Aileen McGrath

2055 West Summerdale Avenue, Unit 1 * Chicago, IL 60625

ambf4142@westpost.net
773-230-7404
VP/Merchandising/Marketing/Sales
Product Development & Launch / Sourcing / Negotiations / Relationship Building /
Major Accounts /
Cost Control / Training & Management/ Branding
A creative product development, marketing and sales professional with a consiste
nt record of merchandise placement, sell thru and competitive pricing strategies
. A proven team leader, who successfully managed and developed merchandising pr
ofessionals for the last five years. Major Account representative was able to g
row major market share in both up and down economies. My transferrable skills in
clude:
Developing innovative product lines that translate to over the counter sales
Building and grooming relationships that support company strategies
Achieving higher margins based on price negotiation
Enhancing business processes to boost productivity and profits
Managing department responsible for $72 million in annual sales
Branding niche product lines with placement in both major and television market
s
Analyzing current Trends for product and marketing execution
Professional Accomplishments
Initiated lucrative strategic alliances: MBM Company established the position o
f VP of Merchandising for me. The goal was to build alliances with overseas man
ufactures to create product and cost structures that were beneficial to corporat
e strategies. I was able to build a vendor structure that increased margins and
reduced costs by 5-20% depending on item. First year savings will be in excess
of $200,000.
Tripled OEM revenue in 9 months: MBM Company had planned a critical part of its
growth on building wholesale accounts specifically in the area of OEM. I was a
ble to bring in the right product at the right price. Two- quarter comparative s
ales for 2010 went from $40,000 to $120,000 with an annualized estimate of $288,
000.
Team Building: MBM Company, I was the VP of the Merchandising group. We develo
ped product for several different channels of distribution: Internet, Catalog an
d Wholesale. I managed a group of merchandisers, designers and graphic artists
at Sunstone Inc. I was able to develop a team that increased market placement b
y an average of +22% per market. Coordinated and executed Five New York Fashion
Markets per year.
Branding: Varella was a startup company of Boutique Jewelry. I worked with our
factory in China to design/manufacture an upscale jewelry line, which drove sale
s production from $1 to $4M. Macys and HSN both carried the Varella line as a d
esigner brand increasing Varellas visibility within the industry. Donald Bruce
and Co recognized the opportunity to benefit from the rapidly expanding Hispani
c population. I developed a band targeted specifically to the Hispanic market.
The monetary success of the category went from $0 to $9M per year.
Major Account Sales: Varellas growth strategy was to expand their account base a
nd build add on sales with existing customers. I groomed relationships with Wa
lmart.com, Macys and HSN increasing pick up rates by an average of 37% and sales
 in excess of $1M.
Analysis: Sunstone a Wholesaler of Fashion Jewelry required constant research, a
nalysis and forecasting of current Fashion trends to produce trend right product
. Varella is a high-end Boutique Jewelry company where Fashion trends were integ
ral to product development. I travelled to shows in Europe and Asia and consist
ently monitored Fashion Publications and the internet to keep current.

Aileen McGrath Resume Page 2

Career History
Independent Contractor Chicago, IL Current
Product Development
Develop new product designs for LVB a manufacturer of precious metal Lockets
Develop new product concepts for Varella a manufacturer of high end Sterling Sil
ver and Gemstone Jewelry
MBM Company Chicago, IL 2009 - 2010
Vice President of Merchandising
Directed merchandising team in development of new product lines and cultivated n
ew vendor alliances. Increased company profitability through vendor cost negot
iation. Established standard Quality Assurance specifications for overseas vend
ors.
Sunstone Inc. Morton Grove, IL 2008 2009
Merchandising Manager
Directed merchandising team in development of new product lines for Mass and Maj
or Retailers. Increased market pick up rate. Developed targeted assortment plan
s that supported overall company strategy. Analyzed competitors strengths, weakn
esses and strategies resulting in competitive edge. Coordinated and executed Fi
ve New York Fashion Markets per year.
VARELLA Redwood City, CA 2005 - 2008
General Merchandise Manager, National Account Manager
Recruited as part of executive team to launch a boutique jewelry line. Establish
ed firm revenue foundation, through effective product development strategies and
building core accounts that produced $4M in sales over first three years. Coor
dinated and executed several tradeshows per year.
Donald Bruce and Company / the Colibri Group 1994 - 2005
Product Manager (1998 2005)
Promoted based on performance to boost category placement, dramatically improved
pick up rate. Developed a niche brand targeted to the Hispanic market. Execut
ed plan for Las Vegas Tradeshow.
Senior Account Coordinator/Merchandise Analyst (1997 1998)
Promoted to work on mass accounts Wal-Mart and Kmart. Effectively increased sal
es through vendor management.
National Account Representative (1994 1997)
Position established to build national account Finlay Enterprises. Increased sa
les by 61% in 15 months.
Education
Southern Ohio College
Associate Degree in Applied Science
Shawnee State University
Fine Arts and Humanities
Technical Programs
Microsoft Office, Outlook, Quark Xpress, Photoshop 7.0, Oracle 11.03, Retail Lin
k, Pin, Jewels 2000

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