Kimberly Sandhurst

I am a global leader with a proven track record in driving innovation, process enhancement, and digital transformation initiatives. My primary role within the Solutions Group is to establish and standardize a cross-category product and project management approach, ensuring professionalism and efficiency in our operations. I lead dedicated Product and Project Management teams across diverse domains, including Brand Protection, Packaging, Interior Labeling, External Branding, and Hardware.

Some of my key achievements include:

-Spearheaded the development and implementation of a structured Go-To-Market (GTM) and commercialization process. This process enhances our ability to prioritize, ensure reliability, and maintain a growth-focused product innovation roadmap across various horizons.

-Pioneered the integration of product and project management platforms, facilitating seamless end-to-end management and enhancing transparency, documentation, and reporting capabilities.

-Played a pivotal role in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) activities, specifically focusing on Product, Research and Development (R&D), and Sustainability. In 2023, I successfully contributed to executing two strategic acquisitions and secured a significant circularity investment, furthering our commitment to enterprise sustainability.

My leadership and expertise have consistently driven positive outcomes, positioning me as a valuable asset in the realm of innovation and operational excellence.

I held the esteemed position of Global High-Value Segment Leader, where I was accountable for the successful development, deployment, and management of solutions within the external embellishments business. I led a cross-functional team and facilitated the entire lifecycle of innovations, from ideation to deployment and realization.

Key achievements and responsibilities under my leadership included:

-Oversaw a dedicated, high-impact team that spanned product, engineering, chemistry, and seasonal newness. Together, we strategically crafted and executed an industry-leading solutions portfolio.

-Additionally, I drove an outcome-focused team, supporting large-scale strategic initiatives. Our collective efforts contributed to an impressive 28% sales growth in Embelex, despite challenging market conditions.

-I played a pivotal role in driving a strategic cross-divisional reorganization, redefining the structure and operational methodologies for the apparel solutions group to position it for success.

-My contributions were recognized through the receipt of the Leadership Excellence award, acknowledging my role in delivering a profitable and productive category. This recognition stemmed from my efforts in driving accelerated growth and expanding our presence within key market channels.

My commitment to leadership and excellence remained a driving force behind the success and growth of Embelex during my tenure.

I held a pivotal leadership role as a strategist, adept negotiator, creative problem solver, meticulous planner, and the driving force behind the Bags and Gloves category strategy. My responsibilities encompassed the execution of thorough industry and competitive analyses to identify emerging trends and market opportunities. As the subject matter expert (SME), I spearheaded informed category evolutions, staying at the forefront of the latest innovations, materials, trims, colors, and construction methods within the category.

Key achievements during my tenure included:

-Conceiving and executing a comprehensive strategy for the bags and gloves category, successfully expanding into previously unexplored segments.

-Propelling substantial sales growth within both regional and category contexts, most notably achieving a remarkable increase of +39% in EMEA and +2% in NAM, with Bags and Gloves categories experiencing an impressive surge of +45% and +7%, respectively.

-Skillfully negotiating with vendors, culminating in the establishment of a highly productive supplier matrix that championed innovation and facilitated sustainable growth.

-Earning recognition as a subject matter expert in the Qualtrics insights platform, where I provided invaluable insights, empowering data-driven decision-making processes.

At the core of my leadership, I relentlessly drove strategic expansion, catalyzed sales growth, nurtured innovation, and facilitated effective collaboration across diverse teams, all while staying at the forefront of industry trends and fostering data-driven decision-making.

I held the position of General Manager with a strong product focus, overseeing the licensed apparel business and driving strategy, design, product creation, and successful market introduction of innovative, brand-right products that delivered significant financial returns. My responsibilities encompassed the management of a diverse product portfolio, internal and cross-functional teams, as well as contract negotiations with both new and existing partners. I devised growth strategies for the licensing portfolio while assuming leadership over Global Marketing, Operations, Legal, Design, Merchandising, Retail, Sales, Finance, and Accounting teams, ensuring the attainment of all business objectives.

Key achievements in this role include:

-Executing a highly successful expansion of youth apparel into the EMEA market, resulting in a remarkable 186% increase in bookings from year one to year two, subsequently leading to further negotiations and expansions in 2022.

-Strategically expanding the youth Outdoor apparel category, achieving an impressive +73% increase in 2020.

-Establishing relationships, strategies, and processes for onboarding and managing a new licensee for youth apparel in China, leading and advising my APAC team to ensure global alignment.

-Leading process upgrades within the Global Licensing function as UA ambassador to the SPLICE licensing community. Through partnerships with global companies and experts, I obtained valuable insights and implemented best practices within UA, elevating professionalism and profitability.

