CRYSTAL NEELS
Iron Station,NC
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President, Store Environment
Lowe's
07.2024 - Current
- Directed business strategy and operations for nationwide retail locations, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to implement customer experience initiatives that improved satisfaction.
- Directed strategic planning initiatives to enhance operational efficiency across multiple departments.
- Analyzed market trends to identify strategic growth opportunities and support decision-making.
Sr. Director Merchandising - Assortment Planning
Lowe's
01.2024 - 06.2024
- Led development of SKU rationalization solutions, driving the exit of 4000 national items from our network in order to boost sales and GMROI.
- Drove the retention and growth of our pipeline of female leaders by spearheading the Women in Leadership development program for Store Merchandising
- Analyzed existing systems and infrastructure to propose necessary enhancements.
- Recruited top talent from diverse sources to fulfill critical staffing needs and strengthen team capabilities.
Divisional Merchandising Services Director
Lowe's
04.2022 - 01.2024
- Managed team of 10K+ associates across regional, district, and store leadership levels to enhance operational efficiency
- Supported the operations of a network consisting of 605 stores, comprising 6 RVPs, 62 DMs, and Store Managers
- Achieved sales growth by implementing resets, localization initiatives, pricing strategies, and superior customer service in retail space and live nursery
- Achieved $17M reduction in non-sellable live nursery through targeted inventory management and process improvements
- Spearheaded Women in Leadership development program, enhancing retention and growth of female leaders in Store Merchandising
- Developed a newly created LEAD top talent program for district leaders creating a pipeline of talent and led the development and execution of the DMSM LE program for all regions in 2023
Senior Director Inventory Replenishment & Planning
Lowe's
03.2020 - 04.2022
- Achieved record-breaking sales of over $13B in 2020, followed by surpassing the milestone with $13.8B in 2021 despite navigating significant supply chain and inventory challenges amid a national pandemic.
- Led company-wide expansion by launching 2 ecosystems, achieving average inventory reduction of $250K per store and significant decrease in overall network inventory.
- Developed strategies aligning with corporate goals through management of sales, margins, and inventory; executed OTB planning via demand forecasting, inventory management, receipt flow, turn, and exit strategies.
- Set instock targets to drive market growth through analysis of capacity, sales, and vendor lead times.
- Developed financial plans for a $13B division, including sub-division and product group plans, to support company sales, turn, and margin objectives. Conducted analytics and in-season reforecasting using current trend and historical data.
- Led total company Inventory staffing and succession planning, hiring 10 Sr SC Planners to build a bench of talent for future openings.
Director Supply Chain Replenishment
Lowe's
01.2019 - 03.2020
- Developed and implemented inventory allocation and flow strategies, achieving in-stock goals for 9 merchandise divisions within $59B business.
- Directed execution of seasonal and item exit strategies for product categories, proactively resolving issues to maintain product availability.
- Led company initiative to increase order frequency and LTL consolidation, leading to $100M reduction in inventory.
- Implemented Ready to Ship program with vendors, improving visibility and accountability of product availability for shipment.
Director Supply Chain & Merchandise Planning
Lowe's
04.2018 - 01.2019
- Led development and coordination of merchandise planning and supply chain strategies for Kitchen's Merchandise division, enhancing sales and inventory productivity.
- Developed financial plans for $6B division and sub-divisions, aligning with company sales, turn, and margin objectives; oversaw in-season analytics and re-forecasting based on trends and historical data.
- Implemented and optimized sales, margin, and inventory strategies to align with corporate objectives and initiatives, overseeing OTB through demand forecasting, inventory management, and receipt flow optimization.
Senior Market Director
PepsiCo
10.2015 - 12.2017
- Led team of 35 executives in executing marketing, sales, and distribution strategies across 6 Pepsi Beverages locations in North and South Carolina
- Achieved consistent annual sales growth, exceeding $124 million, resulting in increased customer satisfaction
- Guided project team in consolidating two warehouses and delivery locations, introducing new small format delivery system while achieving zero employee turnover
- Developed Talent Pipeline and strategic talent development initiatives to cultivate aspiring leaders and support leadership advancement
- Regional Sponsor of the North American Beverages Diversity Advisory Board
- North Carolina Beverage Association Board of Directors
Senior Director of Distribution
Target
Newton, NC
06.2014 - 05.2015
- Led diverse team of 50 executives and 600 team members, enhancing service quality for 82 stores across East Coast.
