ROBERT SOUSSANA

**** ******** ***

addy1h@r.postjobfree.com

562-***-****

PROFILE

** ***** ** ********** ** home furnishings, design and product development for both Domestic and Import businesses. A comprehensive understanding of multiple product categories including case goods, accent furniture, lighting, accessories and outdoor furniture. Proven experience leading creative departments, design teams and product toward projected revenue goals. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Creative director

Modus furniture (100 million annually) Los Angeles California 11/17 – 2/20 Case goods home furnishing Manufacturer importer (Living spaces, Macy’s, City, Urban barn etc.)

Managed a 12 person team of designers project managers and freelancers

* Managed staff through mentoring, motivating and focused team building skills.

* Managed and reviewed all sketches rendering & cads before proto approval

* Delegated all workload to designer and project managers, which included managing their daily task, and overview workload

* Gather market data on fashion, trends, fabrication, materials, color schemes and designs for annual introductions

Personal Design responsibility

* Sketches, 3D rendering, cads, and all material selections

* Manage all aspects of the “fine art” product development process

* Insure all samples meet all cost/margin goals.

Import & design responsibilities

* Vietnam, Indonesia & China travel to communicate to our factories all necessary information for best execution of samples for our mass-market customer presentations.

* Reviewed/approved all drawings from vendors

* Reviewed and fine tuned all prototype samples for production Showroom responsibilities

* Plan layout of all merchandising for all 2 showroom layout

* Pre-mercindised all staged vignettes

* Physically set up showroom

* Educated sales on all new market intros

Classic Home (100 million annually) Vernon California 5/12 – 9/17 Life Style home furnishing Manufacturer importer to lifestyle retail community (Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn etc)

VP of Furniture Design

Design team leader responsibilities

* Managed in-house design staff through mentoring, motivating and focused team building skills. * Managed and reviewed all sketches rendering & cads before proto approval

* Delegated all workload to designers, which included managing their daily task, and overview workload

* Gather market data on fashion, trends, fabrication, materials, color schemes and designs for annual introductions

Personal Design responsibility

* Sketches, 3D rendering, cads, and all material selections

* Manage all aspects of the “fine art” product development process

* Insure all samples meet all cost/margin goals.

Import & design responsibilities

* Asian/India travel to communicate to our factories all necessary information for best execution of samples for our mass-market customer presentations.

* Reviewed/approved all drawings from vendors

* Reviewed and fine tuned all prototype samples for production Showroom responsibilities

* Plan layout of all merchandising for all 4 showroom layout

* Pre-mercindised all staged vignettes

* Physically set up showroom

* Educated sales on all new market intros

International shows for market research trends and ideas

* Paris France - Maison furniture show

* Milan Italy - European Furniture fair

* Shanghai China - Shanghai show

ACME FURNITURE (125 million annually) City of Industry CA, 1/11 – 6/11 Trading Company Importer of case goods

Director of Product Development and Design

Import & design Responsibilities

* Conceptualize all annual introductions based on style price and trends.

* Design responsibilities – Sketch/Rendering, cads and sample production.

* Create and develop drawings/specifications needed to communicate design concepts to overseas factories.

* Extensive Asian travel to communicate with agents, vendors, and factories to establish product timelines from initial concept sketch to final product

Art director responsibility

* All proofing responsibility (Proofing, Layout & Coordination).

* All Showroom responsibility (Props, Showroom layout, Set up).

* Work with independent designers to develop new collections. Personnel responsibilities

*Oversee and work with the following departments - Marketing, Art Direction, Import, & Design teams

* Filter tasks to teams and manage the prioritization of design tasks.

* Ensure all creative areas, Product, Advertising, Showroom and Catalogue all have a fresh revitalized look.

SANDBERG FURNITURE (50 million annually) Los Angeles CA. 3/07 – 10/10 U.S. Case Goods Manufacturer & Importer

VP Director of Product Development & Design

Domestic design, manufacturing & personnel responsibilities

* Design responsibilities – Sketch, Renderings, Portfolio presentations, cads and sample production.

*Coordinate new and existing design changes with the engineering, purchasing, production, and import and service departments.

*Develop sales presentations, create Style Boards and assist in pre-sales.

*Gather market data on fashion trends – fabrication, materials, color schemes and designs.

Import design & manufacturing responsibilities

* Conceptualize all annual introductions based on style price and material trends.

* Design responsibilities – Sketch/Rendering, cads and sample production.

*Create and develop drawings/specifications needed to communicate design concepts to overseas factories.

Art director responsibility

* All Printing responsibility (Proofing, Layout & Coordination).

* Work with independent designers to develop new collections. Personnel responsibilities

*Oversee the following departments - Design, Manufacturing, Import, & Domestic.

*Filter tasks to design teams and manage the prioritization of specific goals.

MINKA GROUP ($300 Million annually) Corona, CA 4/04- 12/06 Product Manager/Designer

Kovacs division - High end contemporary designer line of lighting systems, fixtures and lamps

Ambience divisions - Middle to high end transitional line of lamps, furniture and accessories

* Responsible for all product development, manufacturer sourcing, licensing, pricing and advertising.

* Managed in-house design staff and contracted commissioned designers for both divisions.

* Executed projects from concept to production, working with the QC department to ensure overall integrity of product and design. Overseas responsibilities

* Extensive Asian travel to communicate with agents, vendors, and factories to establish product timelines from initial sketch to final product.

* Delegated projects to appropriate vendors

* Reviewed all project quotes * Reviewed all drawings from vendors

* Reviewed and fine tuned all prototype samples for production

* Established all sample tracking for shows

COASTER COMPANY ($350 Million annually) Santa Fe Springs, CA 2/02 – 3/04\ Project Manager/Furniture Designer

Overseas product development and research for all categories, including case goods, bedroom, dining room, upholstery and accent pieces.

* Executed projects from concept sketch to production, ensuring overall product quality.

* Introduced new design categories to an existing line of merchandise.

(Youth Bedroom, Jewelry Armoires and occasional tables)

* Managed and designed the layout of showroom spaces. L. POWELL COMPANY ($120 Million annually) Culver City, CA 1993 - 2002 Project Manager/Furniture Designer Developer

*Produced detailed drawings of all areas throughout product Development.

*Executed projects from concept to production.

*Acted as liaison to factories regarding overall design quality with Necessary follow up. *Produced, developed and supervised numerous design team group projects.

COMPUTER QUALIFICATIONS

Form Z, Photoshop, Word, Excel

EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, INTERIOR DESIGN ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, Tempe, Arizona College of Architecture and Environmental Design

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