Summary
Overview
Work History
Skills
Timeline

Kristen Kessler

Washougal, WA,WA

Summary

Senior Professional Sales, Supply Chain, and Operations Manager with 20 years of extensive experience in multi-tiered environments. Leading a team to success is the best win for a leader. Passionate team leader, strategic planner, and problem solver. Open and clear communicator at all levels as well as strong vendor relationships to ensure beneficial partnership for each phase of business. Demonstrated vision and supply chain operations expertise as well as merchandising strategy and supporting revenue generating objectives. Guided and supported a team that built a strong business with year over year growth. Effective team leader, empowering individuals so they thrive.

Overview

13
13
years of professional experience

Work History

Merchandise Manager

Thrasio
Washougal , WA
02.2023 - Current
  • Lead and managed the Merchandise Planning team of 5 and process including execution and management of line plans, building/revising/locking plans, revision of sales, inventory, markdown.
  • Collaborate with key teams to identify and implement new systems, technologies, processes, and tools to drive operational efficiency.
  • Partner with planning stakeholders to ensure that assortments and forecasts align with financial targets.
  • Provide data-driven decisions for seasonal planning, merchandising, and inventory management across DTC channels
  • Utilize data to provide in-season analysis that drive marketing and merchandising actions.

Sr Inventory Planner for

Thrasio
Washougal, WA
10.2021 - 01.2023
  • Manage the Demand Plan and Inventory for 14 Brands, with 300+ Items
  • Managing the Demand Plan, Inventory movement requests, and the buy
  • Replenish sales needs to amazon to ensure best stock position.
  • Collaborate between business partners on inventory, sales, and any issues that might arise.

Director of Demand Planning and Purchasing

Filson
Seattle, WA
10.2017 - 03.2021
  • Led, developed, and trained Demand Planning and Allocation teams over 6+ years, responsible 11 team members.
  • Direct reports included Planning/Purchasing Manager, Business Process Manager, Item Master Specialist, and Packaging Project Manager.
  • Increased year-over-year (YOY) business in multiple categories
  • Proposed new opportunities & identified risks to planning and merchandising teams based on historical data
  • Presented information to board audience in digestible format.
  • Support Demand Planners in their Category/Class demand forecasting to align with seasonal plans
  • Analyzed and presented key metrics to senior leadership Season to date/Year to date selling, showing sell thru, stock to sales and inventory risks.
  • Partnered with Director of Merchandising and Product Development on product placement to our vendors to drive healthy margins, inventory management, and financial decisions.
  • Served as gatekeeper for financial health of business.
  • Performed Inventory management at Omni channel level.
  • Collaborated with merchandising e-commerce and marketing teams in development and implementation of all email and promotional activities.
  • Served as key stakeholder in development and implementation of all processes and technology improvement that related to planning and purchasing.
  • Solved diverse supply chain problems involving numerous sources, logistics, and scheduling factors. 75+ vendors, always negotiating depending on issues that arise, negotiation can be anywhere from a discount, playing for shipping.

Planning and Demand Planning Manager, Forecast and

Filson
Seattle, WA
10.2014 - 10.2017

National Buy Planner for Watches

Nordstrom
Seattle, WA
10.2010 - 04.2014
  • Oversaw breadth of assortment and depth of items, created, and managed buy.
  • Managed inventory in season, ensuring effective decision-making around analysis, markdowns, claims, reorders, etc.
  • Partnered with Buyer to develop a plan to support seasonal department merchandising strategies based on customers’ expectations and fashion trends for both mainline stores and online store.
  • Launched new suppliers successfully from start and managed continual growth and success.

Skills

  • Leadership Development
  • Strategic Planner
  • Vendor Management
  • Merchandising Skills
  • Inventory Management
  • Relationship Building
  • Assortment Planning
  • Department Oversight
  • Problem Solver
  • Demand Planning
  • Process Development
  • Supply Chain

Timeline

Merchandise Manager - Thrasio
02.2023 - Current
Sr Inventory Planner for - Thrasio
10.2021 - 01.2023
Director of Demand Planning and Purchasing - Filson
10.2017 - 03.2021
Planning and Demand Planning Manager, Forecast and - Filson
10.2014 - 10.2017
National Buy Planner for Watches - Nordstrom
10.2010 - 04.2014

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Kristen Kessler