.
- Responsible for creating multiple production/capacity scenarios based on supplier’s ready dates, transit time, and total volume per program/project.
- Managed level load plans by working closely with overseas capacity planning team, U.S. Demand Planning, Purchasing, and Sourcing.
- Monitored and planned production based on forecasts and customer’s demand.
Transportaion Planner
IKEA
10.2019 - 04.2021
- Directed inbound/outbound planning and capacity management for a high-volume distribution center.
- Issued shipping forecasts and coordinated with carriers to meet demand fluctuations, ads, and promotional activities.
- Monitored transportation performance across multiple carriers, streamlining escalation processes and reducing service failure incidents.
- Assisted in last-mile delivery strategy development, cutting average delivery costs while improving service speed.
- Ensured accuracy and integrity of data across TMS, ERP, and carrier tracking systems, improving reporting reliability.
- Created standardized and ad-hoc reporting packages for senior leadership, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency.
- Leveraged Excel (PivotTables, Power Query, macros) to automate freight cost audits, saving X hours monthly in manual work.
Logistics and Transportation Manager
WARNER BROS STUDIOS
08.2016 - 12.2018
- Supported multi-site warehouse operations, focusing on cost efficiency, compliance, and customer satisfaction.
- Supervised daily freight forwarding operations, ensuring safe and timely handling of shipments across diverse industries.
- Managed vendor relationships with cartage and linehaul carriers, negotiating contracts and ensuring quality service.
- Tracked and analyzed freight costs across multiple modes (parcel, LTL, FTL, international), identifying cost-saving opportunities and reducing shipping expenses.
- Developed and maintained freight KPIs, including cost-per-shipment, improving visibility for leadership teams.
Logistics Specialist
DELUXE FILM SERVICES
01.2013 - 08.2016
- Looked after 3 key accounts (Pinewood, Odeon Group and Artificial Eye), managed and maintained a good business relationship with the clients.
- Assisted 20th Century Fox/Paramount/Warner Account Managers with overall logistics activities.
- Responsible for all the dispatching, routing, and tracking of delivery vehicles.
- Handled client concerns and directed problems to suitable parties.
- Developed logistical plans, policies, and procedures necessary to provide support in the logistic areas of supply, logistics, transportation, maintenance, and services.
- Responsible for processing and maintaining orders, making sure that they are fulfilled in a timely manner, to ensure all sites and cinemas are provided with the film formats required. This means coordinating with the distribution warehouse, making sure all orders are processed according to the required by date.
- Managed and delivered wide range of event for Fox and Warner Brothers Studio from creative concept to onsite execution.
Ordinary Seaman
M.F. GRYF UNITY LINE
06.2006 - 06.2007
- Operated deck machinery and equipment efficiently during vessel operations.
- Assisted in navigation and safety procedures to ensure compliance with maritime regulations.
- Conducted routine inspections of lifeboats and firefighting equipment for preparedness.
- Collaborated with crew members to maintain cleanliness and organization of deck spaces.
Cadet Officer
M.S. NAVIGATOR XXI
03.2006 - 05.2006
- Supervised training programs for new cadets, enhancing skill acquisition and operational readiness.
- Developed and implemented safety protocols, ensuring compliance with organizational standards.
- Coordinated logistical support for training exercises, streamlining resource allocation and usage.
- Led team drills and simulations, fostering collaboration and effective communication among cadets.
Education
Master of Management and Production Engineering - Maritime Academy
Maritime Academy of Szczecin
05.2012
Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Transport - Maritime Academy
Maritime Academy of Szczecin
04.2008
Skills
- Freight & Cost Analysis - parcel, LTL, FTL, international shipping
- Transportation Management Systems (TMS)
- ERP Systems - SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, etc
- Data Analysis & Reporting
- Advanced Microsoft Excel - PivotTables, Power Query, VLOOKUP
- Business Intelligence Tools - Tableau, Power BI, Looker
- SQL (basic to intermediate) - querying transportation data
- KPI Development & Tracking - cost-per-shipment, on-time performance, invoice accuracy, etc
- Scenario Modeling & Network Optimization - mode shifts, routing guides
- Contract / Bid Analysis -carrier and 3PL negotiations
Accomplishments
- Reduced freight costs by 17% through detailed cost analysis, carrier negotiations, and optimized mode selection at Newell Brands.
- Improved on-time delivery rate by 23% by monitoring carrier KPIs and driving corrective actions with underperforming carriers at Deluxe.
- Developed automated dashboards in Power BI/Tableau, providing real-time visibility into shipping performance and cutting reporting time by 6 hours per month at IKEA.
- Streamlined freight audit process, using Excel Power Query and TMS data integration, saving $26,000 annually in overbilling corrections at Warner Brothers.
- Supported successful RFPs and contract negotiations by preparing bid analyses that identified 18% cost savings across 3PL partners at IKEA
.
Timeline
Capacity and Supply Chain Planner
NEWELL BRANDS
01.2023 - Current
Transportaion Planner
IKEA
10.2019 - 04.2021
Logistics and Transportation Manager
WARNER BROS STUDIOS
08.2016 - 12.2018
Logistics Specialist
DELUXE FILM SERVICES
01.2013 - 08.2016
Ordinary Seaman
M.F. GRYF UNITY LINE
06.2006 - 06.2007
Cadet Officer
M.S. NAVIGATOR XXI
03.2006 - 05.2006
Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Transport - Maritime Academy
Maritime Academy of Szczecin
Master of Management and Production Engineering - Maritime Academy
Maritime Academy of Szczecin
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