Kubra Yurdakul

* Independent consultant specialized in strategic sourcing of fabrics, trims, and leather goods (bags, belts and small leather goods). * Supporting European brands in supplier sourcing, development and production structuring across Turkey, Asia, India and North Africa. * Acting as a sourcing bridge between European market requirements and manufacturing ecosystems, ensuring alignment on quality, cost structure and technical feasibility. * Combining technical textile expertise, supplier network and cross-cultural negotiation to enable reliable and scalable sourcing partnerships. kubra@kubrayurdakul.com

• Lead business and strategy development for SAB Trims (Weixing Group – China) across Europe, managing the company’s largest global account (> $31M annually – H&M). • Initiated partnerships with Maje and Ba&sh, and contributed to strategic collaborations with Decathlon (>$10M annually) and Kiabi. • Bridged design and supply chain to align trims with creative and sustainability goals.

• Generated $2M in new business through optimized sourcing allocation and stronger supplier partnerships in Turkey and Jordan.

• Delivered $600K in new business by guiding design teams to translate creative concepts into commercially viable collections tailored to client targets.

• Spearheaded H&M Group’s first global trims sourcing strategy across five major sourcing regions in Asia and Europe. • Led multi-country trims teams optimizing supplier allocation and achieving $2.3M annual cost savings. • Ensured trims quality consistency and supply chain efficiency across all H&M Group brands. • Co-created global e-learning content (Trims Best Deal, Cotton Production).

Istanbul, Turkey (2-yr) & Dhaka, Bangladesh (1-yr) • Co-led a department of 60 merchandisers for the woven division, supporting performance improvement across multiple sourcing countries. • Analyzed KPIs (price, lead time, on-time delivery, sales, quality) to guide strategic decisions. • Delivered forecasts and corrective action plans, streamlining analysis to improve business performance.

• Oversaw quotation and production of leather fashion accessories according to design briefs. • Led the relocation of key scarf programs from Asia to Europe, optimizing supplier base to improve agility and quality without compromising cost performance.

• Managed full-cycle production from development to delivery for major US and European brands across Turkey and Jordan. • Managed a team of eight merchandisers producing tailored suits for Express (US brand), growing turnover from $20M to $35M (2009–2011). • Managed development and production for Dutch Brand Mexx, raising annual turnover to $6M in 2008. • Handled production for JLO, Woolworths, and UK/IR clients, boosting regional business share by 25%.

• Oversaw product development and production for Kohl’s (US brand). • Developed strong technical understanding of garment production and customer requirements, laying the foundation for future sourcing and business development expertise.

• Gained early retail experience with responsibility for shop floor presentation and window displays, building aesthetic awareness and customer-focused communication skills.

I completed MSc. International Business at EMLV to hone my skills in sustainable business strategies, project management and change management. Further, I built competencies in marketing strategies (digital and mobile) and sharpened my analytic skills in data management and financial skills in managerial accounting and budgeting classes. I completed my thesis on 'intrinsic drivers of CSR activities of multinational clothing companies’ using a sense-making approach. Thesis Grade: 17/20