Leslie Morris
Charlotte,NC
Summary
Successful sales and retail professional with extensive Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Sourcing and Buying experience in the Home Textiles, Pet, Housewares and Gift industries. Proven leader with a unique combination of creative and analytical skills resulting in differentiated and highly profitable merchandise assortments. Collaborative partner with a proven record of developing and executing strategies that drive sales, increase profitability and support company objectives.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President of Sales
Standard Fiber LLC
05.2022 - 06.2025
- Responsible for driving sales and gross profit for retail, e-comm and wholesale accounts for Pet and Home Textiles products.
- Lead sales and product development for Sealy and Tempur-Pedic branded pet products as well as private brand products for major retail customers.
- Exceeded sales plan consistently, achieving YOY growth of +30% or more with all key accounts.
- Creatively navigated tariffs to minimize cost impacts to customers.
- Opened new accounts: TJ Max, Marshall’s, Homegoods, Walmart, Ross, Burlington, Kohl’s, Costco, BJ's, Mattress Firm, Beall’s and
- Identified the need and launched a new internal brand, Petnology, as an alternate to licensed brands.
- Creatively managed differentiated assortments across multiple customers to ensure exclusivity.
- Planned and managed trade show operations and assortments.
Vice President of Product Development and Marketing
NVM Pet
05.2017 - 05.2022
- Drove the development, design and marketing for Serta, Beautyrest and Life is Good Pet Beds which are marketed and sold to major US retailers such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, Amazon, TJX and Chewy.com.
- Developed and drove the sales and marketing for all Serta branded pet product as well as private brands for major retail customers.
- Executed differentiated Private Brand development for Sam's Club, Walmart and BJ's.
- Managed the relationships and negotiated contracts for all licensed brands.
- Implemented timelines and processes to document and standardize the product development and purchase order process.
- Vetted new factories to add to the vendor base to reduce costs and gain efficiency.
- Lead cost reducing initiative to mitigate the impact of tariffs and currency fluctuations.
- Prepared and presented impactful sales presentations for major retail customers.
- Merchandised ecomm customers to differentiate assortments while still maintaining a strong presence of best selling silhouettes.
- Managed inventory of 300 imported pet bed covers, maintained optimum inventory levels to support the seasonal nature of the business.
Director of Product Development and International Sourcing
PetSmart
05.2008 - 08.2016
- Directed the end-to-end development process for PetSmart’s proprietary, exclusive and licensed brands for dog and cat products including creative, sourcing, packaging, marketing and sales analysis.
- Designed and implemented best practices for a Product Development organization that was new to PetSmart.
- Led the Product Development team responsible for driving the sales of proprietary branded product from $450M to over $1B+ in 6 years.
- Built brand identities for all proprietary and exclusive brands to guide product development that was true to the brand vision.
- Launched and managed the exponential growth of the Martha Stewart Pets brand to $85M in five years.
- Recruited and fostered the professional growth of 6 associates; promoted 3 Product Managers to Sr. Product Manager.
- Extensive travel to Asia and Europe for trend development and factory sourcing.
Product Manager – Home Textiles, Home Decor and Seasonal
Kohl’s Department Store
12.2001 - 05.2008
- Managed the total product lifecycle for all private and exclusive brands.
Senior Buyer – Home Décor, Candles, Floral and Garden Accessories
Bed Bath & Beyond
01.2000 - 12.2001
- Drove the sales and profitability of assigned categories through business analysis, vendor negotiations, promotional planning and trend evaluation.
Market Representative – Tabletop, Gift Housewares and Seasonal
May Merchandising Company
04.1995 - 08.1999
- Spearheaded sales and product development for all May Company divisions.
- Directed assortments, pricing and promotions.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Apparel Merchandising with a Marketing Concentration
Indiana University
Bloomington, INSkills
- Strategic Planning
- Negotiation
- Trend, Competitive and Data Analysis
- Relationship Building
- Budget Management
- Brand Strategy Development
- Licensing
- Global Sourcing
- Creative Problem Solving
- Dynamic Presentation Skills
- Account Development and Management
Timeline
Vice President of Sales
Standard Fiber LLC
05.2022 - 06.2025
Vice President of Product Development and Marketing
NVM Pet
05.2017 - 05.2022
Director of Product Development and International Sourcing
PetSmart
05.2008 - 08.2016
Product Manager – Home Textiles, Home Decor and Seasonal
Kohl’s Department Store
12.2001 - 05.2008
Senior Buyer – Home Décor, Candles, Floral and Garden Accessories
Bed Bath & Beyond
01.2000 - 12.2001
Market Representative – Tabletop, Gift Housewares and Seasonal
May Merchandising Company
04.1995 - 08.1999
Bachelor of Science - Apparel Merchandising with a Marketing Concentration
Indiana University
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