Drew Burns

Delivering personalized, high-performance solutions for elite athletes while driving process innovation across categories. - Led Player Edition (PE) product development and delivery for the NBA season, ensuring timely execution and alignment with athlete performance needs. - Managed all Grand Slam and major tennis milestone product deliveries, coordinating cross-functional teams to meet strict timelines for tennis’s biggest stages. - Facilitated athlete visits to gather feedback and strengthen relationships to enhance the athlete experience with New Balance product. - Developed a customized footwear solutions for athletes to accommodate an injuries, blending biomechanics research with development tools. - Implemented process improvement initiatives to elevate New Balance Basketball operations and establish best practices for Athlete Services across the organization. - Expanded cross-category support, collaborating with internal teams to standardize workflows and improve service quality for athletes in multiple sports.

Led the creation, sourcing, and development of new products at an American ball glove company during a significant business transformation period. - Oversaw production for a new product line (baseball bats) to ensure that products were built and delivered on time. Collaborated with sales and product development teams to assess quality standards and prepare accurate timelines. - Created a template and brand standard for product creation briefs to be used for all upcoming products - Formed relationships with global and domestic material suppliers, conducted material tests, defined product standards, analyzed costs, and explored opportunities for mass production and customization lines - Presented color trend analyses for FW24 and SS25 to guide seasonal purchasing and identify upcoming market opportunities - Conducted competitor analysis on new and existing product categories to determine unique selling propositions and differentiating factors - Researched and provided insights on retail display trends for upcoming product launches - Developed product prototypes for wear testing and gathered athlete consumer feedback - Cut, UV printed, sewed, and packaged production orders for EdgeX gloves and Show Belts.

Fueled Product Innovation at American-Made Ball Glove Company - Partnered with the product creation team to identify and research potential new categories for baseball players. - Led in-depth consumer research through targeted product testing sessions, uncovering valuable insights into player preferences. - Leveraged consumer understanding to influence material selection and product briefing processes, driving innovation.

Influenced Footwear Design at Major Brands - Participated in wear testing for unreleased footwear at Lululemon, Puma, and Columbia Sportswear, providing detailed feedback on fit, wear, and durability. - My insights on unreleased models helped shape future product lines and design decisions.

Helped Oboz Footwear Expand Market Reach - Led a product management project for Oboz, focusing on identifying a new customer segment and crafting a strategic product brief. - Conducted in-depth market research and analysis, including consumer surveys & interviews, to understand unmet needs and market trends. - Evaluated leading sustainability practices to align product development with environmental responsibility.

Immersed in Footwear Manufacturing at adidas Vietnam - Lived and learned at prominent adidas footwear factories in Vietnam, gaining firsthand experience throughout production. - Managed a project to optimize machine downtime through a digitalized tracking system, improving operational efficiency. - Analyzed and implemented production line improvements for the adidas Samba OG (2023 Shoe of the Year), resulting in positive outcomes. - Contributed to streamlined production launches for the adizero Ubersonic 4 and upcoming D.O.N. Issue 5, focusing on defect reduction, manpower optimization, and automation. - Gained deep appreciation for the complexities of footwear manufacturing and the dedicated workforce behind our favorite sports products.

Enhanced the Customer Experience at The Duck Store - Provided exceptional customer service, effectively answering product inquiries and guiding purchasing decisions. - Creatively merchandised new and existing products through engaging display creation. - Maintained a well-organized store environment through efficient folding, hanging, back-stocking, and coffee service.

Streamlined Investor Relations at GoDaddy - Developed a centralized repository for corporate disclosures, enhancing accessibility and efficiency. - Analyzed five years of financial data, press releases, and investor communications to support the CFO onboarding process. - Standardized and documented the earnings call process, creating a clear roadmap for internal executive preparation.

Supported GoDaddy's Revenue Recognition Process - Assisted the Order to Cash Revenue Team with critical month-end and quarter-end closing tasks, ensuring accurate financial reporting. - Performed meticulous data testing and validation for financial analysis, both within internal systems and with external sources. - Gained valuable experience collaborating with the Registry and Financial Reporting teams, broadening my technical accounting knowledge.

This is a world-class master’s program with the industry’s top talent educating and advising future global leaders in the sports and outdoor product industry. Instructors and guest speakers bring a wealth of real-world experience to the classroom. Its mission is to build worldwide leaders in the sports product industry.

3.5 major GPA