Ellen Fernsten
Canton,MA
Summary
Visionary commercial leader with a dual perspective from senior category management and national account roles. Successfully drove a 10% sales increase through channel transformation and cultivated high-value partnerships that enhanced market position. Proven ability to optimize P&L and lead cross-functional teams to achieve dominant market share.
Overview
2027
2027
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Secondary Channel – LUSA
L'ORÉAL USA
NYC / Providence, RI
06.2019 - Current
- Orchestrated sales management, commercial strategies, and strategic partnerships for off-price/liquidation retail giants (TJX, Burlington, Ross) across all L'Oréal USA divisions.
- Designed and implemented centralized, cross-functional liquidation workflow across divisions, enhancing FY 2025 sales and streamlining multi-divisional inventory allocations.
- Championed sustainability initiatives by remonetizing excess and obsolete inventory, converting potential destruction liabilities into revenue streams while minimizing environmental impact.
Director, National Accounts (CVS)
CVS – essie | Garnier Skin
01.2021 - 08.2024
- Directed commercial strategy, trade promotion investments, and growth plans for two major power brands within CVS, enhancing brand visibility and sales performance.
- Market Share Domination: Designed a promotional blueprint that drove +4.3% consumer consumption growth (+$1.9M) for essie from 2021 to 2023, defending and solidifying its position as the #1 Nail Color brand at CVS with a +0.8pt category share gain.
- Space & Fixture Negotiations: Secured a high-value 3-year extension of the "Nail HQ" fixture in 1,800 doors (representing 60% of CVS total essie sales) and negotiated Garnier Facial Care secondary placement in 2,300 doors, generating an immediate +20% sales uplift.
- Oversaw Maybelline brand portfolio at CVS for 6 months during parental leave coverage, authoring and aligning 2024 JBP to ensure strategic continuity and brand objectives.
National Account Manager (CVS)
NYX Professional Makeup
06.2019 - 12.2020
- Executed complex, multi-stakeholder retail footprint consolidation, managing brand withdrawal from 2,500 CVS doors while preserving strong relationships.
- Relationship Turnaround: Transformed the brand-retailer dynamic into a highly collaborative, synergistic partnership, paving the way for the successful rollout of higher-yielding cosmetics fixtures in top stores.
- Managed profit and loss statements, exceeding 2020 gross sales budget by 10% through customized, data-driven promotional strategies.
- Led sales strategy and joint operations for NYX during a critical transitional retail phase.
- Trained and mentored Business Analyst, cultivating a pipeline of analytical talent.
National Account Manager
MK MARKETING, LLC
, NJ
07.2018 - 06.2019
- Championed sales and inventory operations for the Costco Wholesale account, representing the majority portfolio of total company revenues (+60%).
- Optimized promotions to drive accelerated sales and margin velocity through seasonal campaigns, precise inventory forecasts, and frequent club rotations.
- Coordinated with Demo Program division to ensure compliance, track performance metrics, and manage bonus structures for external execution team delivering over 40,000 in-club demos annually.
- Directed sourcing and commercial planning of wellness, beauty, and personal care products to achieve incremental distribution on Costco pallets.
Category Manager – Fresh (Frozen, Dairy, Floral)
CVS HEALTH
Woonsocket, RI
04.2017 - 07.2018
- Executed supplier renegotiations, securing $4.1M in incremental profit for Frozen Food & Ice Cream segments in 2017.
- Managed P&L for $500M portfolio, leading planogram resets, pricing, and promotional strategies to optimize category performance.
- Standardized logistics and execution frameworks for in-store displays and resets, enhancing service levels and visual compliance.
Digital Merchandise Manager – Beauty
CVS HEALTH
10.2015 - 04.2017
- Architected the online merchandising strategy for the Beauty sector to drive cohesive omnichannel growth.
- Formulated digital category pricing and campaigns to complement national brick-and-mortar front-store circulars, enhancing omnichannel synergy.
- Outpaced 2016 brand monetization goal by 100% midway through fiscal year through strong vendor relationships and innovative digital asset placements.
Category Manager – Cosmetics
CVS HEALTH
10.2012 - 10.2015
- Managed P&L for a highly competitive $500M cosmetics portfolio within CVS's premier $1.0B+ Cosmetics category
- Spearheaded exclusive drug-channel launch of e.l.f. Cosmetics at CVS, scaling it to #6 brand in category in inaugural year.
- Captured category market share from competitors by negotiating exclusivity agreements and custom display spaces with global cosmetics manufacturers (L'Oréal, Coty).
- Outperformed 2015 division sales targets by 3% through cross-category marketing events and circular optimization.
Assistant Category Manager – Snacks
CVS HEALTH
04.2010 - 10.2012
- Optimized $560M snacking portfolio to enhance product performance and align with market trends.
- Managed Snack division during 4-month Director vacancy; aligned teams to exceed sales targets by 3.9% and margin targets by 1.1%.
- Assisted in developing category strategies for product selection and pricing.
- Coordinated with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of products and services.
- Analyzed sales data to identify trends and inform inventory decisions.
Promotional Planning Analyst
CVS HEALTH
11.2008 - 04.2010
- Collaborated with category merchants to develop predictive models and custom reporting databases, translating transaction trends into targeted promotion strategies.
Merchandising Analyst
Walgreen Co.
Business Analyst
Topco Associates, LLC
Member Services Analyst
Corporate Executive Board (CEB)
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Business Administration
American University
Washington, DCSkills
- P&L Budget Management Strategic Joint Business Planning Channel Centralization Merchandising
- Cross-Functional Leadership Data Analytics Persuasive Communication
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
- Professional Training:
- The Skilled Negotiator Workshop | The Gap Partnership
- Digital Foundations | General Assembly
Timeline
Director, National Accounts (CVS)
CVS – essie | Garnier Skin
01.2021 - 08.2024
Director, Secondary Channel – LUSA
L'ORÉAL USA
06.2019 - Current
National Account Manager (CVS)
NYX Professional Makeup
06.2019 - 12.2020
National Account Manager
MK MARKETING, LLC
07.2018 - 06.2019
Category Manager – Fresh (Frozen, Dairy, Floral)
CVS HEALTH
04.2017 - 07.2018
Digital Merchandise Manager – Beauty
CVS HEALTH
10.2015 - 04.2017
Category Manager – Cosmetics
CVS HEALTH
10.2012 - 10.2015
Assistant Category Manager – Snacks
CVS HEALTH
04.2010 - 10.2012
Promotional Planning Analyst
CVS HEALTH
11.2008 - 04.2010
Merchandising Analyst
Walgreen Co.
Business Analyst
Topco Associates, LLC
Member Services Analyst
Corporate Executive Board (CEB)
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Business Administration
American University