Darlene M. Slusher

adxwy8@r.postjobfree.com • LinkedIn • Bronx, NY 10475 • 646-***-****

Category Manager

Dedicated and results-driven business professional with an MBA and a tradition of performance excellence in developing strategic/tactical plans, improving merchandising strategies, and driving revenue growth. Highly accomplished and resourceful professional with category management experience within the consumer- packaged goods industry along with the ability to synthesize data into insights and compelling category growth narratives. Proven analytical and critical thinking skills with the aptitude to link strategies, and objectives to develop compelling stories. Strong thought leadership and influencing skills and ability to influence both internal teams and customers. Providing recommendation and executing on space/category management strategic and tactics to accelerate category growth and maximize the growth. Areas of Expertise

• Category Management

• Strategic Planning

• Team Leadership & Training

• Supply Chain Management

• Partnership Management

• Process Improvement

• Merchandising Management

• Relationship Building

• Complex Problem Resolution

Career Experience

Category Manager, L&R Distributor, Inc., Brooklyn, NY 6/2010 – Present Implement strong data analytics and consumer/shopper insights to drive category management principles while leading 14 employees with store resets and categorizing merchandise. Spearhead the development and implementation of strategic business plans, vision, tactics, and strategies for achieving category volume, contribution, and share objectives with excellent communication and experience in CPG category management in the retail industry. Devise and present category and marketplace insights while building and maintaining long- term relationships with stakeholders and clients. Develop new planograms to coordinate with the layout of each store and provide products to various business establishments.

● Successfully implemented new setup according to planograms and create new planograms to have more impact off-shelf by liaising with category management.

● Drove sales growth by 10% by establishing promotional items with Health & Beauty Care managers.

● Designed a productivity improvement database by providing employee/owner access to respective accounts to review order history and sales reports.

● Full accountability, ownership for category growth and provide overall product strategy to drive category sales and margin growth.

● Attracted new consumers, recognizing a 20% growth in profitability, and achieving a 25% increase in sales by creating engaging presentations, signs, and posters and evaluating Nielsen data trends/buying behavior.

2

● Strategically increase merchandise sales volume a 10% growth by developing other business metrics that help negotiate complex business.

● Project management using Smartsheet to collaborate and track the progress on reports for completion.

● Create data presentation reports using PowerPoint and Canva.

● Create report in excel using pivot table, create different charts for breakdown to show increase in sale and growth in different categories.

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Additional Experience as Supervisor/Merchandiser Specialist, Jacent Strategic, LLC, Huntingdon Valley, NY Recruiter/Office Manager for Bottom Line Consultants, Inc., New York, NY Education

MBA in Business Management, Marketing Minor, Iona University, New Rochelle, NY BBA in Business Management, Monroe College, Bronx, New York AAS in Business Administration, Monroe College, Bronx, New York Technical Proficiencies

Microsoft Office, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, Smartsheet 5, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, Canva, Onboarding, Offboarding, SAP, Nielsen, JDA

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