Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
Who am I: I am proud of my remarkable and demonstrated achievements and my self driven passion. My specific skills and understanding for people and retail development have brought me to a great standpoint which, I believe, goes hand in hand with a growth journey mindset, and the drive to combine strategic and commercial opportunities. I have a strong focus on moving the business forward, and I have an understanding of how to bring most opportunities and ideas to life with teams and without significant complications. I do this by working passionated and serious to execute difficult decisions without no one left behind I am a self driven creative source who channels my professional leader expertise and facts based decisions to the outcome of positive effects of the strategy of moving forward. It is a KSF for me to elevate relationships and communication internally and between strategic partners and the company's stakeholders by respecting their differences and highlight the mutual wins. My communication skills and my developed understandings of the market dynamics gives me the possibility to forecast future directions for potential new growth strategies both in B2B and B2C with competences in consumer behavior, focus in end consumer, retail/digital and visualize it for stakeholders. What engages me at work? I contribute positively and engaging also outside my specialty, and I have the ability to negotiate and work effectively within all levels of the organization. I get motivated by strategic involvement and development. I get inspired and respect strong companies and leaders. I am structured, enabling to prioritize and handle multiple critical tasks with a high degree of structure in a self-motivated environment. I embrace transparency and flexibility. I have the strength to be in the front row. Specialties: I am a loyal and a reliable person -an optimistic team player with high sense of empathy and a straightforward tone. I have my inner happy charisma and power to lead and develop continuously.
Head of buying – Imerco is the leading Danish Digital Retailer in homeware (Indoor & Outdoor) – direct report to the Retail Director of Imerco. Imerco, here we love our customers and truly wants to serve them with high expertise, energy, passion, and motivation. Imerco was founded in 1928, so we have a lot of true heritage and market expertise to pass on to our customers. Imerco operates +160 retail stores in a strong digital omnichannel concept. To do this with high performance it takes strong decision makings, planned directions of the products roles combined with teamwork, quality, and trade terms. As well as the execution of buying and assortment strategies including a broad selection of Danish design and affordable luxury. Imerco represents the best and most popular brands, and we carefully select our suppliers to suit our company strategy and profile. I concentrate on getting the assortment growth components together cross teams in the whole value chain: strong profile, high performance, quick adaption to customers demands as well as the balance between strong A-brands, our own Private labels and stock inventory. I believe that partnership, trust, and transparency is the key factors to strong and long-lasting supplier partnerships. I see an important relevance to get the balance right by being an essential part of the team myself to co-drive excellent and premium product executions in a modern but also commercial digital-retail landscape. As department lead, I will also always be optimistic and set goals to help my team to be even more motivated, also by involving them and create the sense of positivity and personally engagement towards shared success. I see myself as manager-loyal and one who constantly trying to lead the business forward by adapting to the customers’ needs and behavior as well as strengthen the company strategic path.
Sportmaster is the leading sports omni channel retailer in DK I have +20 years of expertise with Sports Performance and Sports Lifestyle products for the consumers and their retail and online journey. This combined with an eye for omni channel biz and brand, consumer focus, optimizing processes and delivering on results. Outgoing leadership role +10 years, brand and strategies and managing buying budgets, costs and cashflow are part of my work day. Building relevant strategies to reach consumer expectations, obsessions and needs . I am working in an international environment and directly participating in leading the company directions and inspire; as lead of the Category Managers and Buying Team across various levels, brands and strategies, reporting direct to the Danish CEO. As a part of the Leader Group, I corporate across different organizational functions to go to market with daily product tactics, including balance of stock level, cost and retail operations combined with the timing of products to the market and the ability to execute. I am effective and positive in my mindset when meeting internal departments and external international suppliers, which are coming from both strong global brands and own brands production (incl FOB China etc) My every day is fulfilled with relations building to meet strategies. I am very passionate about consumers behaviors, product roles, market understanding and leading people. I have a special interest in maximizing trustworthy concepts to meet the product need from Copenhagen high street retail to online and brand. This by impacting and understanding brand positioning together with product triggers for attraction, motivation and impulse shopping in a omni communication mindset. Leadership, communication, integrity, ownership and bold directness are important.
