Stephen Shoard

Experience

• 

  Vodafone

  Oct 1994 - Nov 1997

  Credit Controller

  Prepared and processed accounts to be passed to a collection agency. Coordinated the reconnection of cleared accounts. Handled telephone enquiries from customers.

• 

  Warner Music Group

  Jan 1998 - Nov 1998

  Senior Credit Controller

  Oversaw the collection and reconciliation of payments within the agreed terms for Warner Music and Warner Home Video.

• 

  Deluxe Entertainment Services Group

  Nov 1998 - Mar 2002

  Managed a team of 2 sales order assistants. Liaised with multiple clients (including Universal Pictures). Ensured timely delivery of their product whilst maintaining a very high level of client and customer satisfaction. Supervised a team of 3 sales order assistants. Drove on time delivery of all orders for Paramount Pictures & Universal Pictures.

  • Distribution Client Liaison Executive

    Jul 1999 - Mar 2002

  • Distribution Sales Office Administrator

    Nov 1998 - Jul 1999
• 

  Technicolor

  Apr 2002 - May 2014

  • Developed and implemented Warner’s print management system at Technicolor. Created processes and reporting for sourcing, systemic pricing and ongoing supply to support an average yearly spend of €32M. Seamlessly transitioned this function from the UK to Poland in order to reduce costs.• Managed supply planning for major European Blu-Ray and DVD titles, such as Harry Potter (20M units, €13.5M revenue) and Game of Thrones (5M units, €4.5M revenue). Responsible for milestone planning, capacity management, on time delivery to retailers and cost avoidance across the chain.• Led the Blu-Ray and DVD case consolidation project. Delivering a saving of €265k by switching to lower cost alternatives plus reduced the overall types used by 35%. Show less • Launched Technicolor’s first client inventory management tool, with a budget of €300K. Combined with support of Disney’s €15M SAP go-live and creation of their centralised organisation. Savings delivered via: reduction of Disney’s headcount (saving €250K per annum) by consolidated planning; switched roles to be an in-house function; proactive planning; decreased storage costs through Just In Time fulfilment and increased direct shipments. • Managed a team of 5 planners covering 7 European territories and 6.5K items. Successfully lead the project transferring those roles to Poland; created and delivered all training materials. Further refinements to the process achieved an additional 40% reduction in headcount. • Secondment as distribution Client Services Manager working with a third party warehouse. Challenged with rebuilding trust between Technicolor and the distributor whilst improving service to Disney’s customers. Acted as a mediator, changed the language of discussions so metrics seen as a tool for collaborative problem solving. Root caused goods in delays, implemented fixes on both sides. Improved stock availability led to increased on time/in full deliveries to customers. Avoided large contractual fines from Disney. Show less

  • European Supply Chain Manager – Warner

    Jun 2010 - May 2014

  • European Inventory Manager – Disney

    Aug 2005 - Jun 2010

  • Senior Inventory planner – Disney

    Oct 2003 - Aug 2005

  • Senior Account Executive – Warner

    Apr 2002 - Oct 2003
• 

  The LEGO Group

  Aug 2014 - now

  • Focused on delivering an item level short term (18 week horizon) weekly forecasting.• Building collaborative relationships with multiple stakeholders (Brand, Marketing, Customer & Channel teams) to ensure latest insights and activities are baked into the latest plan.• Contributing to growth ambitions through forecast accuracy that ensures both consumer sales are fulfilled and excess inventory is avoided.• Bringing regional and supply chain experience and perspective to forge stronger connections across the business. Show less • Managing the review, revision and continuous improvement of the process to oversee a portfolio of 525+ items with an annual forecast of £2.3B, with a focus on the 0-3 month horizon. • Overseeing demand signal adjustments that reflect historic and upcoming trends in-between monthly forecasts. Delivering the best item mix to maximise production capacity utilisation, reduce obsolete stock and increase flexibility to react to customer requirements. • Designing and refining processes and tools that turn insights into value-add actions. Driving a culture of continuous improvement. • Pivot and align methodologies to the ever changing internal (demand shaping) and external (Covid 19) factors. Enabling LEGO to be more responsive to and proactively anticipatory of customers changing needs.• Lead and present in key cross functional meetings with senior stakeholders. Improving their engagement with and understanding of key challenges that support agile decision making. • A key member of the global Supply project, raising constructive challenges that ensured connected thinking around demand and supply. Collaboratively developed solutions that prevented a siloed outcome. • Driving culture change via the coordination and leadership of initiatives like a new starter and regional Demand Planning forums. Creating a better connected community that supports each other in delivering improved results. Show less

  • Demand Planning Manager – UK & Ireland

    Mar 2021 - now

  • Regional Demand Planning Manager

    Aug 2014 - Mar 2021