Nakisha Finley

Develop and execute merchandise financial plans for vendors and product classes, ensuring alignment with corporate financial objectives. Leverage data analytics to optimize inventory levels, maximize profitability, and drive business growth.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements:

• Managed merchandise planning for a $20M sales portfolio, analyzing sales trends, inventory turnover, and margin performance to drive profitable decisions.
• Identified risks and opportunities, implementing strategic adjustments that improved sell-through rates by 7% and reduced markdowns by 10%, enhancing overall profitability.
• Maintained optimal inventory levels through demand forecasting, contributing to a 12% improvement in stock-to-sales ratios and minimizing excess stock.
• Utilized Oracle and SAS merchandising systems to generate actionable reports and insights, improving decision-making efficiency by 15%.
• Collaborated cross-functionally with buying, allocation, and supply chain teams to align inventory strategies, increasing forecast accuracy by 8% and improving in-stock rates.

• Maintain, analyze, and report JDA forecasts for $200M across three customer accounts.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Supply on product transitions, promotions, and market trend analysis.
• Prepare and present monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) meetings.
• Lead process improvements to enhance customer fill rates, targeting 99%.
• Conduct monthly data analysis and customer meetings to refine forecasts.

• Established beneficial professional networks and partnerships to gain insight and campaign support resulting in long-term business relationships.
• Utilized effective communication and active listening skills to create client rapport to grow profitability by 10%.

• Developed and enforced business policies to ensure consistency and high-quality standards.
• Managed annual budgets with cost controls to prevent overages and support sustainability.
• Recruited, hired, and trained staff, establishing key functions for a new organization.
• Mentored 10 new hires, boosting staff development and productivity.
• Adapted training plans to meet client needs while maintaining timelines and budgets.

Various other roles:

• Manager of Planning and Allocation
• Planning Coordinator
• Allocation Analyst
• Assistant Store Manager