- Delivered $45 million annual operating budget to support $2.5 billion in annual sales
- Consistently exceeded budget goals, achieving top 5 ranking in US operations.
- Implemented change management strategies to optimize temporary worker utilization, minimize union involvement, and streamline expenses through innovative technology integration, increasing employee engagement.
- Developed and executed talent development strategies to cultivate future talent and effectively distribute it across stores.
District Senior Director
Target
Orange County, CA
06.2012 - 06.2014
- Managed 9 Target retail stores and oversaw annual sales of over $450 million dollars
- Managed a team consisting of over 2,700 staff members, 124 team leaders, 84 executive team leaders, and 9 store managers
- Exceeded company objectives through year-over-year sales growth, enhancing pharmacy loyalty program, hiring executive talent, developing next-level talent, improving guest service, and leading highly engaged teams.
- Promoted 2 store directors to district directors, advanced 14 executives to store directors/district business partners, elevated 6 team leaders to executives, and promoted another set of 6 team leaders to seniors, facilitating growth of 14 team members to team leaders.
- Led successful United Way campaign for Southern California region, surpassing company targets and providing vital support to local communities.
Store Director
Target
Norco, CA
04.2010 - 06.2012
- Achieved a significant +11% sales volume increase within 2 years, resulting in $38 million annual revenue.
- Managed a team of over 300 associates, including 15 team leaders and 8 executive team leaders.
- Developed skilled leadership pipeline, resulting in promotions of 2 executives to store directors, 2 team leaders to executives, and 3 team leaders to senior positions, while advancing 5 team members to leadership roles.
- Led change management efforts to implement total store remodel, expanding store footprint to include full grocery assortment.
- Achieved recognition as top leader in Team Culture and Development among 85 Inland Empire stores, earning Health Team Culture Award.
Executive Team Leader - Multiple
Target
11.2004 - 03.2010
- Managed team of 4 executives and 75+ team members to enhance hiring, development, retention, and performance management in $35 million store.
- Led compensation, benefits, engagement, hiring, and performance management systems for 500+ sales associates, 20 team leaders, and 11 executive team leaders.
- Conducted hiring and training for 10 new Executive Team Leaders to enhance leadership capabilities.
- Recruiter - Hired 76 new Executives from college campuses and over 60 Interns in the NYC market, delivering over 75% conversion rate
- Hardlines Merchandising - Led the sales floor team driving sales in a $55 million dollar business while delivering upon merchandising standards, strong in stocks and great guest service
- Led replenishment process for $40 million store, ensuring optimal in-stocks, effective presentation, and enhanced guest experience.
Education
Bachelor of Science -
University At Albany, SUNY
New YorkCleveland State University
OhioAffiliations
- American Heart Association - Circle of Red ELT & Core Vite Member
- Anaheim Ballet Inc - Board of Directors
- Boys and Girls Club of America - Board of Directors
- Hickory Young Professionals - Member
- East Lincoln Optimist Club - Head Coach
- North American Beverages Diversity Advisory Board - Regional Sponsor
- North Carolina Beverage Association - Board of Directors
Timeline
Vice President, Store Environment
Lowe's
07.2024 - Current
Sr. Director Merchandising - Assortment Planning
Lowe's
01.2024 - 06.2024
Divisional Merchandising Services Director
Lowe's
04.2022 - 01.2024
Senior Director Inventory Replenishment & Planning
Lowe's
03.2020 - 04.2022
Director Supply Chain Replenishment
Lowe's
01.2019 - 03.2020
Director Supply Chain & Merchandise Planning
Lowe's
04.2018 - 01.2019
Senior Market Director
PepsiCo
10.2015 - 12.2017
Senior Director of Distribution
Target
06.2014 - 05.2015
District Senior Director
Target
06.2012 - 06.2014
Store Director
Target
04.2010 - 06.2012
Executive Team Leader - Multiple
Target
11.2004 - 03.2010
Bachelor of Science -
University At Albany, SUNY
Cleveland State University