Will Riggs:
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Will Riggs
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United States
Skills
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Interests
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Work experience
Perun Group
Apparel Manager | 07/2014 - 11/2020
• Established a product line of sports and casual wear to create a one-stop shop for team, school, and corporate customers
• Improved supply chain with greater product quality with shorter and consistent lead-times
• Revised patterns and garment fit to create common product sizes to better suit international customer needs
• Created matrix of product types, approved suppliers, product costs, and margins to speed the ordering process for our customers
• Mentored colleagues in sourcing, product development, and selling products made by external manufacturers
• Supplier assessments to select factories; reviewed conditions on production floor, including recommendations for cleanliness that were adopted by the factory
• Performed pre-production inspection to confirm final product meets design expectations, and resolve any lingering problems; this included setting parameters of expected deviations, and limits for variance
• Regularly attended trade shows to meet with suppliers and stay informed about the industry
• Expanded supplier base of textile mills and factories for finished products
• Developed company short term and long term goals that were understandable, achievable, and which could be further built upon
• Planned resources for carrying out goals efficiently and proficiently; implemented idea sharing and collaboration forums to check in with stakeholders within the company organization
• Created product development section that was focused on seeking products and manufacturers to better suit customers and guide clients toward new materials and ideas that fit their unique needs
• Marketed and sold to customers from a range of existing and customized products.
Black Pearl Protection Gear
General Manager | 09/2007 - 02/2012
• Nascent development of product mix, pricing strategy, and global go to market strategy
• Expanded market by 21 countries over 4 years and generated over $250,000 USD in private label annual sales
• Led product development of new and customized pouches and bags with team of designers, sourcing department, factory managers and sample makers
• Sourced specialized fabrics for military customer projects
• Grew Australian sales to $2million USD in annual contract sales, a 20% increase in company sales
• Managed contract negotiations to increase our margins over 10%
• Established and grew brand in target European and North American markets, created brand awareness and increased sales.
• Created product catalog and marketing collateral to support our sales team
• Grew base of 50 global customers including military and government agencies
• Constantly evaluated product line; utilized customer feedback as part of product development process to drive product enhancement and customer satisfaction
• Established pricing adjustment model built on breakdown of costs by type, origin, currency, and changes based manufacturing cost indexes
• Collaboratively formulated long-term pricing framework with Australian DoD to ensure acceptable pricing for them with margin stability for us based on Yuan/USD/AUD exchange rate fluctuations, and manufacturing cost changes
• Analyzed industry and identified target markets for distribution and sales channels for direct sales to police forces
• Ensured best practices and standards for the highly specified and rigorous requirements of governments and militaries
• Developed strong communication and feedback avenues with designers and distributors to ensure that market needs were being met and innovative ideas were being presented in a timely and beneficial manner
• Go-between for the greater company and niche market; participated in greater company goals and translated milestones and planning to all teams under my management
IDEXX
MARKETING ASSOCIATE | 06/2005 - 08/2005
Launched new blood analyzer, created brand content that leveraged user insights from market
research
• Created brand message and revamped print advertising to emphasize key points of differentiation in appropriate market segments for the VetStat electrolyte and blood gas machine
• Initiated brand extension project to meet unmet needs through research of existing consumption
patterns and collaborated with veterinary experts to confirm product was medically sound
• Analyzed chemistry test usage patterns of IDEXX customers to discover opportunities for increased
test slide sales
• Recommended creation of additional pre-packed sets of test slides for in-house blood chemistry
analyzer
• Immersed myself in the veterinary world to gain an understanding of medicine and veterinary
practices to make sound, fact-based marketing decisions
• Solicited feedback and provided guidance to achieve development and marketing goals
Alexander Doll Company
Product Development & Outsourcing Associate | 01/2004 - 07/2004
• Managed overseas product development, from design to mass production, for a high-end toy company
• Improved overall relationship and lead-times with our most challenging and capable vendor
• Developed new category line of playable dolls that expanded product range from traditional collectables
• Led implementation of child safety testing program for all dolls and persuaded suppliers to partner in the company safety process evolution
• Persuaded suppliers to continue product development and a shipping resumption plan during the company’s cash shortage period
• Reduced costs through sourcing overseas fabrics while maintaining proper color, material, quality and hand feel
• Managed international logistics for ADC and negotiated contracted services with shipping providers
• Listened to the suppliers to learn their needs and occasional frustrations to develop improved communication and planning response
• Negotiated policies on case by case protocols based on firm understanding of my company’s constraints and took ownership for implementing solutions
• Took ownership of the new opportunities created by change
MERRILL LYNCH & CO
Intern | 06/1999 - 08/1999
• Prepared feasibility study for $60 million municipal bond deal
• Researched, analyzed and worked with a team to present report on establishment of Charter
Schools in NY
Black & Decker
Demand Planner | 01/1997 - 05/1998
• Managed production orders, delivery confirmation, communication and troubleshooting in Asia for 16 Black & Decker offices worldwide
• Researched new products, identified new suppliers, and negotiated prices for Household Products Group
• Negotiated favorable payment terms
• Reduced transportation costs by working with suppliers to ship goods more efficiently
• Ensured timely introduction of new products and resolution of problems in production through communication with supplier and Black & Decker offices
• Liaised between Black & Decker locations
ALLIANCE PLANNING CONSULTANTS
Intern | 06/1994 - 08/1994
• Marketed insurance and retirement planning services for perspective clients in New York
• Researched and constructed database for targeted sales pitch to the educational services customer
segment