Jacqueline Ardrey

• Grew business from zero to $1M, over 150 accounts in 2 years including Costco.. Sold in 2017.
• Established a successful cold brew coffee business by identifying market needs and developing innovative solutions.

• Iconic omnichannel gourmet food and gifting brand purchased by 1-800-Flowers in October 2014
• Managed Marketing, Creative, Wholesale, Retail, and B2B Teams as well as core Merchandising, Supply Chain, and Product Design teams (Core team of 100, expanded team of 500)
• Merchant and sales leader of $400M+ company hired as key part of executive turnaround team to build new front end, reposition the brand, and prepare for sale. Built plans, executed new merchandising strategy, and hired team to grow key category sales and attract new customers. Improved product assortment to reflect a more modern, upscale look, resulting in AUR growth and increased value perception. Grew Wholesale business by 25% the first year, stabilized retail business. Built seasonal store fleet of 36 kiosks and pop up stores, managing site selection and execution in 2014.
• Led merchandising and sales efforts to grow EBITDA performance in FY’13 and ’14, best since 2008
• Expert at balancing new product introductions with strong fiscal guidelines
• Led cross functional teams to improve product development lifecycles by 5 months.
• Developed 5 year strategic plan for growth in key categories; surpassed goals in FY 2013 and 2014.
• Changed strategic direction of product and brand position with 4 key goals: modernizing the assortment, improving value perception, reflecting current food gifting trends, and driving self purchase. Used data to drive decisions.
• Created new B2B product line and new Wholesale product line, driving $20M in incremental sales.
• Cut product costs by $6M in 2013 through editing, strategic reformulation, and supplier negotiations.
• Identified and drove key classifications that accounted for the majority of sales growth in 2 years: chocolate, wine, floral, and specialty foods.
• Evolved merchandising organization from product developers to strong category leaders and sales drivers.
• Improved demand planning process, driving vast improvement to markdowns, write-offs, and ending inventory position
• Negotiated successful partnership with Cheesecake Factory to become exclusive online distributor of their restaurant quality cheesecakes

• Multi channel high end children’s retailer held by Sun Capital.
• Strong second-in-command and merchant leader of $120M+ company. Built plans and executed new merchandising strategy in 2008 including key hires which led to record profitability in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Managed VP of Design and all product development including strategy, assortment planning, pricing, and promotion for 20 person team.
• Improved resonance of Hanna’s key attributes in the catalog, online, and store environment while increasing vendor perception of value and managing the company through a tough costing environment. Led wholesale team to deliver profitable, unique assortments to key strategic partners. Started Licensing business with first delivery by Holiday ’12.
• Delivered record 12-month buyer sales per book in 2009, 2010, 2011 while adding new customer and delivering comp store growth of 5-8%, increasing retail store base, and growing Wholesale business.
• Led merchandising and sales efforts to deliver best in class record EBITDA levels in 2009, 2010, 2011.
• Developed 5 year strategic plan for growth in key business categories through 2015.
• Changed strategic direction of product in 2008 with 3 key goals: broadening appeal of merchandise, improving value perception, and expanding customer resonance of Hanna’s key attributes. Tracked results of each effort by book and adjusted course as needed.
• Improved value with new “all the time” pricing on wardrobe basics. Program generated +38% in unit sales, adding $2.8M gross margin dollars in 2010 and improving GM% over 3 points. Partnered with Sourcing, Inventory, Marketing, and Creative to drive success of each metric and ensure continued growth.
• Identified and drove 5 key classifications that accounted for 75% of sales growth in 3 years: kids sleepwear, girls dresses, outerwear, swim, and backpacks.
• Planned product feature strategies for catalog and retail, including covers, retail store positioning, e-mails, web, and weekly promotions and markdowns.
• Evolved merchandising organization from product developers to sales drivers.
• Changed sales forecasting process, driving vast improvement to current buying and inventory model.
• Started a co-branded licensed character business. Set product direction, negotiated contract, communicated vision of product and currently overseeing execution.
• Represented Hanna along with President/CEO at key meetings including Sun Capital CEO Conferences, Management Updates, meetings with Sun Capital Managing Directors and co-Presidents.

• Led partnership with cross functional teams to restore company to profitability and deliver highest sales on record in 2006 after two years of poor execution. Strategically positioned the organization for growth through disciplined process and calendar management, key talent acquisitions, and strategic changes. Significantly grew girls catalog and retail space while diversifying space in non-growth categories such as women’s and kids unisex, resulting in sales and profitability growth. Relentlessly pursued margin opportunities, driving +1 point improvement each year.
• Drove consistent 4-7% direct sales growth, 3-5% comp store retail on existing customer base.

