Customer Service Sales

David Ephraim Kirsten

***-** **** *** **, Briarwood, NY 11435 • Tel 347-***-**** • *********@*****.***

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-kirsten/21/819/517

Vendor Compliance & Chargeback Director December 2012 – Present

A.H. Schreiber (Swimwear Manufacturer and Distributor)

New York City • Bristol, Virginia

• Work in NYC while leading 8 Compliance Officers in Bristol, VA to strictly adhere and communicate our

customer’s dynamic compliance rules and regulations inclusive 100MM+ Portfolio: Target, Walmart, Kohl’s,

Dillard’s, Lane Bryant, Lord & Taylor, Chico’s, JCPenney, Sears, Macy’s, Bloomingdales and more

• Coordinate compliance guidelines with Execs, Operations, EDI, Cust. Svc, Sales, Warehouses, & Production

• Visit retailer’s warehouses, conferences & augment relationships with Logistics, Operations & Vendor Mgrs.

• Implement Social & Sustainability Initiatives, Policies & Procedures with Prod. Team, Overseas Contractors

• Minimize late deliveries and chargebacks through adherence to Production Manager’s VTA and collaborate to

resolve compliance issues/delays of care labels, price-tickets, hangtags, heat transfers, etc.

• Research validity of chargebacks: identify root causes, dispute, issue debits/credits, create reports, notify depts.

• Create transparent reports addressing performance metrics: routing optimization, lead times, fulfillment rates

• Introduce and educate Compliance team to PLM process

• Institute Compliance Guidebook available to our personnel in alleviating problems with Target’s Canada Div.

• Negotiate exemptions with retailers to avoid violations after alternatives exhausted

• Establish action plans with departments to become compliant within retailer’s requirements

• Review Supplier performance scorecards bi-monthly, address and resolve unsatisfactory areas with Managers

Chargeback & Vendor Compliance Manager April 2010 – November 2012

Sunrise Brands, Inc. (Fashion & Apparel Conglomerate)

Los Angeles • New York City • Hong Kong

● Augmented compliance, resolved chargebacks, maximized payment reversals, minimized violation recurrences with

retailers & boutiques: Wal-Mart, Sears, Macy’s, Target, Kohl’s, JCP, Hot Topic, Neiman Marcus & more

● Reversed $2.5 MM+ chargebacks

● Disseminated updates of Vendor Compliance and Routing Manuals to EDI, Operations, and Shipping Depts.

● Reviewed EDI 850 orders & 810 invoices to ensure proper billing and in sync with sales orders

● Constructed SOP’s with our LA & Hong Kong office to prevent future GTIN-14 Sears violations

● Researched vendor compliance violations and implemented corrective actions to ensure compliance

● Reduced Sear’s fulfillment rate charges by training Los Angeles and Hong Kong Merchandisers

● Issued Debits to overseas factories & warehouses

● Reversed Ulta damage allowances and prevented future allowances by underscoring inconsistencies

● Compiled all necessary documentation for RTV’s, credit memos & write offs with Dept. Head signature

● Persuaded Sales Vice President to implement new Agreements with Wal-Mart, reducing futures allowances

● Worked with K-mart Buyer in reversing 1% cash discount through presentation of Supplier Agreement

● Responsible for $450K payback of Wal-Mart deductions within 3 month span covering 500+ deductions

● Responsible for $600K+ reduction of Wal-Mart Post Audit Co-Op Pricing claims

● Reversed $30K in Sears Late chargebacks by communicating and establishing rapport with Sears Execs

● Negotiated with Sears Post Audit Dept. to reverse of all handling charges on Sears defective returns

● Reversed Neiman concealed shortage claims received over a year ago

● Reversed over $2K in Sears inspection charges in teaming up with Sears Director of Compliance

● Educated our Sears Dept. to proactively communicate with Buyers for late & fulfillment rate exemptions

Credit & Collections Manager August 2008 – March 2010

L.H. Dottie Co., (Construction, Electrical, Security, Lighting)

Commerce, CA

● Reconciled $72 million portfolio of National/ Intl. Construction, Electrical & Lighting wholesale accounts

