Marta Weston (Jackowska)

Experience

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  Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland

  Jun 2006 - Sept 2006

  Trainee

  • Selected for prestigious internship working for Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Seconded to department of Foreign Affairs, responsible for reviewing classified material and compiling diplomatic briefings used by the Prime Minister during his appointments.

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  Kingfisher plc

  Oct 2008 - Dec 2013

  • Accountable for end-to-end project management (from receiving product brief to delivery into stores) of direct sourcing programs with annual spend $80M within building, paint and decorative categories. Led and coached team of 3 sourcing specialists.• New business development with EMEA manufacturers - identified and introduced a number of reliable and sustainable suppliers, which delivered growth in direct shipments +34% YOY. • Negotiated effectively to drive group sourcing benefits including reduced cost prices, lead times, improved terms, stock holding and product quality. Delivered 18% cost reductions.• Developed products and ranges with suppliers and internal design & brand teams in order to keep up with industry innovation and trends. • Visited and pre-audited a number of factories to fully understand production process and capabilities. Traveled extensively to source new products and vendors (conducted +25 international sourcing trips in a year). Responsible for relationships and contract negotiation with +40 vendors. Developed efficiency plans with suppliers to drive costs down.• Experienced working with various incoterms (FCA, FOB, DDP, DDU etc.) and supply chain models: deliveries to warehouse, 3rd party consolidation platforms, direct to store/x-docks, as well as customs and policies for importing goods.• Selected to project team charged with tracking and improving processes to generate operational efficiencies (RACI models). Show less • Seconded to support a Senior Director in setting up the Near Sourcing Platform to cover footprint of 35 countries within Europe, the Middle East and the Americas with satellite offices in Istanbul and Warsaw.• Assisted in designing and deploying Kingfisher Near Sourcing strategy and infrastructure. Advised senior management on project progress, issues and benefits delivered. Responsible for costing, estimating, planning and managing projects and tenders within Turkish footprint. • Extensive research of manufacturing capabilities in Turkey. Identified and introduced to the group a number of reliable and sustainable suppliers, which delivered cost reductions of 17%. Developed strong relationships with a large number of factories in Turkish region. Show less • Researched of manufacturing capabilities in EMEA countries. Conducted competitor and market research and analysis.• Regular benchmarking to ensure that suppliers maintained competitive advantage. Visited and pre-audited a number of factories to fully understand production process and capabilities. • Managed data capture and input into Kingfisher Systems (APEX and SAP). Created projects in the systems. • Reviewed product samples with quality team, developed artworks and packaging with branding team and vendors. • Attended trade fairs and exhibitions to promote the group, develop new business relationships and stay up to date with latest home fashion trends. Show less

  • Product Sourcing Manager

    Mar 2013 - Dec 2013

  • Product Sourcing Manager

    Nov 2012 - Mar 2013

  • Sourcing Specialist

    Oct 2008 - Oct 2012
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  Wickes

  Jan 2014 - Jul 2014

  Category Manager

  • Accountable for P&L of flooring category comprising at $50M annual purchases. Built buying strategies to grow sales, profit and market share via greater understanding of the consumer, identifying future category trends and action planning. Designed commercial and profitable range. Managed team of 2 merchandisers. • Analyzed trading performance and took appropriate action on best/worst sellers. Conducted competitor and market research and analysis. Developed and implemented marketing plans, promotional campaigns and seasonal events within budgeted levels. Grow sales +11% YOY and +12% margin YOY.• Responsible for supplier management and annual contract negotiations. Created and implemented tactical and strategic plans to improve supplier performance, stock management and reduce operational costs. Monitored purchase orders placed with suppliers to guarantee full on-time delivery and ensure optimal distribution of stock. Created plans to remove agents and to trade directly with factories to gain more cost savings benefits. Show less

