SUMMARY

Action-driven, forward-thinking leader with proven abilities to successfully execute a start-up organization and bring product to market in a timely cost effective manner. 20 years of Design, Development, Production and Sourcing experience working with product from concept through execution. Proven leadership and managerial experience developing both teams and individuals. Creative and innovative problem solver with the ability to anticipate potential issues at an early stage. Strong credibility and influence with teams, cross-functional partners and vendors through transparency, feedback, candor and a bias for action.

Highly experienced in building efficient and nimble processes that focus on impact, production lead-time reduction through strategic raw material management, sharp cost negotiation through strong vendor partnerships and testing product to support category growth driven by data.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Karen Kane | Los Angeles | April 2023 to Present

VP of Production and Operations

  • Run the Production, Marking/Grading, Cutting, Sewing, and QA teams (over 40 people)

  • Improve PLM and ERP system functionality to enable more efficient and accurate ordering and production

  • Operational optimization throughout the entire company

The Great. | Los Angeles | September 2022 to March 2023

Head of Product Development, Production and Technical Design

  • Run a team of 12 Developers focused on import and LA based production

  • Oversee execution of 6 seasons/year plus exclusive capsules for retail stores

  • Implement PLM system which streamlined communication and source of truth

  • Operational optimization - Build seasonal development & production calendars

STITCH FIX | San Francisco | February 2018 to June 2022

Director of Product Development, Production and Sustainability, August 2021 to June 2022

  • Set the Mens Exclusive Brand product development and production strategy, managed a team of 7 overseeing $100M/year in receipts

  • Accountable for all aspects of supplier allocation, sample development, fitting, commercialization, procurement, production and quality of raw materials and finished goods.

  • Recalibrated workload and optimized organizational structure of the team to ensure each person operated at their assigned level and skill sets were fully utilized; resulting in a more motivated team and stronger mentor/mentee relationships

  • Increased nimbleness of the entire Mens business by drastically reducing production lead-time utilizing strategic raw material management and increasing near-shore and domestic manufacturing 

  • Led the Global Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability team of 3, introduced innovative sustainable technology to the teams

Special Project: Launched Mohnton Made, a modern, sustainable knitwear brand built around our factory in Mohnton, PA - hit goal of $1M in revenue in the first 6 months

  • 2018-2021 - Drove the expansion and organizational structure of our USA factory in PA with a focus on sustainability and efficiency

  • 2021-2022 - Launched the brand in November 2021, partnered with Creative, PR, Marketing, on creating a brand that would attract a new client focused on sustainability

Senior Product Development & Production Manager, Mens Knits, Sweaters, Fleece and Active | February 2018 to August 2021

  • Owned the design, development and production of 13 exclusive brands for knits, sweaters, fleece and activewear - over 65% of the style count and revenue of the Product Creation team

  • Spearheaded the discovery, implementation and configuration of a new PLM tool for the entire company

  • Transformed key programs to be more sustainable while remaining cost neutral

WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC | MARK AND GRAHAM | San Francisco | April 2012 to February 2018

Senior Product Design and Development Manager

  • Founding designer for a $28M start-up within WSI, integral in shaping brand pillars and product strategy for launch

  • Led a design and development team of 4

  • Built seasonal concept boards and key item design direction, secured alignment from Merchandising, the GM and CEO

  • Created specs with sketches and visual references for all product that clearly illustrated the seasonal concept

  • Developed and executed clear seasonal strategy for introducing new product categories

LEVI STRAUSS & CO | San Francisco & Hong Kong | February 2003 to March 2012

Product Development & Sourcing Manager, Levi’s Mens Tops | August 2011 to March 2012

  • Managed a team of 7 Product Developers and Technical Designers developing Knits, Sweaters and Graphic Tees

  • Led the implementation of the global pre-production process for the Denizen and Levi brands which streamlined and simplified the tools across the entire company

  • Narrowed knits source base to mean more to fewer contractors, increasing flexibility and reducing costs

  • Switched all graphic tees to 100% organic cotton at cost reduction through consolidation of fabric base

Product Development & Sourcing Manager, Denizen Brand, HK office | Sept 2010 to July 2011

  • Temporary assignment in HK to share best practices and elevate the talent of the Product Creation team

  • Reduced redundancy and implemented new processes by creating new lines of communication between regions

  • Coached a team of 7 Product Developers on effective issue resolution and collaboration skills

  • Partnered with vendors to discover and push new and unusual sourcing/product ideas to help mitigate the cotton increases

Product Development & Sourcing Specialist, Levi’s Womens | July 2007 to September 2010

Trims Developer, Levi’s Womens Bottoms, Levi Vintage Collection | June 2003 to July 2007

Production Assistant, Levi’s Mens Tops | February 2003 to June 2003 (temporary position) 

COSMIC DEBRIS | Apparel Company | Oakland, CA | January 2002 to February 2003

Production and Licensing Coordinator, knits and graphics

VCI | Video and DVD company | London, England | 1999 to 2001

Graphic Designer

ANDRE DEUTSCH (division of VCI) | Book Publishing Company | London, England | 1998 to 1999

Graphic Designer/Production Coordinator

 

EDUCATION

University of California Santa Cruz | BA in Philosophy | 1993 - 1997
King’s College, University of London and London School of Economics | Philosophy | 1995 - 1996
Central Saint Martins | Typography and Screen printing | London | 2000

 PUBLISHED WORK

Viva Poncho | Author and graphic designer | Stewart, Tabori & Chang | August 2005
Stitch N' Bitch Page-A-Day Calendar 2008 | Swing Sweater design | Workman Publishing Co | January 2008
101 Designer One Skein Wonders | Wave Jumper design | Storey Publishing | October 2007
Stitch N' Bitch Nation | Saucy Tote design | Workman Publishing Co | November 2004

 

SKILLS & INTERESTS

  • Clear and direct communicator with strong cross-functional partnerships and a proven track record of growing teams and direct reports

  • Start-up mentality with a flexible attitude and drive to get things done well and efficiently

  • Capacity to analyze, compile and manage highly detailed data

  • An eye for product details and sense of style

  • Capable of evaluating and changing priorities on an as-needed basis

  • I enjoy knitting, pottery, cooking with my daughter, hiking with my dogs, raising chickens, CrossFIt, and renovating vintage travel trailers

  • Proficient in Adobe Creative, Microsoft and Google Suites, multiple Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools