Gertrude Ogega
Minneapolis,MN
Summary
Dynamic Retail and Account Manager, Buyer, and Business Consultant with 10+ years of experience in corporate retail, consumer goods, and analytics-driven merchandising. Proven ability to leverage sales, supply chain, and financial data to optimize assortments and drive profitable growth across e-commerce and brick-and-mortar channels. Demonstrated success managing high-impact accounts and categories, partnering cross-functionally with buyers, vendors, and internal teams to translate insights into measurable results. Strong negotiation, vendor management, and process improvement skills support a strategic, data-informed approach to decision-making.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Advisory Consultant
Guidepoint Global
03.2025 - Current
- Evaluated clients' pain points and collaborated with buyers at Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Whole Foods to transform insights into actionable solutions tailored to unique business needs.
- Led data-driven research and analysis to identify industry and market trends, refining strategic approaches that enhanced client decision-making and business outcomes.
- Provided comprehensive support, including business analysis, documentation, and data modeling, ensuring alignment with buyer objectives.
- Developed comprehensive performance dashboards and KPIs to monitor and optimize business operations, enabling data-driven decision-making at all levels.
- Collaborated closely with retail buyers to assess product performance, streamline supply chain operations, and enhance product assortment based on buyer feedback and evolving consumer preferences.
Target Senior Account Manager
Advanced Manufacturing Group
05.2022 - 04.2023
- Managed end-to-end account strategy for Target's owned shoe brands (All in Motion, Cat & Jack, Goodfellow & Co, and Art Class), driving a 25% increase in sales by optimizing product assortments and aligning brand growth with customer demand.
- Developed and executed category plans aligned with brand objectives, leading to an 18% increase in market share and enhanced brand visibility across Target stores and online platforms.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams including design, merchandising, and marketing to create and launch successful product lines, ensuring a seamless and consistent brand experience for customers.
- Analyzed sales data and market trends to identify opportunities for innovation and growth, driving targeted promotions and merchandising strategies that maximized profitability and customer engagement.
Account Manager
Amazon
05.2019 - 04.2022
- Managed 30+ key accounts, driving a 33% increase in customer satisfaction and a 20% boost in revenue through personalized account strategies and proactive relationship management.
- Led optimization of 50+ product listings, achieving a 30% improvement in search rankings and a 40% increase in click-through rates by leveraging data-driven insights and SEO best practices.
- Secured favorable terms for 20+ contracts, maintaining a 95% client retention rate by negotiating win-win agreements and fostering strong, long-lasting client relationships.
Buyer
IHerb, LLC
04.2017 - 04.2019
- Developed and executed innovative business strategies to optimize retail performance in supplements and bath & beauty categories, leveraging demand forecasts, sales data, and real-time insights.
- Built and maintained 500+ vendor relationships, onboarding over 3,000 SKUs that drove 50% of revenue and contributed to 42% YoY revenue growth.
- Negotiated and renewed 80% of brands’ COGS support to maintain aggressive margin goals and ensure profitability.
- Optimized inventory management by reducing excess stock by 20%, minimizing carrying costs by 15%, cutting lead times by 25%, and decreasing out-of-stock incidents by 30%.
- Improved supplier performance by implementing supplier evaluations and improvement plans, reducing damages by 10%, and establishing iHerb as a preferred partner during periods of high demand and limited supply.
Buyer
Thrive Market
08.2015 - 04.2017
- First category manager hire for an e-commerce natural products start-up; built and managed the home category by establishing catalog taxonomy and quality standards that guided curation decision-making for the business.
- Achieved double-digit growth for flagship brands with a 25% revenue increase by securing $500K in strategic vendor rebates.
- Analyzed sales data to optimize inventory turnover by 18% and reduce stagnant stock by 20%, improving overall operational efficiency.
Merchandise Specialist
Target.com
06.2013 - 07.2015
- Analyzed market trends to keep Target ahead of competitors through strategic market monitoring and actionable insights.
- Delivered content-driven improvements in search, browse, and visual experiences by collaborating with Buyer, Site Merchandising, and Creative teams. Restructured the tabletop experience, driving a 41% increase in category sales within 1 year.
- Compiled data reports that enabled data-driven decisions on merchandise performance and market dynamics.
- Managed digital content for 15,000+ item listings on Target.com, leading optimization projects to enhance UX, improve item attribution, and drive conversions, supporting 2 years of omnichannel growth.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Psychology | Business Administration
University of Minnesota
Duluth05.2012
Skills
- Data Analysis
- ERP Systems
- CRM Software
- Supply Chain Management
- Project Management
- E-commerce
- SEO/SEM
- Negotiation
- Product Management
- Business Intelligence (BI) Tools
Timeline
Advisory Consultant
Guidepoint Global
03.2025 - Current
Target Senior Account Manager
Advanced Manufacturing Group
05.2022 - 04.2023
Account Manager
Amazon
05.2019 - 04.2022
Buyer
IHerb, LLC
04.2017 - 04.2019
Buyer
Thrive Market
08.2015 - 04.2017
Merchandise Specialist
Target.com
06.2013 - 07.2015
Bachelor of Science - Psychology | Business Administration
University of Minnesota