Prakash Munuswamy
Chennai
Summary
An astute and seasoned merchandising & operations professional with over 20 years of experience in strategic marketing, apparel sourcing, apparel production, business management, brand development, quality management, product marketing, market plan execution, key account management with leading organization's in fashion, apparel and textile industry. Expertise in managing P&L, marketing, branding, product and people management. Profound understanding of affiliate marketing and proven track record of managing end-to-end projects from strategic planning and sourcing to tactical marketing. Lead teams to liaise with suppliers and obtain high-quality products at competitive prices. Proficient in managing sourcing and merchandising operations covering requirement analysis, sampling, production, dispatch, vendor management and liaison to ensure on time achievement of organizational targets. Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, motivate & mentor cohesive teams that achieve results. Deft in developing / implementing operating methods designed to eliminate operating problems & to ensure on time orders to improve product quality.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
CEO and Founder
Apparel Buying Office
01.2020 - Current
- Responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business, including business development, customer relationship management, sourcing, and production operations.
- One of the key achievements of my tenure has been building a vast customer base for whom the apparel production happens in Bangladesh and India.
- I have successfully identified new customers and expanded the business by nurturing relationships with existing clients, resulting in a steady increase in revenue and profitability.
- In my role, I am also responsible for managing the sourcing and production operations for the company. I have built and managed a team of merchandisers and sourcing professionals who work closely with suppliers to ensure the highest quality products are produced on time and within budget.
- To support the growth of the business, I have also developed and implemented operational processes and procedures that have resulted in increased efficiency and productivity. As a result, we have been able to consistently meet or exceed customer expectations in terms of quality, cost, and delivery time.
- Overall, my experience as CEO and Founder of the Apparel Buying Office has enabled me to build and lead a successful business that is recognized for its commitment to delivering high-quality apparel products to customers from Bangladesh and India.
Business Head - Marketing & Merchandising
BD Designs Pvt Ltd
08.2018 - 01.2020
- Responsible to fill in the capacities of production floor with a production capacity of 500000 pcs per month
- Successfully added in new customers Lucky Brand (USA) & The Warehouse Group (New Zealand ) and built in a successful business within a span of 10 months.
- Increased the sales from US$16 million to US$19 million in a span of 1 year which is an increase of 18% of total sales.
- Successfully added the customer H&M in to the factory matrix where the PD process
- Handled the complete merchandising operations for the EU customers George,
- Maintained 100% OTP for the entire tenure.
- Helped the factory floor to reduce the cost per minute from $0.035 to $0.03
Head of Business Operations
Triburg - Nordstrom Mens and Kids Division
02.2016 - 07.2018
- Responsible for managing and executing 240000 pcs per month with an average of 100 styles / month.
- Handled a business of US$ 19 million for the US retailer NORDSTROM.
- Handled 9 vendor facilities across India and was responsible for the complete planning and implementation.
- Increased the OTD performance of the team from 80% LY to 94% CY
- Introduced Risk Analysis system to identify and mitigate risks in terms of product,production and service .
- Introduced a new system for color matching, which resulted in a reduction of approval time lines from 6 weeks to 2 weeks.
- Collaborated with the product and design teams seasonally to ensure we have the right vendor mix to support product design and innovation.
- Collaborated with design and fabric R&D where the sample hit rate was 90% per season of the presented products with the buyers.
Consultant Manager - Merchandising & Production
CEAA LLC
08.2014 - 12.2015
- Formulated the business strategy and business planning for the company.
- Handled a business of US$ 4 million for US Military franchise brand Soffe
- Handled the cycling wear business of over US$ 1 million for the brand VOMAX
- Sourced a business of over US$ 3 million for Disney franchise brands from factory in India
- Sourced US$ 3 million worth of apparels for the brands Sweet cotton tail, Princess orchids, Miss America, Over under and Heart & Soul from the factories in Bangladesh
- Worked directly with the US designers George Zimmerman, Jamie & Sara, Peggy Rossi, Lynette, Garret Bauman in developing their product range by providing a complete technical support and helped them in their apparel sourcing
- Established the SOP and TNA across the Sourcing, Merchandising, Production,Planning & Quality departments.
- Successfully set up a factory for MADE IN USA labels from the start and successfully increased the productivity to 20 pcs per operator.
G.M - Merchandising & Productions
Global Apparel Solutions Ltd.
05.2010 - 08.2014
Factory Manager
Camiceria Apparels Pvt.Ltd
05.2006 - 12.2009
Production & Quality Executive
Lenny Fashions Ltd
07.2003 - 04.2006
Education
M.F.Tech -
National Institute of Fashion Technology
Chennai, India05.2003
Bachelor of Commerce -
D.G.Vaishnav College, University of Madras
Chennai, India05.2000
Skills
- Corporate leadership
- Administrative Leadership
- Goal Setting
- Approachable leader
- Solution Innovation
- Strategic Visioning
- Operational leadership
- Contract Negotiation
- Operational Efficiency
- Financial Oversight
Languages
Tamil
English
Hindi
Bengali
Timeline
CEO and Founder
Apparel Buying Office
01.2020 - Current
Business Head - Marketing & Merchandising
BD Designs Pvt Ltd
08.2018 - 01.2020
Head of Business Operations
Triburg - Nordstrom Mens and Kids Division
02.2016 - 07.2018
Consultant Manager - Merchandising & Production
CEAA LLC
08.2014 - 12.2015
G.M - Merchandising & Productions
Global Apparel Solutions Ltd.
05.2010 - 08.2014
Factory Manager
Camiceria Apparels Pvt.Ltd
05.2006 - 12.2009
Production & Quality Executive
Lenny Fashions Ltd
07.2003 - 04.2006
M.F.Tech -
National Institute of Fashion Technology
Bachelor of Commerce -
D.G.Vaishnav College, University of Madras
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