Grant Cottrell: in Bentonville, AR

• Managed the Product Design department’s operations, output and a staff of 20+ designers consisting of Art Directors, Senior Designers, Product Designers, Production Designers and Illustrators. • Responsible for applying design principles, practices and insights through high-level creative direction and strategic planning across all business units, including Retail, D2C, OC Sports and Promotional Products. • Partnered closely with key stakeholders in developing scalable solutions that align with company strategy and adhering to seasonal development timelines, assessing demand and allocating resources. • Provided creative direction, executed design concepts and led branded and private label development reviews for multi-million dollar product lines for key retail accounts including Walmart Menswear & Sporting Goods, Sam's Club, Target, Academy, Scheels, Dick's Sporting Goods, Tractor Supply Company, among many others. • Conducted and led seasonal retail market trend analysis covering a diverse range of categories and demographics, leveraging competitive advantage. • Recruited, onboarded, trained, coached and mentored design staff. • Sustained awareness of domestic and overseas factory capability, capacity, techniques, fabric resources, and costing structures, ensuring the design of unique, marketable product. • Developed departmental standard operating procedures and guides, maintaining optimal efficiency and results across teams. • Maintained in-depth understanding of the evolving needs for consumers within the accessories market across a diverse range of categories and demographics including Outdoor Sports, Street Lifestyle, Active, Surf/Skate, Outdoor Recreation and Team Sports for Men’s, Women’s, Youth and Toddler. • Collaborated with Product Development, Sourcing, Sales, Marketing and Domestic Decoration on strategic projects focused on innovation, process improvements, supporting customers and increasing revenue.

• Managed a team of direct reports responsible for the Hunt/Fish and College/NASCAR business units within the Product Design department, providing coaching, mentoring, training to all team members for optimum performance, while fostering a creative work environment. • Planned, directed and coordinated operations of the department, maintaining systems and procedures for operating efficiencies. • Provided art direction, design execution and creative strategies for retail and non-retail development lines, resulting in increased retail SKUs, revenue and growth among key Outdoor Sports accounts. • Ensured that all design deadlines within seasonal development timelines were communicated and met, collaborating closely with key stakeholders within Product Design & Development, Sales and external clients using strong interpersonal skills. • Collaborated with leadership to implement a departmental reorganization emphasizing delivery of clear product vision, providing optimal creative oversight, creating organizational flexibility, and investing in talent.

Managed a team of direct reports responsible for the Outdoor Sports and Wholesale/Retail/Other business units within the Product Design department; Provided art direction, planned coordinated resources to ensure internal and external customer's needs and expectations are met or exceeded; Provided timely positive and constructive feedback to team members to improve performance; Responsible for the design of development lines that gained key retail customers and licenses, establishing rapport and close relationships with customers and brands.

Design Lead for Wholesale/Retail/Other Team Actively enforced the goals, policies and procedures, implemented standards in the company's training and development. Supported Design Manager in the day to day activities of the team. Provided direction, plans and coordinated team members and resources to ensure internal and external customer's needs and expectations are met or exceeded. Provided timely positive and constructive feedback to team members to improve performance. Designed a broad range of headwear (predominantly caps and knits), presentations, flyers and merchandising solutions on a daily basis, while keeping deadlines on target. Presented development lines to Sales after ensuring each design met the standards, aesthetics and direction for each customer and license.

Executed a broad range of designs for multiple customers and licenses on a daily basis, working within a group made up of category team members that all share a common goal, which was the creation of original, innovative headwear designs. Responsible for working with leadership and fellow team members in the Product Design, Project Coordination, Licensing, Sourcing, Product Development, and Sample Processing departments to ensure that designs are feasible with internal and external guidelines, that the price points will be effective, and that merchandising needs and objectives are met. Provided detailed sampling information, including but not limited to fabrication as necessary, color, graphic application(s), style, detail and fit requirements to appropriate staff, while monitoring the development of samples.