Summary
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Timeline
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Cindy Newell

Holland,MI

Summary

Highly skilled, strategic, and results-driven sourcing executive with over 30 years of experience successfully improving procurement processes, lowering costs, and enhancing service for the customer. Proven senior-level experience sourcing and developing product in all categories within apparel, home, and accessories (including footwear, drinkware, and bags) for a variety of divisions, including men's, women's, and kid's. International and multicultural business acumen; proficient negotiator and expert at conducting business in Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Middle East, Central America, and South America. Accomplished leader and manager; adept at motivating and mentoring team members to create a culture of collaboration and deliver exceptional productivity while achieving/ exceeding company goals. Resourceful vice president with several years of results-oriented experience in business intelligence and operations management. Culturally-sensitive and ethical professional with demonstrated success in developing and implementing optimized solutions. Versatile leader recognized for driving results in collaborative, inclusive manner.

Work History

Vice-President Product Development and Sourcing

Zusa
Plymouth, MN
  • Responsible for overall strategy and execution of product procurement and costing, in all categories of the business
  • Challenged to reduce COGS on all existing styles, while maintaining existing quality and sustainable features
  • In the first 6 months, I reduced our COGS by 50%, while meeting or exceeding the quality expectations
  • This has created more opportunities with our current customer base, as well as opening new doors with new customers.

Director of Sourcing and Product Development

Maurices
Duluth, MN
  • As Maurices separated from Ascena Retail Group, my responsibilities included structuring our Global Sourcing Team, moving all Sourcing in-house
  • Managed a team of 12, to source all categories for this billion-dollar omni channel company
  • These categories included Knits, Wovens, Sweaters, Footwear, and Accessories
  • In the first year, my team exceeded our cost savings goal, achieving $15M, to a goal of $12M in savings.

Director of Sourcing and Product Development

Blair
Warren, PA
  • Oversee development and execution of all procurement and sourcing activity for $500M private label multi-channel catalog company
  • Research, design and implement global strategies for effective vendor identification, negotiation, and contracting
  • Work in partnership with executives and internal team members to ensure alignment of sourcing processes with business needs and objectives
  • Recruited to strategically redefine product development process and the development calendar, and to support the launch of a new PLM system
  • Reduced cost of goods by over $20M
  • Redesigned product development calendar to maximize efficiency, resulting in 92% on-time deliveries.

Senior Sourcing Manager

Meijer
Walker, MI
  • Managed all sourcing activity for women’s private label brands via effective collaboration with the Hong Kong office, product development, and merchant teams
  • Developed and implemented superior supply chain strategies and processes to lower costs and maximize efficiency
  • Effectively led, developed, and mentored team members to improve operational performance and employee engagement
  • Increased margins, by 6%, while improving product quality in each of the four women’s divisions.

Director of Sourcing / PLM Specialist

Coldwater Creek Direct
Hingham, MA
  • Directed all sourcing activity for women’s specialty clothing retailer including vendor selection, negotiation and contracting
  • Stabilized costs despite rapid market increase by building stronger vendor relations and effectively negotiating favorable terms
  • Led brand’s relaunch for exclusive catalog and web business, successfully sourcing all knits and sweaters
  • Established time and action calendar for both internal use and production
  • Trained all internal team members and overseas suppliers for the successful, on-time and under budget, launch of new PLM system
  • Increased year over year growth 26% and reduced costs of goods by 9%
  • Exceeded 100% of aggressive margin goals set by planning team.

International Divisional Manager, Sourcing and Product Development

TJX Companies Inc.
Framingham, MA
  • Managed international sourcing for leading off-price apparel and home goods retailer
  • Researched, planned and implemented a new product development strategy for children’s sweaters, responsible for more than $170M in business across Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and multiple chains in Canada and UK
  • Managed design team of 12+ members, bringing new designs to merchant teams while filling voids that were not previously available from market
  • Expanded vendor base to provide greater selection to customers while reducing overall costs
  • Successfully diversified 5% of departments and reduced cost of goods by 12%.

Director of Sourcing and Product Development

Coldwater Creek
Sandpoint, ID
  • Effectively directed sourcing processes for women’s specialty clothing retailer
  • Led, developed and mentored a product team of 10 professionals
  • Successfully fostered collaboration between designers and merchants to obtain exceptional new product designs each season
  • Led all aspects of production including cost negotiations, time and action calendars, and work-in-progress reports
  • Led a cross-functional task force responsible for reducing cost of goods by $10M
  • Directed product development for knits and sweaters, a $240M category and 56% of total business.

Director or Sourcing

Calvin Klein
New York, NY

Sourcing

Lands’ End
Dodgeville, WI

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA

Skills

  • Strategic Planning
  • Merchandising and Buying
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Vendor Negotiations
  • Cost Analysis and Reduction
  • Overseas Production
  • Product Line Expansion
  • E-Commerce Development
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Risk Management
  • Results-Driven
  • Team Leadership

Timeline

Vice-President Product Development and Sourcing

Zusa

Director of Sourcing and Product Development

Maurices

Director of Sourcing and Product Development

Blair

Senior Sourcing Manager

Meijer

Director of Sourcing / PLM Specialist

Coldwater Creek Direct

International Divisional Manager, Sourcing and Product Development

TJX Companies Inc.

Director of Sourcing and Product Development

Coldwater Creek

Director or Sourcing

Calvin Klein

Sourcing

Lands’ End

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

Rosemont College

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Cindy Newell