Alexandra Dewar

Delivered in-house designed products that perform, directly responding to consumer preferences, managed in an efficient manner to reduce time-to-market and control cost, underpinned by processes that are fit for scale. - Lead and enhance design to development processes that are fit for brand growth and scale, amplify brand presence and deliver value; - Manage design documentation and version control, storage and communication; - Develop specification standards across materials, finishes and hardware while driving cost optimisation and enhancing margin protection through quality; - Develop category standards for exceptional product design that is fit for purpose and supply chain efficiency, ultimately to ensure all products meet or exceed consumer expectations and continuously improve product quality and safety; - Aggregate global retail product needs and ensure design solutions respond appropriately to regional category needs; - Lead the innovation pipeline for new product development, partnering with Design to generate new product concepts, ideas and insights through a dual lens of consumer preferences and handling / delivery; - Maximise pick-up rate of new product developments towards 80% to enhance the most successful development pipeline and vendor performance; - Drive ownership of first costs to ensure retail price targets are achieved and business margins are optimised; - Own accuracy of product master data for all new seasonal SKUs and enhancement of ongoing SKUs (product features, materials, measurements, care instructions) including on-time delivery to marketing team to write product copy; - Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams including Design, Merchandise, Sourcing and Marketing; - Drive adherence to the critical path calendar and tighten timeframes to achieve a 15% reduction in on-time delivery to market.

Responsible for managing all aspects of stock sourcing, supplier and intermediary identification and management, contract negotiations to drive commercial excellence, supplier performance, compliance and quality standards. - Sourcing strategy to support the company’s business goals, balancing cost in line with margin targets, quality and reliability; - Negotiate commercial terms and contractual agreements with import stock suppliers; - Lead the development of Vendor Management documentation, operating guidelines and performance metrics; - Cost improvement through competitive sourcing, effective negotiations, quality assurance, design to value and BoM optimisation; - Lead cross-functional teams on Product Development, Production and Procurement, Quality Control. - Quality assurance within a cross-functional partnership with Quality Control / Logistics and stock vendors to drive solutions and reduce product-led return rates, including packaging improvements, design changes and contractual claims enforcement; - Production management for on-time delivery, optimise inventory flows through order cadence and vendor output capacity as aligned with sales demand and warehouse inventory capacity; - Travel to countries of manufacture to work closely with vendor side R&D and production teams, learning their attributes and challenges, educating suppliers as to Coco Republic design & quality standards, fostering supplier relationships, as well as following up on design development and sample approval; - Cross-functional collaboration and influencing with Design, Merchandise, Demand Planning, Quality Control, Logistics and Shipping, Final Mile Delivery, Marketing; - Build and effectively manage a team by inspiring, leading, mentoring, coaching, developing and rewarding others.

Led the sourcing and product development team to develop market-ready products with improved utility, efficiency and availability at the forefront. Optimised the broader value and supply chain perspective of sourcing, product development and production through diversifying the supplier base and building competitive tension. - Vendor assessment, selection and allocation; continuous monitoring and communication; vendor relationship management; - Spec out design concepts including CAD and renders, materials and target costing; - Specify appropriate materials that are fit for purpose, amplify product quality and deliver value; - Drive value through establishing competitive bidding approaches to sourcing; - Travel to countries of manufacture to work closely with vendor side R&D and production teams, fostering relationships, as well as following up on design development and sample approval; - Ownership of product master data for all new seasonal SKUs (product features, 
materials, measurements, care instructions) to write product copy tailored to the consumer audience and in line with brand voice; - Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless communication throughout the product development lifecycle; - Manage internal and external stakeholders to achieve on-time delivery for new season launches; - Conduct product testing and quality control assessments, ensuring products meet design specifications, reflect brand aesthetics and value and exceed industry standards; - Build and effectively manage a team by mentoring, coaching and developing others.

