Oversaw Men’s and Women’s design teams across seven brands totaling $300M+ in annual retail sales (over 5M pairs). Led cross-functional teams through the design process, created new brand guidelines, and communicated strategic vision to key stakeholders, driving alignment and high-quality brand presentations.

• Oversaw 11 design teams across men's and women's product lines for 7 prominent brands including Vince Camuto, Hush puppies, Le Tigre, Crown Vintage, Mix No 6, Kelly & Katie, and Jessica Simpson.

• Streamlined operations and efficiencies to establish a new business structure within the organization.

• Developed and managed comprehensive design budgets, including initial development and travel & expenses; achieved a 40% reduction in sampling through targeted strategy and development efforts.

• Spearheaded the creation and implementation of a new Product Line Management (PLM) structure, enhancing product briefing processes and overall workflow efficiency.

• Conducted workstream effectiveness evaluations and communicated findings to leadership, implementing process improvements including a new RACI chart.

• Established best practices for design and product development teams ensuring alignment with strategic vision and operational goals.

• Created new brand guidelines encompassing customer personas, product filters, and design codes for all brands; communicated changes throughout the organization to drive consistency across divisions.

• Led design teams through the entire design process from concept to execution, resulting in high-quality, cohesive brand presentations.

• Cultivated and managed relationships with external suppliers and vendors, ensuring adherence with strategic design and business objectives.

• Directed go-to-market strategy, working cross-functionally with sales, marketing, and product teams to increase adoption rates from 20% to 50%.

• Communicated strategy and presented collections to key stakeholders, brand owners, and external business partners.

• Improved team collaboration and effectiveness by implementing enhanced processes throughout the product creation division.

Spearheaded overall strategic direction, DNA, and design for all brands within the Men’s pillar. Collaborated with executive leadership team to transition company to a product-led focus and clearly distinguish each brand within the market.                                            

• Drove 15% growth across Vince Camuto, Crown Vintage, Mix No 6, Le Tigre, and Hush Puppies brands.

Directed 3 multi-brand design teams across exclusive DSW brands, licensed brands, and wholesale brands, providing clear creative vision and direction to drive business growth and revenue generation. Developed strategic plans in response to dynamic global economy, shifting market trends, and evolving design trends to position the business for continued success.                                                                                                                          

• Received 2022 Board Equity Award for exceptional leadership and performance in launching and growing the Men’s brands division.

• Grew Men’s brands from launch, selling more than 1.2M pairs of men’s shoes in 2022 valued at nearly $70M in retail.

• Elevated Vince Camuto brand to #18 in men’s fashion according to NPD (Circana) in 2022.

• Consulted with design teams to overcome challenges and guide collection development to maintain fresh, appealing products that reflected the brand DNA.

• Collaborated with executive leaders to provide updates on division performance, goals, budgets, and areas for improvement.

• Analyzed data to set short- and long-term goals, manage pricing structure, and track sales trends.

• Served on Athletic Committee to research and evaluate opportunities to acquire new brands to expand into the athletic footwear market.

• Managed external brand teams following acquisition of Le Tigre and Hush puppies brands to create cohesion within overall Designer Brands portfolio.

• Developed and managed budgets for each brand to enhance profitability while controlling costs.

Established the Men’s Brands division as the first employee within a newly formed company following acquisition. Recruited, hired, and trained design teams for multiple brands. Identified brands positioning to introduce men’s collections and created vision, strategy, and brand ethos. Oversaw the full design process and mentored teams on how to develop quality men’s footwear.

• Trained technical team in China on how to transition from only women’s footwear production to manufacturing a full line of men’s footwear.

• Inspired innovation within collections while aligning with customer preferences and market trends.

• Managed development calendar to ensure accurate production timelines and coordinate completion to coincide with women’s collections to deliver comprehensive account presentations.

• Tracked production status, set processes and procedures, and verified tasks were completed on time.