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Edward Brent James

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Disruptive Product Shaper - Driving Brand Growth utilizing Design Thinking
Baltimore | US

Skills

  • Business Unit Integration
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Market Analysis
  • Emerging Trends
  • Start-up Leadership
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Interests

Music
Sustainability
Cinema

Industries

Bike
Fashion
Lifestyle
Run
HomeSummaryActivityProjectsWork experienceEducation historyConnectionsCompanies

Summary

Activity

Work experience

On logo

On

Senior Lead - Product Strategy | 02/2024 - Current

• Grow and manage USA-based product team to develop end-to-end product creation • Defining the future of On by focusing on the a connection with the coming-of-age, Gen Z consumer • Own Training category strategy, pitching product roadmap to On founders and ELT • Organize and lead seasonal kickoff hosting 25 attendees comprised of key category stakeholders
PYNRS Performance Streetwear logo

PYNRS Performance Streetwear

Strategic Advisor | 08/2023 - 02/2024

• Participating in brand strategy discussions • Reviewing and providing feedback product development cycles and cost structure • Assisting the Company in analyzing market research to understand preferences of their consumer and identify white space opportunities • Reviewing design concepts to advise on product viability • Providing the Company with assistance with go-to-market strategy and evaluating cadence of launches and initiatives
Tracksmith logo

Tracksmith

Product Director - Apparel, Accessories, and Footwear | 12/2020 - 07/2023

• Owned product merchandising and line planning functions of a DTC start-up running brand(~$40M/yr) • Identified consumer needs and market opportunities to inform apparel product assortment • Designed and developed custom hardline & softline accessories to enhance capsule storytelling • Curated collaborations with globally influential brands such as J.Crew and Ciele Athletics • Managed footwear go-to-market strategy with cross-functional partners and key stakeholders • Led DEI initiatives to deepen employee understanding of social and racial justice
Pulp Flavors logo

Pulp Flavors

Strategic Advisor | 01/2019 - 11/2022

Georgia-based hot sauce start-up achieved +$100k sales in 2022. The company was sold to Edible Gardens($EDBL) in November 2022. Fash-forward to 2024: Pulp is now carried by Whole Foods Market, Morton Williams, Diebergs Markets, Target, and Woodman's.
Salomon logo

Salomon

Global Product Manager, Running | 02/2018 - 12/2020

• Pitched executive team the category strategy/road map which achieved +50% growth to 10M€ FY20 • Managed +600K€ yearly operating budget by establishing product development plan • Choreographed cross-functional teams using design thinking principals to execute projects such as the Index.01, the world’s first fully recyclable performance running shoe • Analyzed qualitative customer insights and quantitative customer data to drive increased market share and empower direct-to-consumer(DTC) retail • Contributed to digital transformation to improve customer engagement and usability, specifically SEO and UI/UX for direct-to-consumer channels
Under Armour logo

Under Armour

Product Line Manager, Running & Sportstyle | 01/2016 - 08/2017

• Identified brand-right consumer personas and established product market fit to achieve top 5 marketshare in United States • Launched connected footwear[hardware-software] to integrate with MapMyRun application to track runner training and progress • Introduced lifestyle footwear category, "Sportstyle", combining innovation with market trends as an intrapreneur • Generated qualitative A/B testing of product offering with brand athletes and run crews/communities to validate new concepts on a quarterly basis
Under Armour logo

Under Armour

Footwear Designer II, Running/Training | 05/2013 - 05/2016

• Designed first footwear style to sell 1 million pairs in a calendar year by leveraging multi-channel distribution strategy • Piloted product category, Track & Field, by researching market and launching disruptive brand top sellers • Executed color design and assortments to progress women’s product offering managing +100 articles • Curated key executive-level design presentations to elevate alignment throughout footwear category
The North Face logo

The North Face

Footwear Designer, Running, Outdoor, & Lifestyle | 01/2010 - 04/2013

• Created top 5 selling franchises in both the Outdoor/Hike and Winter footwear categories • Grew running market brand equity through in-depth consumer insights and expanded offering • Re-imagined brand design heritage to expand lifestyle footwear collection
Fleet Feet Sports logo

Fleet Feet Sports

Sales Associate | 11/2008 - 05/2010

Running Specialty Shop Professional
Reebok logo

Reebok

Footwear Design Intern | 06/2009 - 08/2009

Basketball and Running Footwear Design
Geox Inc. logo

Geox Inc.

Supervisor | 11/2007 - 10/2008

Casual Footwear Sales
Magenta Inc. logo

Magenta Inc.

Design Intern | 05/2007 - 09/2007

Homegoods Design
McCartan logo

McCartan

Design Intern | 09/2006 - 05/2007

Custom Interior Architecture and Fixture Design
McIntyre Capron Associates logo

McIntyre Capron Associates

Architectural Intern | 06/2005 - 06/2006

Residential Architectural Design

Education history

Academy of Art University logo

Academy of Art University

Masters of Fine Arts - MFA

University of Pennsylvania logo

University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor of Arts - BA

University of California, Berkeley logo

University of California, Berkeley

MBA Seminar

University of Virginia Darden School of Business logo

University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Specialization

Connections

Oronde Armstrong profile background
Oronde Armstrong profile photo

Oronde Armstrong

Sr. Design Engineer
Thule Inc

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