Rob Burton

Results-oriented Sourcing Specialist with experience generating and implementing efficient sourcing strategies, managing projects and overseeing supplier base portfolio with minimal guidance. Proven expertise with sourcing and traveling overseas, with a focused emphasis in China and India. My unique perspective with Scentsy has enabled me to effectively teach our vendors what it means to be a viable vendor with Scentsy. Ensures that vendors have the ability to quickly pivot mid-development because of our culture at Scentsy. Well-qualified Sourcing Specialist with 14-year record of performance, development and execution of hundreds of Scentsy products. Expert in long lasting vendor relations, contract negotiation and price structuring. Works with management to improve product quality and inspection criteria. Organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet Category, Events, Awards and HR goals. Works well with cross functional teams and treat those teams with respect. I consider myself a respected, loyal, and trusted professional for whatever I am asked of on time, and on budget or better.

As a Senior Sourcing Specialist at Scentsy with more than 14 years of tenure there are many accomplishment I am proud of. Some notable and recent accomplishment are:




• Cotton Clean Ups

Recently we had a challenge with our Cotton Clean Ups. I sourced the original version back in 2018 in Lianyungang China. I introduced myself, and the Cotton Clean Up concept to BS Coton. They are an established medical grade cotton manufacture who provides medical use cotton products in countries all over Asia and Europe. They successfully were able take a simple concept and make it into a unique easy to use product for Scentsy customers and Consultants. Since the launch of the Cotton Clean Ups, the US has banned the majority of the cotton that is exported from China due to an outcry of human rights accusations. This ban required Scentsy to source all cotton products from other countries. Even though I was actively process of sourcing the product from another vendor, I was able to keep a very good relationship with the factory in China. Having tough conversation about the ban on cotton from the Xinjiang region and maintaining a high level of respect for their culture and business has proven success in some recent negotiations.




I was quickly able to source cotton from 3 different factories in India. I awarded the opportunity to United Cotton because of cost savings, manufacturing lead time and inspection reports I was able to gather through research. We have since established a fantastic relationship with our friends at United Cotton. Category requested some changes to the original size and launched the new size this Spring, even though there have been some customer satisfaction issues with the smaller size, I was able to act very quickly to secure new samples of the larger size because I anticipated the possibility of some issues and ordered samples to be made back in August of last year. We had the sample in testing within one week. I negotiated a cost of $2.50 down from his original quote of $2.60, and with Rod's help we secured another .13 cents off that cost. Thus, our landed cost to Scentsy dropped from $3.29 from our China supplier to $2.83 from United Cotton. In addition to this supplier, I have secured an additional supplier in Vietnam so we have other options available, should we have any issues as far as capacity or supply chain issues in India.




• Fragrance Flowers

I was given this project when a previous coworker was unable to secure a good supplier. I struggled to find a decent product out of China and decided to look to India. I did some research on where sola wood is harvested in the swamps of West Bengal and came across ZenX Cart and found Arindam. Samples began the next day. Strategy Briefs were hard to come by at that time, but I had a good idea what Scentsy wanted. I negotiated the Master Purchase Agreement with ZenX and worked closely with Legal to work out some of the tougher contract requirements that Scentsy has. All of this effort as well as pricing negotiations on our very first flowers has proved to be extremely successful. Scentsy's Fragrance Flowers are one of our top selling products and this relationship has given us and the villages that hand craft these beautiful flowers a steady revenue stream a fantastic relationship as well as new and exciting fragrance flowers regularly. It is hard for me to talk about myself, but I really take great pride in this relationship that I secured for Scentsy.

Strategic Sourcing Certification from Michigan State University.