Kathy Gerhard

Experience

• 

  JCPenney

  Mar 1994 - Oct 1998

  Product Development Manager

  * Responsible for product development of young men's premier private label Arizona brand apparel, outerwear and leather accessories business with $100 million in annual sales* Managed development of more than 60 new product sku's each season* Visited various global fashion locations with design team researching and shopping for newest trends to hit US market

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  Gurwitch Products

  Oct 1998 - Nov 2000

  Director - Product Development Laura Mercier Cosmetics

  * Reported directly to CEO with dotted line to Chief Creative Director, Laura Mercier* Collaborated with technical teams in NY, Milan and Germany to develop Laura Mercier Cosmetics and private label products from conceptual stages through production overseeing direction, planning, organization and management of development process for over 150 products* Sourced both primary and secondary packaging for color and skin care products* Developed strict seasonal timeline calendar to correct persistent problems with late launches - addressed production problems and material issues with both product and packaging suppliers in advance so as to maintain timeline Show less

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  Fossil Group, Inc.

  Nov 2000 - Jan 2021

  * Tasked by CEO to lead and rebuild failing Shared Services department in 2009; restructured and revamped teams, improving productivity and cutting overall lead times by 50%* Established performance goals, developed best practices and standardized annual reviews ensuring appropriate employee incentivization for +60 creative and production team members including Art, Production and Packaging departments* Implemented global work management software (Workfront) and Digital Asset Management (OTMM DAM) software along with development of comprehensive and ongoing training programs for 1,000+ EMEA, APAC, LAC and US team members* Manage annual budget of $6 million; consistently performing on or under budget* Reduced overall expenses by $1.5 million through offshore outsourcing* Led global Packaging team in reduction of packaging costs by 20% through strategic sourcing and focus on sustainable design improvements across owned and private label brands* Launched sustainable packaging initiatives in 2017; accomplished +70% recycled plastics in point of sale US packaging with direction to create global pro-planet packaging that is 100% recyclable by 2025* January 2021 - Fossil Group Inc. Sustainability team launched - Lead all primary packaging sustainability initiatives with focus on moving private brands and portfolio brands primary core packaging to sustainable materials. Show less

  • Director of Creative Services Operations

    Jan 2009 - Jan 2021

  • Associate Brand Manager - Fossil International Brand Team

    May 2006 - Dec 2008

  • Group Manager - Global Product Development

    Nov 2000 - May 2006