● Trained/cross-trained 4 account specialists customer service fundamentals, relationship building, teamwork

● Implemented IT dept. to provide EDI raw data translation to customer service: minimizing discrepancies

● Reported to EDI team if EDI invoices & ASN’s unacknowledged, rejected, inaccurate or transmitted late

● Prepared transition to Oracle by re-formatting customer’s invoices, statements

● Coordinated with Controller and dept. by creating tutorials & procedures for Oracle collection tools

● Instituted written contingency plans to fix missing or invalid account data

● Aging over 90 days less than 1.5% of total receivables & DSO reduced by 20 days in utilizing identification reports

that monitor and identify high risk accts. with slow payment history, short-pays/debits, & high DSO

● Maximized dept.’s efficiency through reassignment of duties, trimming non-productive staff, accentuating employee

morale, implementing policies/procedures, performance appraisals, bi-monthly meetings

● Decreased unearned discounts with repeat offenders

● Decreased placement of held orders by informing Sales Reps and enlisting their collection assistance

● Participated with cash applications, issuance and posting of debits, credits

● Determined prospect’s credit capacity, payment and freight terms utilizing credit application, bank and trade

references, CIT, Amalgamated Financial, D&B reports, industry credit bureaus, Personal Guarantees

● Synthesized action plans with depts. to dispute & reduce revolving pricing, shortage, and freight deductions

● Resolved all billing inaccuracies immediately and created ATF invoices when customers under-billed.

● Utilized dunning letters, promissory notes, and letters of credit and payment schedules to facilitate payment.

● Instituted new effective procedures to record collection notes as promise to pay, dispute, follow up, etc.

Credit & Collections Supervisor June 2000 – August 2008

Giant Merchandising, Inc. (Apparel Manufacturing/Distribution/Wholesale)

Commerce, CA

● Hired, managed, and crossed-trained 5 employees on approx. 140 million/year apparel commercial portfolio: Wal-

Mart, JCP, Nordstrom, Kohl’s, Target, Hard Rock Café, Hot Topic, Mom and Pop establishments & more

● Prepared, reviewed, and reported monthly aging reports with summarized collection activity to VP of Finance `

● Coordinated daily with collection team, Accounting and Factoring Agent - CIT Commercial Services, in the

reconciliation of unapplied credits, debits, short-pays, payments, bad debt, and matured transactions.

● Instituted vendor compliance procedures & reported violations with inter-related depts.

● Established, extended & revoked credit terms for both Factored & Non-factored accounts via credit applications,

credit references, DSO, bank references, sales, payment history, D&B, CIT, Rosenthal, GMACC

● On average, summary aging of all accounts balance over 30 days approx. less than 6% of total receivables

● Produced $800K Wal-Mart chargeback settlement proposal from 2003-2008

● Immediately researched and disputed big box retailers chargebacks & post-audit claims

● Transitioned COD customers to prepay and revamped credit application to determine prospects financial risk

● Adhered to GAAP and SOX compliance and fulfilled California Board of Equalization prerequisites

● Spearheaded 50% prepaid with precarious retailers: Blockbuster, KB Toys, Goody’s Clothing

● Executed supplier matrixes to monitor and track incoming vendor violations, trade, co-op allowances, & rebates

● Increased payment activities by creating dunning letters, personal guarantees, promissory notes, payment plans

● Minimized DSO by instituting a “watch list,” of volatile customers and scrupulously monitoring receivables

● Ensured credits by internal/ external departments legitimate, & issued promptly with appropriate documentation

● Coordinated with EDI Dept. to ensure EDI invoices transmitted timely & accurately

● Tracked and released held orders daily and corresponded with sales and customer service of impending delays

● Performed month end factored sales commission and surcharge analysis reports for CIT Commercial and VP

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology January 2006

Minor in Business Administration; Marketing

California State University, Long Beach

Computer Software Utilized:

ERP, Oracle, RBS World Pay Virtual Terminal, VAM, EDI, Excel, Access, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint) Lawson, AS

400, Epicore, SQL, QuickBooks, Solomon, Peach Tree, JDE, Crystal Reports, AIC, SQL & more

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