Koelli Ashwell

Company Overview: Packaging & Product Development for the Beauty Industry

• Manage Projects, Source Packaging, Foster Client and Supplier Relationships.
• Globally sourced and procured primary and secondary packaging from China, Taiwan, Korea, USA, Canada, Mexico and Europe.
• Managed multiple concurrent client projects, guiding product launches and sourcing packaging within set budgets.
• Cultivated robust vendor relationships, excelling in negotiation and cost management.
• Conducted vendor assessments and created a detailed vendor scorecard to track and improve performance.
• Validated over 100 primary and secondary packaging suppliers and over 50+ filling manufacturers.
• Increased sales of current customers- presented marketing materials for innovative line extensions, expanding and diversifying clients’ product portfolios.
• Facilitated weekly project meetings with external clients and vendors to monitor progress, resolve issues, and ensure project goals are met.
• Led internal team planning meetings for alignment of tasks and timelines.
• Oversaw the development of custom tooling for new product lines, including compacts, jars, bottles, and tubes, ensuring quality and production efficiency.
• Successfully managed a diverse portfolio of 5+ projects concurrently from inception to delivery.
• Managed 2 Junior Project Managers, mentoring team members to enhance their skills and career growth.
• Traveled and participated in selling at trade shows. Traveled to meet with suppliers.
• Developed SOPs for validation processes, including onboarding new suppliers, generating inspection reports, inputting sales and purchase orders, creating templates for RFQs, BOM’s and manufacturing procedures.
• Reviewed packaging specs to ensure they meet QRS Standards, having engineers make updates as needed.
• Drafted contracts, NDAs, and legal waivers to ensure legal and business protections.
• Reviewed and analyzed cost components to ensure that costs align with budget expectations and identify any discrepancies.
• Directed changes to project scope and cost and implemented appropriate change management processes to keep project on track.

• Successfully managed multiple projects simultaneously by prioritizing tasks according to urgency, resource availability, and alignment with organizational goals.
• Proficient in costing. Entering accurate cost data into costing sheets. Regularly updated costing sheets to reflect any changes in supplier prices, labor costs, or other factors that impact overall costs.
• Reviewed and analyzed cost components to ensure that costs align with budget expectations and identify any discrepancies.

• Input sales orders into QuickBooks, ensuring all customer information, product details, and quantities are correct. Ensuring that orders are processed in a timely manner, and coordinating with the packaging vendor, freight forwarder, contract filler and fulfillment team to ship the products.
• Created and input purchase orders into the system based on customer needs / sales forecasts, or supplier agreements.
• Ensured that the purchase orders reflect the correct products, quantities, prices, and delivery timelines by communicating with suppliers as needed.
• Ensured that purchase orders are matched with invoices for payment processing and keeping track of any outstanding or overdue payments.

Company Overview: Retail Pharmacy Chain

• Manage all aspects of ROI for each store location, including operations, sales, profitability, merchandising, marketing, inventory control, vendor relations, staffing and community outreach.
• Handled payroll, employee records, and other administrative tasks.
• Hired, managed and developed a staff of up to 35 employees. Conducted performance evaluations and implemented improvement plans.
• Managed corporate projects and facilitated promotions.
• Addressed customer concerns, complaints, or issues, ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.
• Worked closely with the pharmacy team to ensure smooth operations and customer service.
• Oversaw bi-weekly payroll budgets and synchronized store schedules with budget and seasonal demands.
• Forecast inventory and ordering for weekly, monthly, seasonal group sheets and ad bulletins.
• Manage promotional planning, coordinate cross-functionally with Community Leader and Market Merchandising Manager to ensure sufficient inventory to support promotional strategy.
• Analyzed monthly profit and loss statements as well as weekly key performance indicators. Developed action plans to increase sales, control costs, shrink and develop metrics to measure success of store initiatives.
• Collaborate with district department leads to maintain industry and company standards and identify areas of opportunity.
• Meet with vendor partners to establish appropriate sales techniques for store demographics and new product opportunities
• Participating in local events or promotions to enhance the store’s visibility in the community.
• Successfully managed a Walgreens store for Mohegan Sun employees as EXA, in Uncasville, CT, during the transition into Mohegan’s Pharmacy (January 2012 - June 2012).
• Oversaw a high-volume, tier-3 urban store in Willimantic, CT, (December 2012 - April 2013), while the store manager was on disability leave, successfully managing a team of 35 employees. Led the store reconstruction for 4 seasonal holidays and cosmetic wall, maintaining store performance and customer satisfaction throughout the period, ensuring smooth operations and meeting key business metrics.

• Supervised day-to-day operations to meet performance, quality and service expectations.
• Monitored cash intake and deposit records, increasing accuracy, and reducing discrepancies.
• Maintained a clean, safe, and organized store environment to enhance the customer experience.
• Developed strong working relationships with staff, fostering a positive work environment.
• Helped with promotional campaigns- planning and execution of in-store promotions, loyalty programs, or seasonal campaigns aimed at driving sales.
• Supported the management of Walgreens’ brand presence in the store, ensuring that products and displays align with the company's branding guidelines.

• Observed and sometimes assisted in customer service interactions, identifying customer needs, and making suggestions for improvement in service delivery.

• Gained exposure to various business functions such as finance, marketing, human resources, operations, and strategy within the retail and pharmacy industry.

• Shadowed store and district managers and senior leaders to understand their roles, daily responsibilities, and overall strategies for managing a retail store or corporate function.

• Participated in workshops, seminars, or online training to enhance professional skills, particularly in areas like retail management, customer service, and business strategy.