Authentic Drive, Passion and Determination. Turning all my passion and capabilities into strategy & focus on key responsibilities. I have a Key role in Sportmaster’s transformation from Single Item Group Management to Category Management in 2014. I understand the marketplace and the new perspectives of retail and commercial business - Retail, Omni channel and consumer relevant products are some of my biggest strengths. Category Manager at SPORTMASTER, My Key Lead and report functions: - Strong Global Brands: Strategic growth planning, Assortment planning , forecasting and distribution of the Lifestyle and Outerwear business - cross SportFashion categories & business units (apparel & footwear). Sneakers and StyleWear are a key part of my categories for all ages. - Private Labels: Leadership, Product Development, sourcing and planning the product mix – deliver strong products for everyday use for Sports and the Lifestyle. Creating more value for money opportunities. Mainly working with factories from China. As I am responsible for the mix and complementary of the above 2 leading pillars of the overall Product business, I am constantly under pressure and love working fast - moving forward. I am strongly determined to lead the energy of the pressure into passion for delivering the best product concepts & experiences for the consumers – I create and inspire in areas as: Strong Global Brands/Private Labels, Local/International, Women/Men, Boys/Girls, Winter/Summer, East/West, Sport/Style, Shorts/Outerwear, Sneakers/Boots, Blue/Pink, Cotton/Nylon, High Price/Low Price. I respect others as well as myself and believe personal Leadership can be developed continuously, which has been supported by individual and very professional coaching: http://copenhagencoachingco.dk/coaches/rene-bach/
LEAD PRODUCTS: It all starts with the Product to inspire people – I have been deeply involved and the motivation factor in the 2013 launch of the new private label by SPORTMASTER (Danish leading sports retailer). The own brand: M79 which I have created and put into life. As a Product Manager for SPORTMASTER, I contribute to the Product developments of our Sports Lifestyle Private Labels. My job involves an increasingly understanding of the Purchasing and Supply Chain Management which have strengthened my knowledge and transformational style in the past year working for Nordic Capital Fund. I create directions for product building/designing/merchandising and concentrating on product details for local needs by carefully managing the Product Lifecycle. This to collect the best solutions of sourcing, negotiation, QC for the production approvals and overall direction, but also trade terms and planning related to shipping and inventory tracking. Sales connections, I am responsible for developing and bringing new key product items into the existing retail product families. Communicating seasonal sales directions and linearts to deliver results and guidelines, but also to work closely with the Sales & Marketing to meet local consumer needs just in time. The after sales requires initiative planning and system tracking, which relate to my responsibility of inventory and NOOS management (forecast & re-buy), review product directions, flow + location and demands to ensure success and maximizing sales. My goal is to create more value to the consumer by maintaining a high own brand standard, at tracking consumer needs and complement their Sports Lifestyle 24/7 at an affordable price. I believe that the ability to invent, rethink and exploit creativity can inspire, motivate and influent all enthusiastic people to welcome this new level of franchise products, and make the strategy a reality as it is today.
LEAD CATEGORY TEAMS: +3 years of Team and Sales Manager experience and know-how as Country Category Lead for Nike Sportswear (Lifestyle), Action Sports and Kids business (Apparel, Footwear and Equipment) at Nike. Understanding of “ master the Brand”, and consulting the partners in the Danish marketplace. I have a key role in rolling out Category Management within NIKE DK and the Sporting Goods marketplace cross channels in the country (locally). Therefore I have experiences with parallel industries/ distribution channels/ Consumer needs. Cross-functional communication and reporting in an international virtual environment and a key member of the Nike Sales Management Team and the Northern Europe Category Teams. Managing local sales force and 3 product categories each as an individual business (cross product engines), customizing the category's product mix with directive assortments through persuasive sales presentations. All together with interacting retail and online brand communication to add value to the company’s brand, the customers´ business, the consumer perception and proactive understanding for the total Danish retail and digital market. Price preparation, justifying in local currency combined with the overall finance disciplines (Forecasting accuracy, net price margin, revenue, discount and cancellation management). Focus on monthly revenue with at-once targets combined with future business targets and seasonal order book reconciliation. Contribution to the development of national trade terms and sales strategies to maximize profitability for the company and Market Place Brand Management. Constructive and effective management of different types of distribution channels in several industries on several levels by creating scenario plans for assigned accounts by using enthusiastic category, brand and marketplace knowledge. Resource Management -Aware of costs and assists in controlling costs related to own/ team budget and project implementation
LEAD ACCOUNTS: High-involvement relationships with key customers. Direct selling from Head Office showroom to Key Accounts - large & medium accounts in a Business Unit strategy environment. Development of mutual fact based relationships and supportive tools, where analyzing of sell through data and account needs are essential. Implementing new procedures including cost minimizing and focus on profitability. Premium customer service and focus on customer satisfaction, opportunities to grow business and/or move forward in the market for both sides. Key capability is to differentiate and mange the marketplace in DK. User of Citrix, SAP. Visual Shop assortment, MS Picture Manager, Excel, PowerPoint & Microsoft Office.
LEAD RETAIL SALES TEAM & RETAIL BUYING: Good at dealing with different kind of behaviors and various manner of retail communication. The ability to influence and build a strong team spirit inspired by the involvement and motivating factors. Lead team and individuals to success by: developing and controlling several shops, monitoring sales pipelines, implementing individual but also team goals, managing budgets and retaining morale. High level of energy and commitment towards initiating optimized cross-divisional change processes (Buying~Selling). Developed and established weekly reporting systems and team effective tools in order to make effective policies, procedures, methodologies, time management and discipline. Full understanding between the commercial buying and selling process, where my buying qualifications reflect the retail business, key figures, profit and professional knowledge from an economic business perspective. Involved in Intersport DK’s buying process and seasonal product options and go to market product strategies. Functional and technical product knowledge is one key factor combined with the understanding of also different needs, fitting and looks for the Women customer.