Sales Manager and European Brand Manager
New York, NY, USA; Paris, France; London, UK ■ January 1989 – December 1994
Annual Sales: $30M ■ Brand Manager Region: Europe
Channels: Branded Stores, Franchise Stores, Department Stores, Specialty Retail
Responsibilities and Key Accomplishments
Launched the Ralph Lauren Home Collection in Europe by negotiating new licensing agreements, establishing departments within branded retail stores, opening shop-in-shops within best-in-market department stores, and rapidly expanding other multi-brand distribution channels.
Channel Management and Optimization
• Responsible for the market launch and wholesale distribution of the Ralph Lauren Home Collection within Europe in directly operated stores, franchise stores, department stores, and specialty stores for numerous product categories, including furniture, fabric, wallpaper, bedding, bath, and tabletop.
• Responsible for all go-to-market wholesale activities, including management of sales teams, agents, and distributors, while overseeing commercial relationships with licensees, distributors, agents, franchise partners, and wholesale customers.
• Managed all retail operations, marketing, planning, buying, and merchandising functions for the Home Collection within directly operated Ralph Lauren stores.
International Market Development
• Successfully launched the Ralph Lauren Home Collection in the European marketplace by negotiating and opening new shop-in-shop locations within important department store partners, including Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty, Galleries Lafayette, Printemps, and El Corte Ingles.
• Identified, analyzed, qualified opportunities, and negotiated license distribution agreements with potential local European partners, including Waterford & Wedgwood, Designers Guild, JP Stevens, and George Smith Furniture.
• Launched and managed the Home Collection in direct and franchise store locations, including London, Paris, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Geneva, Madrid, Barcelona, Stockholm, Moscow, Athens, and Istanbul.