SARA ELLSWORTH

Email: abo1z8@r.postjobfree.com

Address:

City: Santa Barbara

State: CA

Zip: 93109

Country: USA

Phone: 805-***-****

Skill Level: Any

Salary Range:

Primary Skills/Experience:

Strategist, innovator, and tactical leader building brand value resulting in sustainable, profitable growth. Demonstrated ability in transitioning under-performing organizations into top producers while accelerating growth and market expansion in luxury goods and publishing industries.

Educational Background:

High School Dipolma from University of California, Santa Barbara CA 1/2001 to 6/1993 (Communications and Sociology)

Job History / Details:

Summary

Senior Product Manager with extensive experience in project management and sales. Strategist, innovator, and tactical leader building brand value resulting in sustainable, profitable growth. Demonstrated ability in transitioning under-performing organizations into top producers while accelerating growth and market expansion in luxury goods and publishing industries.

Experience

September 2011 to Current

Waxing Poetic Carpinteria, California

Director of Sourcing and Project Manager

Primary point of contact for complete website re-design. Inherited a project that was far behind schedule and successfully launched new website in time for 4th quarter sales resulting in a 153 percentage increase in sales for Dec 2011.

Manager of all web marketing including daily/weekly/monthly web updates, social media campaigns, email blasts.

Web sales have continued to increase an average of 33 percentage per month for 2012.

Project manager for all printed collateral, managing multiple graphic artists and photographer.

Delivered finished 2012 catalog in time for Jan trade shows on time for the first time in company history with a savings of $10,000 from 2010 catalog.

Sourcing and price negotiation for all aspects of jewelry - silver goods, components, gemstones, leather cords, and additional jewelry components as needed.

Development and sourcing for all promotional and permanent displays.

May 2010 to September 2011

The Walking Company Westlake, California

Private Brand Footwear Manager

Developed and executed product lines for exclusive brand footwear (Raffini, abeo, Zealand, Sierra West, UC 24/7, Mens, Additional lines as they came up). Private label sales for 2012 performed 60 percentage over plan.

Oversaw PD Coordinator in accessory development (promo items, socks, shoe care, slippers, bags, etc.).

Communicated with vendors, factories, agents to source, price and approve products. Included domestic & overseas communication.

Researched market, vendor products & sales history to develop new concepts.

Tracked & monitored production process to ensure timely deliveries.

Responsible for keeping samples organized and detailed notes through development.

Followed master development timeline and worked with merchandise buyers to ensure product orders were placed appropriately to achieve timely deliveries.

Developed feature & benefit & training materials for product lines and executed with retail training department.

January 2003 to November 2009

Jaqua Beauty Santa Barbara, California

International Product Manager/Director

Primary product development advisor to Jaqua CEO, President and Board of Directors responsible for branding Jaqua bath and body collections; Bakery, BFF (Buttercream Frosting Forever), Jaqua Girls, and Jaqua SPA.

Identified new products, components, and packaging by attending industry trade shows; Health & Beauty Association (HBA); Natural Products Expo; Cosmoprof; Westpack and shopping competitive retailers; Bath & Body Works, Sephora and Ulta.

Managed the development of new collections and expansion of existing collections by coordinating fragrance samples, product samples, packaging samples, proof reading artwork and attending press checks.

Monitored international production from point-of-purchase order to warehouse delivery.

Negotiated prices and lead times with 100 vendors.

January 2001 to January 2003

The Narrative Press Santa Barbara, California

General Manager

Oversaw and managed sales growth, expense budgets, and evolving business strategies and special events to capture lucrative opportunities.

Originated non traditional revenue streams that included interactive web products to add to bottom line profitability of $2,000,000.

Instigated inventory controls that resulted in commercial rates being amplified by 25 percentage .

Engineered campaigns that catapulted margin of profitability from heavy losses by over 10 percentage .

September 1994 to December 1998

Big Dog Sportswear Santa Barbara, California

National Product Manager

Responsible for $10,000,000 of $100,000,000 retail sales, managing full product lifecycle from conception to delivery; pet products, plush, toys, paper/stationery, gifts and home goods, casual dinnerware and kitchenware.

Identified potential products by attending gift trade shows.

Marketed to retailers following trends through trade magazines and major competitors: Disney, Warner Brothers, Petco and PetSmart.

Directed a staff of five artists to create visual concepts for new products, including proofing and critiquing designs submitted by artists including 3-D molds.

Negotiated prices and lead times with 100 vendors.

Forecasted annual purchase quantities.

Determined appropriate allocation quantities for 150 stores and the Big Dog mail order catalog.

June 1992 to September 1994

Bradley Advertising Santa Barbara, California

Production Manager

Tracked print media projects by collecting 300 vendor bids, including print buying, serving as a liaison with external art studios: In Color and other service bureaus.

Managed a staff of three artists and two interns.

Major Accounts: Mission Linen, Teva, Carrow's Restaurant.

Education

1993 University of California Santa Barbara, CA

BA Communications and Sociology

Additional Information

University of California, Santa Barbara, Chi Omega Internal Vice President, UCSB Panhellenic Council

Outstanding Award, Contract Packaging (CPCM) for Jaqua Beauty Branding: Bakery Line

President, California Dressage Society, Santa Barbara Chapter

Washington Elementary School Fundraising Volunteer

International travel - England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, China, Indonesia

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