• 

  Self-employed

  Jul 2014 - now

  Consultant

  Established my own boutique consulting practice, specializing in the management of complex projects. I offer consulting services aimed at independent retail or wholesale businesses or individuals, who are in the process of setting up companies or require operational improvement. Example of projects:• Created market entry and business development strategy for the investors in the energy drink company, Rich Energy Ltd. working with INDEX. Together we prepared strategic plans for the company and investor deck, which included: brand DNA, product, production and distribution strategy, brand alliances, media and communication strategy, sales and marketing plan, team setup, financial plans and key performance metrics.• Schulz Farben-und Lackfabrik GmbH, a German paint manufacturer, hired me to enhance their sales operations and implement category management processes to enable them to become a more attractive trading partner to DIY retailers. Created a new and efficient category management approach and tailored for the Schulz strategy, models and processes. • Interior Design is a personal hobby and I managed few interior design projects, enabling me to satisfy client needs and at the same time fulfilling one of my passions and interests. One project involved the interior design and decoration of a luxury apartment in Gramercy Park, New York. My involvement included project plans, budget management, creating design concepts, sourcing furniture, coordinating renovation work with contractors as well as managing the logistics of product deliveries and installation. • Currently engaged in creating the business model concept and implementation plan for a health café and fitness studio. Show less

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  B&Q

  Oct 2014 - Feb 2016

  Lead Buyer

  • Responsible for P&L and $270M of annual purchases if the electrical category. Developed category plans that included profit enhancement, better cost management, new range development, marketing strategies, supplier management strategies, intelligent pricing structure, effective space management, improvement of stock control and supply chain activities. Maintained the electrical category as the 4th most profitable within B&Q. Lead and coached a team of 5 people.• Developed a marketing strategy for e-commerce as well as bespoke marketing plans for newly launched products categories (online and instore ranges and promotions). Worked on improving merchandising and messaging at POS in stores. Conducted in-depth market research and analysis.• Lead vendor management and contract negotiations. Established relationships with the largest brands in DIY. Delivered $1.5M cash rebate through a one-off negotiation. Developed and implemented both tactical and strategic plans to improve supplier performance and lead quarterly business performance reviews.• Planned and built a balanced, commercial and profitable lightbulbs range. Market share increased 14%, sales of LED category increased 215% YOY, 86% above target. In the 6-week period following range launch over 3 million lightbulbs were sold. Show less

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  Kingfisher plc

  Mar 2016 - Aug 2017

  • Responsible of annual purchases of $140M in hand tools, workwear and motoring categories. End to end project management of buying and strategic sourcing initiatives from receiving brief, selecting vendors, product development, to delivery into Kingfisher operating companies comprising 1,300 stores in 9 countries.• Managed multiple projects with varying timescales, through a range of diverse stakeholders, to drive process changes and improvements in buying and achieve commercial benefits. • Delivered 6-25% cost price reduction through effective negotiations with suppliers and making buying process more efficient. Implemented best-in-class procurement processes and an industry approach to purchasing, comprised of margin enhancement strategies, that included: tenders, RFIs/RFQs, supplier optimization, Lean and Six Sigma methodology, DMAIC approach, product engineering (design to cost, product components breakdown), packaging reduction and improvements in supply chain.• Global supplier relationship management and proven ability to deal with different cultures. Managed portfolio of suppliers throughout Europe and N. America. Responsible for annual negotiations and execution of contracts. Developed and implemented supplier relationship management strategies and efficiency plans to deliver cost reductions. Accountable for +30 vendors, including global brands such as Stanley Black & Decker, Bosch, and Irwin. • Reported to senior executives, coached a team of 4 sourcing specialists, performed appraisals and took part in the recruitment process. Worked on-site and remotely in a matrix organization of multi-cultural and multi-functional teams. Show less • Selected by Executive Management for Group Buyer role to lead a global tender valued of $200M. Tender was covering the new and unified range of hand tools that was implemented in all 1300 Kingfisher stores in 9 countries. • Accountable for entire tender process: identified and qualified vendors, created RFIs and RFQs, set up tender using online platform (Neogrid), conducted in-depth financial analyses, prepared and presented Business Case to senior stakeholders.• Advised senior management on project progress, issues and benefits delivered. Developed Critical Path Analysis (CPA), Gantt Charts, created status reports and conducted progress meetings with team member. Managed issues and risks to ensure that projects were delivered within the agreed timescales and benefits were fully realized.• Collaborated with Kingfisher sourcing offices in different international locations and established a project team (50+ people) composed of different departments.• Prepared and lead strategy execution for high-level global negotiations with branded and own-brand suppliers, conducted in London and Shanghai and organized vendor conferences in Europe and China. • Delivered 23% cost price reduction for Own Exclusive Brands and 7% for A brands, reduced number of vendors from 258 to 26, and number of SKUs from 5,000 to 1,000 both of which improved operational efficiency. Show less

  • Product Sourcing Manager

    Dec 2016 - Aug 2017

  • Group Buyer

    Mar 2016 - Dec 2016