Sonali Cooray
Ragama,12
Summary
A challenging personality interested in developing career, while contributing to uplift company's objectives and corporate goals.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Deputy General Manager - Marketing and Merchandising
Hela Apparels Ltd
Colombo
01.2014 - Current
- Managed business operations and worked closely with senior management to develop KPIs, build operating dashboards, and monitor and manage performance for an end to end business from design to delivery closely monitoring product development and merchandising to deliver customer expectations profitability
- Responsible for preparation of operating and capital budgets for division and reviewed expenditures to take action to stay in line to silo numbers
- Established customer relationships to generate more business, maintain profitability, and expand brand loyalty and recognition
- Managed customer accounts include Levi's, M&S, Sainsburys, Next, Tesco, Morrisons, Dunnes and the Focus group
- Managed an exceptional relationship with Levis buying teams of San Francisco and India through delivering key KPIs continuously across the long service period
- Enhanced the account profitability and managed continuous high KPI's
- Increased business categories within the accounts and managed to increase volume within categories
Head-product Development, Casual Cluster
Hela Apparels Ltd
01.2014 - Current
- Direct responsibility of own design, product development and customer development of casual wear cluster
- Responsibility of sourcing team and sample room to ensure the customers are fed with newness and innovation
- Seasonal visits to customer offices to present and finalize product range and assigned programs
- Product pitching and offering of Hela innovations to existing customers
- Manage merchandising for emerging customer accounts of casual cluster ensuring a smooth operation from concept to delivery
- Ensuring and maintaining a great relationship with customer contacts and growth of new departments within existing customers through product and process knowledge
Business Manager - Victorias Secret Stores
Brandix Intimate Apparel Ltd.
01.2014 - 04.2014
- Managed a cross functional team for overall merchandise product development, bulk, design, supply chain, fabric technology and fit construction aspects for Victoria's Secret Intimates account
- Responsible for achieving internal and customer KPI's of 5% hit rate on seasonal developments, 100% OTD, 3% or less write offs, and a NP of 10% or more on all costing
- Responsible for setting the annual budget for the account and achieving the top line and bottom line accordingly
- The product range includes, knit and woven, highly embellished, and detailed constructed garments with highest fashion elements for sleepwear and intimates
Business Development Manager
Brandix Intimate Apparel Ltd.
Elapitiwela
01.2012 - 04.2014
- Key responsibility of developing new customers for the company
- Managed key customers visit locally and overseas in customer offices
- Managed all merchandising aspects of newly developed customers till the account grows to a significant level to handover to a respective merchandising manager
- Successfully developed accounts include M&S, The Children's Place, Kohl's and Primark after filtering among the customers that were approached based on the company's strategic fit
Merchandise Controller
NEXT Sourcing Ltd
01.2008 - 01.2009
- Monitored product development and costing and worked towards achieving budgets and increasing product portfolio within categories
- Identified sales opportunities and maximized sales positioning
Product development lead
Hela Clothing (Pvt) Ltd.
Peliyagoda
01.2007 - 01.2008
- Company Overview: Owned by The Fielding Group of companies, UK
- Replaced the senior manager - product development position / job role
- Being responsible for all marketing activities of the company functioned as the primary contact in SL office to deal with the London and Birmingham design offices of the group
- Overlooked all product development aspects for following customers Direct- M&S and Peruna
- Through UK office - M&S, John Lewis, Debenhams, Sainsbury, Bhs and Asda
- Owned by The Fielding Group of companies, UK
Team lead - Nike account
Hela Clothing (Pvt) Ltd.
08.2005 - 04.2007
- Company Overview: Owned by The Fielding Group of companies, UK
- Won the Award for the company as 'The Outstanding Performance vendor of the year' from Nike Inc., at the vendor summit 2006/2007 Bangalore, India, for achieving 99% OTD across the year
- Responsible for full T&A and frequent travelling to Bangalore office for monthly production status and costing meetings as well as for quarterly vendor review
- Owned by The Fielding Group of companies, UK
Education
G.C.E (O/L) -
Holy Family Convent
Colombo, 412.2000
Master of Business Administration -
London Metropolitan University
UKpost graduate professional diploma - marketing
Charted Institute of Marketing
UKPart qualified -
Charted Institute of Management Accountants
ColomboSkills
- Operations management
- Cross-functional team coordination
- Corporate communications
- Organizational development
- Human resources
- Staff training and development
- Team leadership
- Strategic planning
- Supply chain management
- Customer retention
- P&L management
- Interpersonal skills
- Global solutions
- Customer relations
- Profit generation
Qualifications
Master of Business Administration, London Metropolitan University, UK, Post Graduate Professional Diploma in Marketing, Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK, Part Qualified, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Mercury Institute Colombo, Holy Family Convent, Colombo 4, 2000, 7, 3, 2003, 1, 2
References
- Mr. Annesly De Fonseka, Managing Director, Original Apparels, 0772745534
- Mr. Shrihan Perera, Former CEO, Brandix Intimates Apparels, 0773504277
Key Work Experience
- Hela Apparels Ltd, Balapokuna Road, Colombo, 5, Deputy General Manager - Marketing and Merchandising, 01/01/14, present, Managed business operations and worked closely with senior management to develop KPIs., Established customer relationships to generate more business., Managed customer accounts including Levi's, M&S, Sainsburys, Next, Tesco, Morrisons, Dunnes and the Focus group.
- Brandix Intimate Apparel Ltd, Ragama road, Elapitiwela, Ragama, Business Development Manager, 01/01/12, 04/30/14, Developed new customers for the company., Managed key customers visit locally and overseas., Successfully developed accounts including M&S, The Children's Place, Kohl's and Primark.
- NEXT Sourcing Ltd, Merchandise Controller, 01/01/08, 12/31/09, Monitored product development and costing., Identified sales opportunities and maximized sales positioning.
- Hela Clothing (Pvt) Ltd, No 304, Graceland Building, Peliyagoda, 01/01/04, 12/31/08, Product Development Lead, 01/01/07, 12/31/08, Team Lead - Nike account, 08/01/05, 04/30/07, Bulk Merchandiser, 10/01/04, 08/01/05
Personal Information
- Age: 39
- Date of Birth: 04/26/84
- Gender: Female
- Marital Status: Married
Timeline
Deputy General Manager - Marketing and Merchandising
Hela Apparels Ltd
01.2014 - Current
Head-product Development, Casual Cluster
Hela Apparels Ltd
01.2014 - Current
Business Manager - Victorias Secret Stores
Brandix Intimate Apparel Ltd.
01.2014 - 04.2014
Business Development Manager
Brandix Intimate Apparel Ltd.
01.2012 - 04.2014
Merchandise Controller
NEXT Sourcing Ltd
01.2008 - 01.2009
Product development lead
Hela Clothing (Pvt) Ltd.
01.2007 - 01.2008
Team lead - Nike account
Hela Clothing (Pvt) Ltd.
08.2005 - 04.2007
G.C.E (O/L) -
Holy Family Convent
Master of Business Administration -
London Metropolitan University
post graduate professional diploma - marketing
Charted Institute of Marketing
Part qualified -
Charted Institute of Management Accountants
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