Katherine N Ness
Senior Director Brand Strategy
Duluth,MN
Summary
Strategic omni-channel professional with a history of success improving the ecommerce experience and increasing revenue by effectively collaborating across teams, focusing on strategic solutions, and embracing change.
Senior executive with proven track record in driving growth and operational excellence. Adept at strategic planning, project management, and leveraging data to inform decisions. Strong focus on fostering team collaboration and adapting to changing business needs. Highly skilled in leadership, communication, and delivering impactful results.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Director of Brand Strategy
Maurices
05.2025 - Current
- Lead strategic planning and execution of high-impact 360° brand moments and momentum-driving weekends, resulting in increased customer traffic, higher average dollar sales, and improved conversion rates.
- Drive cross-functional collaboration across marketing, creative, merchandising, and store teams to ensure alignment and flawless execution.
- Own messaging strategy across key customer touchpoints including email, SMS, homepage, and paid media, ensuring all communications are brand-right, compelling, and conversion-focused.
- Lead creative and brand strategy teams to deliver cohesive storytelling that resonates with customers and reinforces brand identity.
- Serve as a key voice in executive leadership meetings, providing marketing building blocks that support enterprise goals around traffic growth and brand awareness.
- Recognized for translating brand strategy into actionable plans that drive measurable business impact and elevate the customer experience.
Site Merchandise Director
maurices
09.2021 - Current
- Pride in having strong communication and analytical skills as well as constant relationship building have been key to success in my role.
- Constantly developing and executing the communication of the Site experience that supports the merchandising marketing and financial objectives at a key category and holistic level within maurices.com.
- Accountable for the development and communication of category product site strategies that align with financial goals for the season.
- Lead partnership with product and design teams to communicate knowledge and understanding of the customer experience as it relates to product, shopping paths, experience and interaction with marketing.
- Bring forward continual innovation and improvement-recommend strategies to be leveraged across divisions and departments.
- Lead, coach, and constantly develop seven direct reports through web management to create a compelling product experience on the site including inspirational merchandise presentation, simple and intuitive category navigation, and clear and accurate product details.
- Energizing leader who understands how to motivate, and how to be a positive influence in the organization with a supporting Open-Door policy.
- Create and execute the customer journey focusing on the key areas of the site (taxonomy, homepage, product attribution, search, UI/UX, SEO, etc.).
- Collaborate weekly with UX and product teams in building requirements to enable great customer experiences on maurices.com, all data driven decisions.
Site Merchandise Manager
maurices
05.2018 - 09.2021
- Collaborated cross-functionally to manage and direct all aspects of the e-commerce business, including building strategies from inception to execution.
- Managed overall user experience, including site navigation, taxonomy, and product attribution.
- Directed, coached, and developed a team of seven that effectively helped develop and execute e-commerce solutions that drove high level customer engagement, sales, and profitability.
Digital Buyer
maurices
11.2015 - 04.2018
- Effectively executed foundational strategy and vision for all merchandise departments.
- Improved key pipeline meetings by providing nuances of the digital channel verified through cross-functional analysis.
- Collaborated with planning analyst on desired buy quantities using knowledge of the online customer, demands of the business and importance of marketing on product demand.
Brick & Mortar Buyer
maurices
04.2013 - 11.2015
- Create and assort a product strategy that drives sales and generates a profitable gross margin.
- Maintain proper unit and dollar inventory levels for responsible buying areas.
- Collaborate internally with design to ensure the creation of a product is right for the customer.
- Work in tandem with planners to deliver quarterly strategies, manage inventories, and sales to achieve gross margin goals.
- Partner with visual to ensure the product assortment is executed correctly in the stores.
- Effectively manage a team to utilize their best potential.
- Negotiate with vendors on raw materials costs for all products.
- Launched an activewear line, which generated 12 million in incremental sales the first year in stores.
- Buying experience in multiple categories (activewear, sweaters, woven tops, and outerwear).
- Selected by the Executive Team and successfully completed an Emerging Leadership Pilot Program.
Education
Bachelor of Administration - Organizational Management
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth01.2008
Skills
Effective communication
Certification
03/2023 Success Coaching The design of the Success Coaching Certification Program provides you with an opportunity to actively engage in what you learn and how you apply it in real life.
Accomplishments
Completed an accelerated leadership program. I was identified as a leader who was ready to take on more. I became part of a small cohort, where we had to give multiple presentations in front of the executive team, a TED talk in front of the entire organization, complete AI stimulators, have executive meetings.
Timeline
Senior Director of Brand Strategy
Maurices
05.2025 - Current
Site Merchandise Director
maurices
09.2021 - Current
Site Merchandise Manager
maurices
05.2018 - 09.2021
Digital Buyer
maurices
11.2015 - 04.2018
Brick & Mortar Buyer
maurices
04.2013 - 11.2015
Bachelor of Administration - Organizational Management
University of Minnesota-Duluth