Laura Wells

TOPS Products LLC is a leading U.S. manufacturer of office and school supplies distributed in North America • Directed the full product lifecycle for branded and private-label products, overseeing ideation, specifications, costing, manufacturing coordination, pricing, packaging, and commercialization across 3,000 SKUs • Directed innovation strategy and product pipeline planning to drive portfolio growth, retailer expansion, and new product commercialization across all product lines • Led cross-functional collaboration across product management, sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, sales, and e-commerce to support successful launches and operational readiness • Improved margins, speed to market, and cross-functional alignment by developing standardized product development processes and a centralized specification database • Led private-label SKU execution for major retail accounts, including Sam’s Club, Costco, Walgreens, CVS, Amazon, Staples, Office Depot, and OfficeMax • Created and delivered product, portfolio, and commercialization presentations for customers and company executives to support sell-in, strategic alignment, and launch decisions • Partnered with manufacturing teams in the U.S., Mexico, and Asia to support sourcing, quality alignment, product development, and commercialization timelines • Supported portfolio optimization and lifecycle management through SKU analysis, operational planning, supplier coordination, and product rationalization

• Promoted to Director in recognition of strong leadership, commercialization execution, and portfolio management performance • Managed global product specification development for manufacturing operations in the U.S., Mexico, and Asia, ensuring alignment with brand standards, quality expectations, and operational requirements • Streamlined portfolio operations through annual SKU consolidation, improving efficiency, product focus, and portfolio clarity • Mentored product managers and cross-functional team members on product development, commercialization, and portfolio execution

• Supported product launches, promotional programs, and inventory reduction efforts tied to large-scale operational and sales objectives • Delivered product training presentations to support launches, sales initiatives, and customer engagement • Served as product spokesperson for retail demonstrations and customer-facing presentations • Developed training materials and user guides for corporate systems and operational reporting tools

• Compiled sales reports across several brands and customers • Wrote, reviewed and edited customer content (web, catalog, packaging and sales literature)

• Created competitive database • Reviewed product packaging against specs to ensure accuracy and legal compliance • Edited and distributed company quarterly newsletter

• Supervised national call center help desk for 677 retail stores • Created training and procedure manuals for corporate and retail employees • Spring season key contributor award winner for successfully establishing secondary support staff • Liaison for Marketing Coordinator, communicating, marketing issues to all stores

• Supervised sales associates • Communicated sales goals for daily, weekly and monthly success • Trained new team members on selling skills, display creation and corporate compliance

• Provided product information to customers • Cross sell additional items to increase ring • Stocked sales floor • Cashier

Participated in the college internship program at Walt Disney World.

Minor in creative writing