Parrish L.

Lewis
4329 North Dellrose Circle * Wichita, Kansas 67220 * (785) 221-9156 * plb
d512a@westpost.net

Brand Management / Product Development/Market Research / Strategic Positioning

Talented, result producing marketing and product professional with a proven trac
k record of accomplishment in planning and leading comprehensive marketing strat
egies in support of established business goals and objectives. Experience in dir
ecting the creation of new products, marketing tools and the execution of season
al marketing programs. Have successfully grown targeted markets through the intr
oduction of key product lines. Proven leadership skills in building and guiding
top-performing marketing, sourcing, and engineering teams. Communicate effective
ly with management teams, overseas factories and cross-functional teams and depa
rtments.
Qualifications

Strategic Market Planning New Market Penetration

New Product Development Market Research & Analysis
Inventory Management Team Building & Management
Direct Marketing Programs Pricing Strategies

Professional Experience

PRODUCT MANAGER, 2008 a" Present

COLEMAN, INC a" Wichita, Kansas
Define, execute and manage the overall product development strategy and marketin
g efforts to penetrate and grow targeted markets for $12mm Hodgman product line.
Communicate with customers, management, internal departments and overseas facto
ries to coordinate overall marketing efforts in accordance with corporate margin
goals. Plan and execute all appropriate market research and analyses. Lead prod
uct development process, from design through delivery and subsequent product tes
ting. Manage and direct cross-functional marketing, sourcing, and engineering te
ams.
Selected Contributions:
Increased category sales by 20% through designing and launching new products, im
plementing marketing strategies, reducing SKU count and reducing inventory level
s
Introduced three new, patented items for 2010 through market awareness and innov
ative product design
Reduced excess inventory levels from $6mm to $2mm in one year
Reduced Category SKU count by 35% and increased category margin performance from
negative margins to double-digit margins

GLOBAL SOURCING MANAGER, 2007 a" 2008

SEARS HOLDING a" Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Responsible for managing overseas factories and the production of private label
footwear. Negotiated costs to meet corporate margin goals and increase category
EBITDA. Worked directly with buying teams to identify and develop market correct
styles. Evaluated and monitored factory performance to ensure maximum margin re
alization for the category. Tracked and monitored performance of Direct SKU item
s to make certain that only top performing items were offered at retail and repo
rted said results to buying teams and management to help maintain margin and pro
fit goals. Communicated on an ongoing basis with management to ensure Direct Sou
rcing activities aligned with overall business goals. Provided leadership and di
rection to Sourcing and Buying Associates.
Selected Contributions:
Successfully maintained and expanded Direct Sourced factory base by identifying
and establishing relationships with top performing organizations
Increased on time deliveries and improved inventory position to meet peak sellin
g season demands
Planned and led execution of Direct Sourced product opportunities by performing
market analysis, identifying footwear trends and placing key items to deliver hi
gh quality product and increase margins
PRODUCT MANAGER, 2004 a" 2007
STEARNS, INC a" Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
Defined Product Development and marketing strategies to penetrate and grow targe
ted markets for $35mm product category (Hodgman Brand) Effectively communicated
with customers, management, internal departments, and overseas factories to coor
dinate overall marketing effort in accordance with corporate margin goals. Plann
ed and carried out all regional market research and analyses. Lead product devel
opment process, from design through delivery and subsequent product testing. Man
aged the marketing, sourcing and engineering teams.
Selected Contribution:
Recognized by management as key leader/member of Product Management team
Contributed ad campaign theme concept that proved effective in delivering overal
l message of innovation throughout Outdoor Sports Industry
PRODUCT DEVELOPER, 1999 a" 2004
PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC a" Topeka, Kansas
Worked closely with buying teams to design and develop performance footwear to b
e Direct Sourced and sold under private label brands. Negotiated acceptable fir
st costs and delivery dates to maximize margins and selling windows at retail.
Shopped retail markets to identify trends and apply them to Direct Sourced produ
cts. Defined overall strategies for Product Development and marketing initiativ
es to penetrate and grow targeted markets. Communicated with customers, manageme
nt, internal departments and overseas factories to coordinate overall marketing
effort in accordance with corporate margin goals. Planned and carried out region
al market research and analyses.
Selected Contributions:
Developed two patented items that continue to be key sellers in category.

MANAGER - KEY ACCOUNT SALES SUPPORT

Injection Footwear Corporation 1995 to 1999
Served as a Liaison between Factory and Buyers for IFCO, a leading footwear manu
facturer with annual revenues of $55mm and staff of 400 personnel. Worked closel
y with CEO and SVP of Operations on various product development and production p
lanning issues.
Worked closely with factory & buyers and supported 3 major accounts (Payless, Wa
lMart and Kmart) generating sales of $20mm annually. Worked as liaison between
factory and buyers to ensure timely delivery of merchandise. Developed and rev
iewed merchandise samples with buyers to ensure customer satisfaction. Served a
s lead for 3 Production Managers. Worked closely with suppliers throughout Asia
, Italy, Brazil and Latin America. Highly skilled at negotiating price and deliv
ering product based on customer needs and corporate directives.
Selected Contributions:
Grew Wal-Mart account from $1mm to $15mm annually by delivering the right produc
t and increasing production efficiency and quality. Worked to position IFCO fac
tory in direct status with Payless
Sourced $5mm in materials annually and created all related specification sheets
Managed processing of orders for 2mm pairs of shoes annually

Education & Credentials

Bachelor of Science Degree, Human Resource Management 1999
Friends University a" Kansas, USA
MBA, Global Management 2004* University of Phoenix a" Arizona, USA
MILITARY SERVICE
Battalion Intelligence NCO, 2nd Battalion 5th Field Artillery, Neu Ulm Germany,
United States Army. Worked directly with 5 Unit Commanders, providing detailed i
nformation on enemy operations and other intelligence information.
Battalion Commanderas Assistant, 3rd Battalion 36th Field Artillery, Colorado Sp
rings, Colorado, United States Army
Section Chief over the Battalion Personnel Office with responsibility for $27mm
in equipment and vehicles. Supervised 12 soldiers reporting directly to me. Tr
ained team and conducted monthly performance evaluations. Worked directly with
the Division Commander and Staff Judge Advocate on legal proceedings.
Awarded for numerous citations including Desert Storm and role in the fall of th
e Berlin Wall. Received personal letter of appreciation from the Commander and
Chief of the United States Army European Command, General Crosby E. Saint.