Responsible for establishing and maintaining managing all aspects of the key product categories of outdoor furniture and casegoods. - Offline buying and selection of new lines as aligned with overall brand strategy; - Product development, dimensioning, specification, appropriate material sourcing and cost negotiation; - Range assortment and seasonal planning of new introductions and exit of non-performing lines; - Reporting, review and analysis of SKU, range and category performance metrics, presentation to management to support rationalisation of range decision-making across 500 SKUs (400 long running SKUs / 100 new SKUs); - Successfully enhanced the outdoor furniture category to achieve a 30% growth in sales contribution through successful product selection and development of own designs, amplified by direct to manufacturer sourcing for margin enhancement; - Successfully enhanced the casegoods furniture category to achieve a 10% growth in sales contribution through successful product selection and development of own designs, amplified by direct to manufacturer sourcing for margin enhancement; - Inventory management and markdowns to maintain optimal inventory replenishment and SKU range efficiency; - Supplier communications, management and costing negotiations; - Regular collaboration with manufacturers’ R&D and production teams, following up on design development and sample approval; - Product master data management, communication and online catalogue management. In parallel, responsible for project managing retail fit outs for new builds or existing footprint renovation, within a cross-functional collaborative nexus amongst architectural designers and building contractors. - Project Management of $6m cumulative retail fit out projects, including budget management, stakeholder management and accountability, on-time delivery.

Responsible for establishing and maintaining all furniture categories (encompassing upholstery, outdoor, casegoods, bedroom). - Offline buying and selection of new lines as aligned with overall brand strategy; - Product development, dimensioning, specification and appropriate material sourcing; - Range assortment and seasonal planning of new introductions and exit of non-performing lines; - Reporting, review and analysis of SKU, range and category performance metrics, presentation to management to support rationalisation of range decision-making across 800 SKUs (650 long running SKUs / 150 new SKUs); - Inventory management and markdowns to maintain optimal inventory replenishment and SKU range efficiency; - Supplier communications, management and costing negotiations; - Travel to countries of manufacture to work closely with marketing and R&D teams, as well as attending furniture fairs; - Product master data management, communication and online catalogue management; - Product communications and training to retail and commercial sales teams. Also responsible for managing the visual merchandising function. - Oversight of national showroom aesthetic through planning product dispersion and new product representation; - Leadership and management of visual merchandising team. In parallel, responsible for project managing retail fit outs for new builds or existing footprint renovation, within a cross-functional collaborative nexus amongst architectural designers and building contractors. - Project Management of $2.5m cumulative retail fit out projects, including budget management, stakeholder management and accountability, on-time delivery.

Responsible for delivering interior design solutions for residential projects from initial brief to complete and seamless implementation. - Project lead, driving and developing innovative and creative design concepts that directly respond to client briefs; - Assist senior designer as required on larger interior design projects; - Manage design documentation including CAD drafting (VectorWorks), 3D visualisation (SketchUp), Photoshop and InDesign presentations, excel costing scopes; - Proactively update in-depth knowledge of design and furniture, materials, fixtures and fittings appropriate to residential design; - Ensure all costing scopes are accurate and in alignment with client budget; - Deliver Colour Masterclass presentations to Coco Republic Design School.

Consultant interior designer for small-scale residential, commercial and hospitality interior projects. Take initial design brief through to final presentations; - Manage all design documentation including CAD drafting (AutoCAD), 3D visualisation (SketchUp), photoshop presentations, excel costing scopes; - Proactively update in-depth knowledge of design and furniture, fixtures and fittings appropriate to residential and commercial design; - Ensure all costing scopes are accurate prior to presentation to client and in alignment with client budget; - Manage own invoicing and cashflow.

Sales consultant for retail and light commercial, hospitality and retail trade projects. - Drive retail and commercial sales opportunities to achieve / exceed sales targets; - Maintain a high level of customer service; - Visual merchandising, product presentation and design advice to clients; - Provide prompt information, quotes, communications to clients.

- Project management; - Policy research, analysis, development and implementation; - Report drafting and editing; - Leadership and staff management; - Relationship brokering and stakeholder liaison; - Administration, coordination and secretariat functions.