Retail Manager, KPI driver, Ethical leader, Merchandiser expert

Giulia Massera

Overview

Working for global companies like Accenture, J.W. Thompson, MANGO, PINKO and Ralph & Russo, she has more than 25 years of professional experience in Sales, Visual Merchandising, HR L&D driving growth (business KPIs) and developing talent through an ethical leadership approach. Retail expert, combining commercialism, re-building or establishing brand perception versus employees and clients with an effective communication approach and training plans that create loyalty and increase performance. In her most recent roles, she was Area Manager UK and Ireland for Pinko and Global Operation Manager for Ralph & Russo.

After moving into the HE sector in May 2019, as a Deputy Course Director and Senior Lecturer in Fashion Management and Marketing, Giulia makes sure to facilitate an effective learning environment for students, ensuring that the most appropriate and relevant learning outcomes, employability skills development plans and pedagogical methods are applied. In her training development programs she embeds company goals like Inclusivity, Sense of Belonging, Authenticity, Competencies needed for the business, Mental Health-Wellbeing, Sustainability, Social Responsibilities, Decolonisation and Curriculum Co-Creation. She is recently researching and so building a new Course on Sustainable and Ethical Recruitment, Staff Development, Employees retention, and Performance Leadership applied to Creative and Artistic Professional field.

Giulia is an experienced team player with outstanding commercial, communication and interpersonal visual and verbal skills. Very creative solution-oriented and proactive attitude. She also has strong research, analytics, planning and time management skills. She knows how much employees performance and retention is driven by an ethical training development and leadership approach based on inclusive cultural values. She welcomes new challenges and embraces change.

From January 2023 my husband started working in a senior position at Qatar Airways. My spouse sponsorship is expected to be issued in June 2023. I am currently travelling to London (UK) and Doha for business purposes but able to start working part time from July 2021. I will relocate permanently to Doha and be able to work full time from September 2023.

Career Achievements to Date

Coventry University London

May 2019 – April 2023

Deputy Course Director and Senior Lecturer in Fashion Marketing and Management

Bringing together her talent mapping and performance strategies, to guide creative thinkers in the development of a grounded insight into the complex cycle of fashion, taking it to market and its business segmentation. Achieving average module evaluation of 93%, obtaining 100% by leading challenging modules like internships and live project events, working in team to increase the NSS of 4%.

Building on the students' abilities, personal focus, supporting their soft and hard skills developing a 360-degree career in the following areas:

-Plan an Events – Level 5, 6 and 7

-Retail Management – Level 6 and 7

-Personal Stylist – Level 6 and 7

-Customer Journey Experience – Level 6 and 7

-CRM – Level 7

-Trends and Forecasting – Level 7

-Visual Merchandising – Level 6 and 7

-Strategic Experiential and Digital Marketing – Level 5, 6 and 7

-Fashion Styling toward Sustainable Practices – Level 6 and 7

-Fashion Recycling, Upcycling, Reuse workshops – Level 5, 6 and 7

-Personal Branding and Promotion – Level 5, 6 and 7

-HR Talent acquisition, development and retention – Level 6 and 7

-Talent Map, Leadership and Finance Management – Level 6 and 7

-KPI Management and Employees Performance– Level 6 and 7

-Ethical Leadership – Level 6 and 7

-Communication – Level 7

Ralph & Russo

Sept 2018 – April 2019

Global Retail Operations Manager – London, Doha and Monte Carlo.

-In charge of HR Retail staff recruitment, induction L&D training courses/plan and supervision across store network to develop their skills, to enhance their job performance and to ensure set objectives are met

-Defining clientelling approach, rules and database data to satisfy clients and build a long-term relationship

-Creation and update of the Retail Talent Mapping and creation of specific trainings to develop different talents, employees engagement and increase KPIs

-Provide solutions from people and products perspectives that address performance issues in a timely and effective manner

-Coaching managers and high potential/performance Retail staff by applying the GROW model

-Definition of an Ethical Leadership approach to talent development and evaluation of performance

-Responsible for trends analysis, seasonal buying, budget and plans for Retail operations

-Develop and implement Retail Manuals & Visual Guidelines to ensure consistency in customer service, visual merchandising, logistics and standards while maximising regional performances

-Develop efficient working relationships with Regional and Corporate partners

-Travel to stores, including Harrods-London, Doha and Monte Carlo, to ensure that Regional standards meet Corporate guidelines to reinforce the global Brand image

-Planning Inclusion and Diversity retail analysis/training/projects

-Monitor inventory levels to determine the need for stock supply at each store and Regional visual identity

-Building a new CRM tool (Salesforce) to acquire customer data and plan store weekly/monthly activities

Reporting directly to the Ralph and Russo Global Retail Director.

PINKO

Dec 2015 – Sept 2018

Area Manager UK and Ireland

Achieved +16% revenue growth in 2017 across 7 stores in UK & Ireland, exceeding the annual target and improving KPI’s like sell-through, UPT, customer acquisitions and stock loss. Increased Employees retention of 70%. Excellent communication and collaboration skills to bring the brand to life.

