Karla Chawa

Handling the planning and execution of all store related creative activities, such as concept creation & installation of themed window displays, promotional & client driven instore themed events, store opening events & handling the client loyalty scheme.
- Cut down on costs by taking initiative by personally taking on the planning & execution of all promotional activities/events/window installation in-house.
- Plan and execute all activities related to VIP clients & the corresponding loyalty scheme.
- Set up the events calendar a season in advance for review with management, and communicate with all responsible parties the final schedule.
- Personally execute and follow up on all seasonal events (average of 3 per store per season).
- Plan, source supplies & execute seasonal window display concepts for all stores.

Responsible for the budgeting, assortment planning, buying, OTB planning & merchandising of 16 womenswear brands at 7 POS (3 franchises, 3 shop in shops & a multi-brand store) operated by Modinvest (part of Zabbat SAL) Brands include but are not limited to Gerard Darel, Gas Bijoux, Weill, Talbot Runhoff, Steffen Schraut, Laurel, etc.

ACHIEVEMENTS
- Achieved a 30% total increase in overall company sell out for the past Fall Winter seasons from the date of joining by increasing buying budget by 300, 000Euros and brand analysis (FW’13- 23% -- FW’16 - 53%)
- Achieved a 24% increase in overall company sell out for the Spring Summer seasons from the date of joining by increasing buying budget and proper category management by 250, 000Euros. (SS14- 34% -- SS’16 - 46%)

Buying Function

- Handling the full buying process of 16 brands between French, American & German origin, with the budget of 800, 000 Euros per season.
- Take the lead on optimizing Category management, Assortment planning & Catalogue management, to optimize turnover and profitability.
- Ensure that the proposals of sell-thru targets and gross margin estimates for in-season buying are set according to the best estimate on overall potential of categories by proposing sell-thru targets per categories.
- Monitor that the right lines of products are selected during buying to ensure a high level of sell-through.
- Ensure OTB management and stock liquidation is fully optimized.
- Liaise with suppliers to negotiate prices, deliveries & favorable conditions for returns to vendors.
- Ensure that templates for pre-buying and post-buying books provided are accurate, aligned with Brand’s categories.
- Compile brand reports based on consolidated information from local merchandise team and analyses on direct extraction from system & sell through performance.
- Attending brand’s fashion shows across Europe & the US & attending fashion tradeshows for the sourcing new brands.

Visual Merchandising Function
- Moves and positions store merchandise in order to maintain an organized, visually appealing and welcoming store environment.
- Maximizes the layout of the store by installing and dismantling displays, using available space to the best advantage.
- Provides necessary coaching to the sales staff regarding display of goods.
- Communicates with the staff & shop managers to ensure appropriate product rotation and the visibility improvement of slow moving items.

Handled client portfolios & directed PR efforts and strategies towards each brands’ respective target audience. Clients included, Gabriel et Guillaume, Aziz et Walid Mouzannar, Karoline Lang & Nimerology.

- Planned and organized 2 editions of Gabriel et Guillaume’s Travelling Pop Up, one held at the Salon Christofle in Paris, and the other at District S in Beirut.
- Handled the PR, invitations & press releases of several Beirut Based events, as Patek Philippe Boutique Opening & Converse II launch event.
- Assisted in the planning & execution phase of Caravan Beirut, a one month pop up of Lebanese designers which took place in Washington DC.
- Sustained the images of our client’s brands by holding events, drafting press releases & maintaining excellent rapport with media personnel, stylists & journalists.

Successfully built a client base of loyal shoppers through providing highest levels of customer service and crafting a shopping experience which is easy, inspiring & productive.
- Created a mood board for each client after performing a wardrobe edit and style planners for laying out daily outfits at the clients proposal.
- Visiting a variety of stores and selecting a curated range of items for the client to try at the comfort of their home, presented as full outfits with accessory guides.
- Established and maintained excellent relations with luxury & fast fashion stores throughout the process

Responsible for setting up the Executive Recruitment division in the newly opened Abu Dhabi office. Head hunted, interviewed & recruited EA’s locally & internationally for top level management personnel, after chasing leads & touching base with the city’s top international
firms.

- Successfully placed 8 candidates within top level Executive positions
- Consult and drive hiring strategies
- Handled the full recruitment cycle on candidate and client side (sourcing resume’s, interviewing, shortlisting & placements)
- Partner with hiring managers to effectively manage the recruitment process

Managed an assigned territory in AD through securing new clients and retaining existing ones and creating value-added solutions for customer’s logistics needs, including supporting diagrams and cost-benefit calculations.

- Orchestrate customer / branch relationships and collaborate with regional Product, Service, Geo, and Knowledge Management resources.
- Support the transition of new accounts through customer introductions, information transfer, and securing any necessary customer paperwork.