My leadership focus drove strategic growth, fostered innovation, and ensured seamless collaboration across diverse cross-functional teams to achieve exceptional results in the licensed apparel business.

As a key divisional manager, I spearheaded Category Management, Development, Engineering, and Industrial Design teams to execute seamless seasonal product line launches, ensuring that all products met stringent criteria in terms of scope, schedule, quality, and budget adherence. My responsibilities encompassed rigorous cost analysis and unwavering accountability over product/project expenditures, factory costs, and margin considerations. Furthermore, I engineered internal process enhancements to foster global team cohesion and introduced standardized portfolio reporting practices.

Notable accomplishments in this role include:

-Playing an integral role in the development and implementation of a highly effective Work Breakdown System, enhancing our product development planning processes for greater success.

-Establishing more streamlined timelines and fostering collaborative partnerships with teams in Sweden, Asia, India, and the Americas, optimizing engineering and Industrial Design processes.

-Pioneering the creation of refined presentation templates for Portfolio Planning and project Checkpoints, ensuring productive Steering Group discussions and alignment on category objectives and aspirations.

-Initiating the launch of a revised project/product cost tracking system, resulting in consistent and highly accurate cost analysis and reporting practices across all product categories.

-Implementing comprehensive product trackers and issue logs, enhancing communication regarding product status, upcoming milestones, and the identification of obstacles and risks. This initiative effectively reduced delays in the product development process, promoting operational efficiency.

Effectiveness in this role resulted in consistent cross-functional collaboration, reliable governance and project management, and financial accountability to drive seamless product launches and ensure the alignment of global teams toward category success.

I led internal and external cross-functional teams encompassing product development, design, and retail, tasked with strategically developing and delivering brand-aligned, price-optimized product assortments. My accomplishments included achieving optimal pricing, adapting to evolving business needs, and fostering strong partner relationships through effective supplier business reviews and contract negotiations. I also managed budget allocations and enhanced vendor operations, in addition to implementing streamlined inventory ordering processes, sales report templates, and driving marketing initiatives to ensure the attainment of sales goals.

Key achievements in this capacity encompass:

-Collaborating cross-functionally to successfully negotiate and attain the company's goal of reducing product costs by $1 million, with a personal contribution of $500,000.

-Devised and executed marketing strategies for onsite retail and eComm, resulting in a notable shift from a 10-15% year-over-year sales deficit to consistently exceeding sales goals by 5%.

-Effecting process refinements and conducting project negotiations, leading to streamlined material procurement practices and a significant 20% reduction in event merchandise costs.

-Pioneering the implementation of a vendor scorecard process, which significantly improved vendor performance and relations.

I consistently prioritized cross-functional collaboration, cost optimization, and operational efficiency to drive strategic product development and achieve business goals while fostering strong partner relationships.

As Associate Trim Developer, I was responsible for managing supplier relationships and overseeing negotiations to secure favorable pricing and quality standards while facilitating product development. I conducted comprehensive costing analysis projects and trend validations. Additionally, I took the lead in trend and market analysis, collaborating closely with Hong Kong teams and overseas factories to ensure adherence to industry ASTM standards, employing domestic testing firms for rigorous reporting validation.

Key achievements in this role included:

-Implementing strategic updates to raw materials and processes for interior labeling, resulting in a notable 40% reduction in total development costs.

-Devising and implementing a development calibration system, fostering seamless collaboration between U.S. and Hong Kong teams. This initiative led to reduced development time, lowered sampling costs, and the elimination of missed seasonal deadlines.

Collaborating to create an industry-recognized trim qualification program, enabling reliable component testing within regulated factories.

-Regularly delivering supplier scorecards and executing corrective action plans as necessary to maintain and improve supplier performance.

I leveraged supplier relationships to optimize pricing, quality, and development processes, while also spearheading initiatives to streamline development, reduce costs, and ensure compliance with industry standards.

As a Fabric Development Coordinator, I collaborated in managing databases, projects, and relationships with the Fabric Engineering team across multiple divisions, including Women's, Men's, Kids, Intimates/Sleepwear, and Seasonal. I worked cross-functionally to conduct annual assessments of raw material suppliers and executed comprehensive fabric development reporting to identify areas of potential over-development.

Key accomplishments in this role encompassed:

-Spearheading critical regional business partner management projects, ensuring the consistent development of high-quality fabric across all owned brands.

-Innovating a new organizational system for product development in close collaboration with engineers, leading to the identification of weaknesses and the streamlining of tracking procedures

I played an integral role in managing databases, projects, and relationships with the Fabric Engineering team across various divisions, conducting supplier assessments, and introducing process improvements to enhance fabric quality and development efficiency.