• Merchandising managers are responsible for driving category and spread sales, creating profitable assortment plans, negotiating product costing, and acting as team leaders. Held positions of increasing responsibility from 1998-2005 including Girls/Bedding ’98-’01, Kids Unisex/Boys, ’99-’01, Accessories/Hardgoods/Footwear ’01-’05.
• Repositioned Girls area from Toddler/Big Girl to “Girls”, leveraging the catalog page to sell more sizes. Delivered 15% increase the first year in an already mature business.
• Focused girls business on key items: leggings, tees, bike shorts, cardigans.
• Led design, production and sourcing team to achieve department sales, IMU, and gross margin goals.
• Started first backpack program in ’04 and grew it to a $2M program in the July-August sales period.
• Centralized hardgoods buying from the stores/outlets; successfully managed hardgoods volume from 7000 into 550, developing relationships with key vendors and driving synergies with apparel assortment.

• May Merchandising Company acted as Merchant Directors to the store division buyers and developed/sold all May Company private label product to 500+ doors. Market Representatives shopped the market, developed profitable assortment plans, and negotiated costing.
• Drove 10% sales increase in 1996 against a flat plan by identifying emerging Disney trends and driving product development and placement of Pooh character merchandise in all stores.
• Formulated Excel module program to plan average stock by door and classification sales for the 2500 SKU department.
• Developed and booked first ever private label program in this area, resulting in sales and 1-pt overall margin improvement.

• Drove sales increase of 18% against plan of 10% and improved gross margin by a full point over plan in a $110M area.
• Full responsibility for developing the $50M import program, including both classification and group related knit tops. Directed design staff, fit meeting and production samples, sourced trims.
• Awarded Assistant of the Quarter, 3rd quarter 1994, Assistant of the Year, 1994.

• Mid-level department store chain owned by May Company, based in Washington DC/Northern VA/Maryland.

• Leader of $500M public company enterprise, consisting of Vera Bradley and Pura Vida brands.
• Hired new senior management team and partnered with Board Chair to transform Board composition and engagement.
• Navigated through complex environment including declining sales and profitability, activist investors, and sale of Pura Vida.
• Created Project Restoration, the strategic vision to return the company to growth and profitability.
• Succeeded in driving significant customer growth in targeted segments, younger with higher HHI.
• Cultivated relationships with key stakeholders, including Board members, Founders, investors, and media.
• Oversaw financial management, ensuring alignment with overall company objectives and profitability targets.
• Optimized inventory management and reduced costs.
• Elevated brand awareness with effective marketing campaigns and public relations efforts.
• Implemented cost-saving initiatives to reduce operational expenses without sacrificing quality, including significant reductions in DC cost.
• Improved organizational structure by reallocating resources and redefining roles for greater efficiency and right-sized cost.
• Orchestrated company-wide digital transformation, enhancing data analytics capabilities and operational agility.
• Championed data-driven decision-making culture, enhancing business intelligence and strategic planning capabilities.

• Developed strategic plans to enhance organizational performance and drive growth.
• Led cross-functional teams to execute initiatives aligned with company vision.
• Fostered relationships with stakeholders to support business objectives and collaboration.
• Implemented innovative solutions to improve operational efficiency across departments.
• Directed resource allocation and budgeting processes to optimize financial performance.
• Analyzed market trends to identify opportunities for expansion and competitive advantage.
• Established key performance indicators to measure success and facilitate continuous improvement.
• Managed crisis situations effectively while minimizing disruption to daily operations.
• Drove revenue growth by expanding product offerings and identifying new market opportunities.
• Cultivated strong relationships with external partners to foster collaboration and maximize resources.
• Established a culture of accountability by setting clear expectations and holding individuals responsible for results.
• Launched new products successfully into the market after meticulous research, planning, and marketing campaigns.

Drove improved performance of Victorian Trading Company, an $18M enthusiast DTC multi classification brand, while planning for future acquisitions. Managed all operations including on site Contact and Fulfillment Centers, Inventory, Sourcing, Finance, IT, Marketing, Merchandising, Wholesale.

• Drove culture change through people adjustments, improved communication, measuring survey results, and soliciting feedback from all areas of the company.
• Focused team on improving product assortment by applying trends appropriate for our customer demographic.
• Coached and instituted strong use of analytics throughout the organization.
• Implemented new selling database, marketing database, and significant upgrade to current ERP.
• Increased EBITDA by $800K in first 7 months.