-Excellent commercial awareness with strong analytical skills, with a deep understanding of the Fashion Retail market

-Defining clientelling approach, rules and database data to satisfy clients and build long-term relationships

-In charge of recruitment, induction, development, coach and training plan (GROW & Design Thinking models) able to increase retention and performance

-Driving employee engagement and performance by promoting the philosophy and values of the brand

-Setting yearly/monthly/weekly goals while monitoring specific KPI’s and employees Talent Map/development

-Responsible for trends analysis, seasonal buying, budget and plans for retail operations considering evolving marketplace dynamics, consumer trends and segmentation

-In charge of the regional Visual Merchandising Guidelines and implementation for each store to drive a strong brand image and increase sales

-Develop and implement UK and Ireland Seasonal Retail Manuals to ensure consistency in customer service, logistics and standards while maximising Regional performances

-Travel to stores to ensure that Regional standards meet Corporate guidelines to reinforce the global Brand image

-Development of fully integrated mid to long-term strategies with key strategic partners, bringing digital focus and omnichannel approach to grow the brand awareness in the UK

-CRM tool (Salesforce) to acquire customer data and plan store weekly/monthly activities

-Planning Events in the region to grow brand awareness and performances

-Loss Prevention

Reporting directly to the PINKO Global Retail Director.

Liu Jo (Brompton Road)

Nov 2014- Nov 2015 – Opening of the first store in the London. Store Manager, Visual Merchandiser, HR, L&D & New Business Strategies Development UK

MANGO (Regent Street)

Jan 2014 – Nov 2014 - Manager, responsible for a team of 80 people with a turnover of £7m

Led the Sales Leadership Team and was responsible for total store results, defining strategic direction to drive the sales. KPI monitoring & reporting. Collaborating weekly with the Visual Merchandising team to analyse money mapping results and redefine floor visual layout according to best sellers, weekly trends and stock level.

GEOX (Marble Arch)

Oct 2011 – Dec 2013 - Store Manager: from Oct 2013 responsible for a team of 25 people with a turnover of £3.5m. Define strategic direction for the store to drive the sales/KPI

-Responsible for staff training for all the 7 UK stores

-Responsible for stock allocation and transfers for all the 7 UK stores

Shicon (part of H-Farm Venture, London)

Nov 2008 – Jun 2011 - Co-founder and Creative Director. Started company from initial concept to operations (online marketing & sales, community management) and exit (trade sale to private investors)

Winner of the Fashion Times “Designer of the month” award (Milan, Feb 2007)

Independent Fashion Designer (London, United Kingdom & Rome, Italy)

Jan 2003 – Jan 2005 - Designed, created and sold my own fashion collections in London (King’s Road) & Rome, focusing on the blending of women's urban clothing with exotic and fine textiles following the recycling concept.

J. Walter Thompson (Rome, Italy)

Jul 2000 – Dec 2002 - Senior Account Manager, Market research & positioning

Accenture (Rome, Italy)

Jan 1999 – Jun 2000 - Project/Strategic Manager & Business Analysis for the Italian Bank market

Associate Lecturer, Universita’ degli Studi "La Sapienza", (Rome, Italy)

Sep 1997 – Dec 1998 - Researched quantitative theoretical models as well as a selection of market practices and planned a profitable trade management method that contained an innovative structure of timing, entry and exit rules.

Education & Qualifications

Oct 2022 “Recognition of Teaching and Learning Excellence Delivery of

Innovative and Authentic Assessment” Coventry University London Award

Set 2022 Enrolled in MSc “Leadership and Management” with UHI University –

Due August 2023. Predicted graduation mark: First

Jun 2022 “I love My students’” Coventry University London Award

Feb 2021 HEA Fellowship. PgCert Higher Education Professional Practice, Coventry

University, UK

Feb 2007 Winner of the Fashion Times “Designer of the month” award (Milan)

May 2002 Web usability improvement & online content mgmt (Roma, Italy)

Oct 1998 Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" (Rome, Italy) - Business

Administration and Economics Degree –

Graduated with Honours (110/110 cum laude)

1883-1998 Life Coach with a focus on young adults aged 15-22

Important note: in Oct 1998 – Oct 1999 I obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (scholarship for merit, Rome, Italy) with Professor Giovannini and Partners” in collaboration with the Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" (Rome, Italy). However, since it was before 2000 the results don’t align with European requirements therefore the exam transcripts are not available for official purposes.

Productivity tools - Advanced: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Genially, Padlet.

CRM & Business intelligence - Advanced: Salesforce, Microstrategy

HR Policies & Procedures - Proficient

L&D - Advance: GROW model, Design Thinking, Inclusion and Diversity retail analysis/projects

Professional and Industry Memberships

Fellow of Higher Education Academy

Publications and Scholarship Activities

Giulia’s BA dissertation was focused on anticipating an Italian Bank crisis that actually happened 2 years after her degree, and was mentioned in several Italian online and newspaper articles between 1999 and 2001.

PG Certificate in Academic Practice in HE Case Study: “A successful makeover! Improving students’ experience of assessment in a fashion module Practitioner Coventry University London” published in:

- In Academic Development – Coventry University Group. https://acdev.orgdev.coventry.domains/application/files/5116/0743/1743/Giulia_Massera_case_study.pdf

- In Teaching Knowledge Base – Coventry University Group https://teach.coventry.domains/articles/assessment-case-studies/

Collaborating with IGI Global for a publication around the topic of Ethical Leadership

Language Proficiency:

ITALIAN Spoken/written: Mother tongue

ENGLISH Spoken: Excellent; Written: Excellent

Personal Details:

Date of birth: 22nd February 1974

Place of birth: Rome (Italy)

Nationality: Italian and British

Marital Status: Married with 2 children, 17 and 19 years old

UK, London Address: 100 Western Way, London EN5 2BT, UK

Phone Number: +44-790-****-***

Qatar, Doha Address: Beverly Hills Tower, Doha, Qatar

Phone Number: +974-****-****

E-mail Address: ****************@*****.***

Citizenships: I have both, Italian and British citizenships.

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