LAURA CAMARENA
Hayward,CA
Summary
Highly driven General Manager successful at implementing strategic approaches to drive profitability and sales. Recognized for performance excellence in operations and customer care. Successful at motivating, training and developing team members to drive profitability in highly competitive environment.
Equipped with strong problem-solving abilities, willingness to learn, and excellent communication skills. Poised to contribute to team success and achieve positive results. Ready to tackle new challenges and advance organizational objectives with dedication and enthusiasm.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
General Manager
JOANN Fabrics and Crafts
San Leandro, CA
06.2024 - 05.2025
- Directed daily operations to ensure efficient store performance and customer satisfaction.
- Developed strategic sales plans, enhancing product visibility and driving revenue growth.
- Led team training initiatives, improving staff performance and service quality.
- Implemented operational improvements, increasing workflow efficiency and productivity across departments.
- Fostered a positive work environment through effective communication and conflict resolution strategies.
- Implemented operational strategies and effectively built customer and employee loyalty.
- Implemented robust inventory management systems to optimize stock levels and minimize waste/costs associated with excess product storage.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction with introduction of customer feedback system, leading to service improvements and repeat business.
- Supervised creation of exciting merchandise displays to catch attention of store customers.
- Reported issues to higher management with great detail.
- Monitored daily cash discrepancies, inventory shrinkage and drive-off.
- Tracked employee attendance and punctuality, addressing repeat problems quickly to prevent long-term habits.
- Scheduled employees for shifts, taking into account customer traffic and employee strengths.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
General Manager
Party City
San Leandro, CA
05.2009 - 05.2023
- Monitored financial performance, set budgets and controlled expenses to provide financial stability and long-term organizational growth.
- Managed budget development, forecasting, and financial reporting processes to track progress towards organizational objectives accurately.
- Maximized efficiency by coaching and mentoring personnel on management principles, industry practices, company procedures, and technology systems.
- Drove year-over-year business growth while leading operations, strategic vision, and long-range planning.
- Established comprehensive employee training programs to develop skills, improve productivity, and maintain compliance with industry regulations.
- Directed comprehensive sales efforts to exceed revenue targets consistently while maintaining customer satisfaction levels.
- Championed continuous improvement initiatives that enhanced operational performance across all departments.
- Streamlined inventory management processes, minimizing waste and ensuring optimal stock levels for uninterrupted operations.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
- Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
- Handled problematic customers and clients to assist lower-level employees and maintain excellent customer service.
- Directed daily operations to ensure efficient store performance and customer satisfaction.
- Developed strategic sales plans, enhancing product visibility and driving revenue growth.
- Implemented operational improvements, increasing workflow efficiency and productivity across departments.
- Implemented operational strategies and effectively built customer and employee loyalty.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction with introduction of customer feedback system, leading to service improvements and repeat business.
- Supervised creation of exciting merchandise displays to catch attention of store customers.
- Reported issues to higher management with great detail.
- Monitored daily cash discrepancies, inventory shrinkage and drive-off.
- Tracked employee attendance and punctuality, addressing repeat problems quickly to prevent long-term habits.
- Scheduled employees for shifts, taking into account customer traffic and employee strengths.
Inventory Control Specialist
CoreMark
Union City, CA
02.2014 - 02.2015
- Managed inventory by performing physical counts, identifying variances and reconciling records.
- Performed cycle counts on daily basis to immediately spot errors and apply remedies.
- Researched inventory-related discrepancies and made appropriate adjustments in inventory system.
- Investigated and resolved variances with inventory records.
- Received, checked-in and stocked merchandise throughout store, helped maintain store inventory levels and assisted with orderliness and cleanliness of sales floor and stock room.
Warehouse Manager
Toys"R"Us
Dublin, CA
10.2000 - 10.2005
- Organized warehouse design to maximize space for stock while allowing for high volume traffic zones.
- Oversaw inventory of incoming and outgoing materials based on physical counts and bar-code systems.
- Established and maintained good relations with customers, vendors and transport companies.
- Generated warehouse shipping documents, packing lists and invoices.
Education
GED -
Edwards Shades
Oakland, CABBA - Business
Chabot College
Hayward, CASkills
- Performance Improvements
- Policy/Program Development
- Cross-Functional Team Management
- Sales Team Development
- Inventory control
- Strategic planning
- Bilingual
- Budget administration
- Operations management
- Problem resolution
- Team player
Languages
English: Professional
Spanish: Native/ Bilingual
Timeline
General Manager
JOANN Fabrics and Crafts
06.2024 - 05.2025
Inventory Control Specialist
CoreMark
02.2014 - 02.2015
General Manager
Party City
05.2009 - 05.2023
Warehouse Manager
Toys"R"Us
10.2000 - 10.2005
GED -
Edwards Shades
BBA - Business
Chabot College