Jesse Romero

Work with merchandising teams at Regis/ Sport Clips to implement merchandising standards, introductory promotional plans, and track sales profitability for BSG across all distribution partners. Manage the Men’s brand segment of Hair Care assortment. Defining the brand and product mix while working with suppliers to develop promotional plans to drive profitable sales. Work with cross functional teams to execute product and sales plans across all channels including store planograms and Ecomm assortment.

Principle business owner, responsible for driving the growth of profitable sales of the XBox brand and Gift Card category at GameStop. Working proactively with cross functional business partners to create product assortments, analyze customer trends, conduct contract negotiations, and establish marketing campaigns to drive customer acquisition. Project manager for the launch of Xbox financing program. Collaborated with IT, Ecommerce, and Marketing to launch new initiative from technology integration to marketing campaign and store education and implementation.

Led a merchandising staff of 10 buyers and assistant buyers overseeing the merchandise direction for 4 large categories of business. Managed the development, implementation, and execution of division merchandise strategies including but not limited to product assortments, marketing, and in-store presentations. Established and maintained complex vendor relationships with small start-up suppliers and industry leaders to include NordicTrack, Coca-Cola, Adidas, Luxotica, and Gatorade to drive value and appeal for customers. Driving $460 million in annual sales.

Led the front-end category management team to drive sales, manage inventory, and exceed financial goals for the department with $73M in annual sales. Managed a large vendor matrix to include food, snack, and impulse categories. Met with new suppliers to stay on top of new trends and items ensuring the company remained relevant to market trends. ► Expanded the sports nutrition category driving sales volume to +28% in Q3-Q4 of 2016. ► Negotiated a 3-year term with a supplier to lower costs for one of the largest unit drivers in the company; improved profits from 15% to 26%.

Managed a cross-functional team and led 6 buyers to ensure financial success for the company. Directed merchandise strategy, assortment decisions, and financial planning for multiple divisions with $350M in sales. Collaborated with the field team to gather marketplace data and consumer insights to better understand shopping patterns and trends to improve the customer experience. ► Introduced a new product line resulting in 12% sales growth and met consumer needs. ► Implemented a merchandising strategy producing profits and increasing the gross margin by 18% within the first quarter.

Managed all aspects of the apparel business with annual sales of $155M. Negotiated cost concessions each quarter with suppliers to achieve financial goals. ► Developed a fast fashion tops business producing $65M in sales; turned every 8-12 weeks. ► Removed poor performing special occasion dresses and expanded casual attire improving gross margin by 40%.

Managed all aspects of merchandising, product development, finance, and marketing for store and E-commerce for private brands and national brands with annual sales of $120M. ► Established strong relationships with sourcing and product development teams to increase private label assortments with a sales growth of $400K. ► Negotiated for exclusive products for private and national brands.

Managed development, purchasing, delivery, and promotions to maximize profits. Developed a successful promotional program and grew profits for cold weather accessories category. ► Worked with a vendor to develop new promotional products; drove a 17% increase. ► Increased outerwear and accessories improving sales by 20% over the previous year.

Served in multiple capacities due to performance excellence. Promoted 4 times within the company. Managed apparel division with $115M in annual sales. ► Improved sales 9% over the previous year through brand introductions and growth of key categories. ► Introduced a private label brand, which grew to $12M in annual sales in less than 2 years. ► Expanded Levi’s by growing fashion denim from 12% to 25% and improved profitability.

Oversaw merchandising strategies and financial direction delivering $140M in annual sales. ► Introduced fashion forward private label dress shirts and improved sales +7% from previous year. ► Grew sales productivity in underwear and hosiery by 12% due to SKU reduction, space allocation by brand, and new planograms to maximize presentation of top performing products.

Managed all aspects for growing the national brand business from 55% of sales to 70% due to new product placement with Nike, Adidas, and Pacific Trail. Introduced Puma and Columbia to the assortment soon after I was promoted. ► Increased sales by $8M with the launch of exclusive collections and negotiated a guaranteed gross margin with suppliers. ► Grew screen tee business 120% over previous year in 6 months; negotiated new licenses and maximized receipt management to receive products in stores when needed.

Managed the monthly receipt flow of $10-$22M with an annual sales volume of $160M. Worked with buyers to establish buy plan strategies and executed contingency plans to increase business and maximize sales ► Increased turn, reduced inventory liability, and achieved a +4% sales increase to plan and +8% to previous year.