Estee Kurtzman
Freelance - Visual Coordinator · The Children's Place
Secaucus, NJ
In My Own Words
Seasoned merchandising professional with 20+ years of experience promoting fashion wholesalers in diverse markets Skill set includes the ability to: • Professionally represent the brand when communicating with sales staff and customers • Actively promote and broaden brand recognition according to company standards • Train, motivate and collaborate with a variety of retail personnel, from part-time associates to store managers and buyers • Assess and balance the needs, development, implementation and visual progress of 3 to 4 retail seasons at once • Provide planograms that ensure consistent and successful replication of displays by individual sales teams • Utilize vast knowledge of the Northeast territory • Act as a strong, independent, adaptive, and self-motivated team player • Learn, grow professionally, and share best practices with management and co-workers
Work Experience
Product Development and Direct-to-Consumer E-Commerce Operations Manager
The Neon Tea Party2021 – 2022
• Collaborated with CEO to develop and bring new products to market from inception to launch • Managed product development timeline across five-person team • Led sourcing and inventory for all existing and new products, including problem solving for supply-chain issues • Managed back-end operations on Shopify for all products throughout e-commerce lifecycle • Served as both primary order fulfillment and customer service manager • In charge of: Product photography, Inventory, Shopify App functionalities, overseeing supply-chain issues • Worked with the Events Director to design, create, fulfill and ship all event supply boxes for over 65 in person and virtual events • Coordinated the fulfillment of over 200 individual craft event kits on multiple occasions
Visual Specialist
The Children's Place2014 – 2020
• Communicated a standardized brand vision for each season to 1,000+ stores in the fleet • With CEO, identified potential business opportunities and provided visual merchandising solutions for all stores • Developed, mapped, and executed all visual creative display elements within mock store at headquarters • Collaborated with VP of Visual, VP of Global Merchandising and vendors to develop seasonal highlight fixtures and tables • Spearheaded launch projects determining mapping scenarios based on square footage and fixture ownership, and worked cross functionally to ascertain marketing and assortment needs • Utilized Adobe InDesign and Illustrator to create seasonal branding floor set documents and training • Conducted executive walk-throughs of seasonal floor sets and showrooms • With team, created presentations to deliver the brand vision to the Board of Directors, quarterly • Maintained strong working relationships with cross-functional merchant teams
Area Merchandise Coordinator
Lifted Research Group (LRG)2009 – 2014
• Drove the business expansion of the LRG brand through strong account relationships to communicate company’s vision • Secured proper square footage to maximize visual presentation and increase sales • Introduced monthly floor sets and product placement for nationwide merchandising team • Intervened and revitalized struggling doors through relationship building and improved branding • Evaluated and categorized 50 doors based on customer profiles to ensure optimum assortment • Analyzed sales performance of merchandise to identify best-sellers and poor performers • Trained and mentored four Junior Merchandise Coordinators • Communicated with management and staff to provide current information on merchandising specifications
Retail Development Merchandise Coordinator (Maternity Leave Temp)
Polo Ralph Lauren2009 – 2009
• Managed Ralph Lauren Home retail business through the coaching and motivation of the sales specialists • Fostered and maintained relationships with all levels of store management • Provided direction and training of Ralph Lauren account visual merchandising standards
Retail Coordinator
7 For All Mankind2004 – 2008
• Reported irregularities and non-compliance of visual standards and created resolutions to account executives for all divisions • Conducted regular product knowledge seminars with store-line sales teams • Facilitated department store growth and profitability in 50 high-end stores in the Northeast • Supervised and advised two merchandise coordinators on specific responsibilities and growth
Education
Bachelor of Science in Sociology
Kean University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences2001
Bachelor of Science in Sociology
