BRAND BUILDER | BUSINESS TRANSFORMER | PRODUCT STRATEGIST | P&L OWNER | TASTE MAKER | DIGITAL EXPERT
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE:
Innovative retail executive and global brand builder with 20+ years of proven experience creating and leading dynamic teams that drive game-changing product concepts and profitable growth across various categories and channels.
Known for the unique ability to combine both creativity and financial acumen to deliver extraordinary business results while strengthening product and brand positioning; a passion for assembling truly formidable cross-functional teams; bringing entrepreneurial cutting-edge product and fulfillment ideas to life derived from relentless customer curiosity.
Extensive experience in all aspects of brand and product management - from P&L over site and capital procurement to lifestyle brand positioning, merchandising, design and marketing in a global omni channel companies of varying sizes. .
HIGHLIGHTS
· RADICAL INNOVATOR 20+ years of creating relevancy and new experiences for brands - created accessible premium 1969 denim brand, implemented shoppable Instagram before any other brand, piloted athletes influencer programs that have since been copied.
· EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Ten+ years of CEO-level leadership for startup businesses to $1.5B brands.
· BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION Transformed and repositioned $120M Piperlime business to achieve positive cashflow in 18 months.
· BRAND CREATION Founded BAACAL fashion brand ranked #4 most influential inclusive brand.
· REVENUE GROWTH Led $20M increase in EBITDA at Lucky Brand with 100%+ growth within 1 year.
· E-COMMERCE BUSINESS Drove $900M growth in Banana Republic’s eCommerce brand.
· BRAND PERFORMANCE Exceeded revenue targets by $144M, leading Gap brand turnaround. Delivered 28 consecutive months of +comps.
· PRODUCT EXCELLENCE Created Gap 1969 Denim sub- brand that drove $242M in new revenue.
· SUSTAINABILITY Built fully sustainable product pipeline for Outerknown. Spearheaded sustainability initiatives at Banana Republic, Lucky Brand, and BAACAL.
KEY SKILLS:
Executive & Team Leadership
Global Brand Development & Design
Sustainable Product Design & Development
P&L, Cash Flow Management & Capital Procurement
eCommerce & Digital Strategies
Digitally Native, Omnichannel & Direct-to-Consumer [DTC] Brands
Strategic Planning & Execution
Merchandising Strategy & Assortment Planning
Omnichannel Marketing
Supply Chain & Product Development
Brand Transformation
Customer Centricity
CRITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
20+ Years of cut through product story-telling that delivers meaningful growth and brand equity.
10 Years of proven P&L/CEO level leadership resulting in growth of all business - from startups to $1.5B brands.
Led $120M digitally native Piperlime business from cashflow negative to positive in 18 months through total brand reposition.
Grew Banana Republic E-comm business to $900M (33% of the brand) as P&L owner.
Launched DTC Inclusive & Sustainable Brand BAACAL with Cynthia Vincent - ranked #4 most influential inclusive brand.
Delivered $20M in EBITDA, +100% increase, in first year at Lucky Brand.
Merchant Responsible for Gap Brand Turnaround in 2012 that delivered 28 consecutive months of positive comps and beat revenue targets by $144M.
Created 1969 Denim Sub-brand at Gap that generated $242M in revenue in 2009.
Founding Member of Chief San Francisco, A Private Networking and Career Advancement Group for C-Suite Women.
MOST PROUD OF
CHAMPIONING INNOVATION
From creating the 1969 Accessible Premium Denim brand at Gap to pioneering shoppable Instagram at Piperlime to establishing the Influencer and Sustainability programs at Banana Republic I have always embraced what’s next allowing me to keep in lock step with my customers.
BUILDING EXCEPTIONAL TEAMS
Over my career I have built highly functioning teams that have accomplished more together than they thought they could.
BRAND BUILDING
Thinking brand first is central to how I deliver lasting financial results. Through a holistic revamp of every facet of the Piperlime brand we were able to create new value with the customer and take the brand to profitability in 18 months.
WORK EXPERIENCE
FOUNDING PRINCIPAL & CEO - Lexi James Tawes Consulting / San Francisco & New York / 2017 – Current
Established independent branding and retail consulting practice assisting clients from start-ups to established international brands in unlocking their brand's potential and poising them for immediate growth.
· Holistic brand strategy creation integrating product, marketing and market positioning.
· Digital and Omni-channel focused growth.
· Direct to Consumer brand positioning solidification.
CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER & ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER - OUTERKNOWN / Los Angeles, CA / 2020 - Current
Advised the CEO and Senior Leadership team on Product & Brand Strategy while leading the Design, Sourcing and Merchandising organizations at the sustainable lifestyle pioneer.
• Drove 53% DTC growth 2020 to 2021 – trend continuing in 2022.
• Created merchandising strategy to accelerate the brand’s growth – maximize productivity of best-selling items while introducing new products that can deliver future growth.
• Created more elevated and ownable brand aesthetic suitable for a dual gender lifestyle brand.
• Partnered with Founder and Creative Director to establish Brand Style Guide creating more cohesive customer facing branding and experiences.
• Re-established entire sustainable supply chain outside of China, increasing product creation flexibility and eliminated risk of singular country origin in highly volatile global climate.
• Created strong product creation team with reinvigorated existing employees and new talent
CO-CEO & CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER - Lucky Brand / Los Angeles, CA / 2018 – 2020
Led $1.5B wholesale and licensing apparel company, which included providing ongoing leadership to 130+-person product team focused on driving full- and off-price business. Defined mission, vision, and values with focus on brand and financial priorities aligned with short- and long-term goals and board expectations. Drove 2019 EBITDA expansion of $20M.
· Grew digital business 27% by introducing new project strategies and product visuals aligned with brand values to realize 13% increase in consumer conversions. Identified and hired dedicated VP of talent.
· Refocused brand on denim and urban aesthetic, which included securing organization adoption of new direction. Launched new brand book with denim inspiration that realized historical average sales at retail and increased market penetration by 7 points.
· Realigned product priorities and revised inventory management practices to achieve 7+ consecutive months of positive comps, unattained by brand in 4+ years.
· Partnered with CFO to lead capital procurement and refinancing presentations, resulting in favorable agreements with Lantern Capital Partners & Restore Capital LLC. Secured $100M in funding.
· Launched Progress Every Day Platform representing commitment to sustainability. Adopted improved environmentally friendly strategies that earned Lucky Brand LA Green Certification.
FOUNDING BRAND CONSULTANT & ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER - BAACAL / Los Angeles / 2017-2019
Co-founded and launched inclusive and sustainable DTC fashion brand in partnership with fashion designer Cynthia Vincent. Drove brand positioning, customer and marketplace insights, and product strategy.
· Defined business strategy, drafted funding pitch materials, and provided consulting services regarding brand positioning, market insights, and product strategy.
· Named #4 most influential inclusive brand by Fortune Magazine in 2019.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT GLOBAL MERCHANDISING & DIGITAL - Banana Republic / San Francisco & New York / 2015 – 2017
Served as strategic executive lead for $3B global brand. Conceptualized product vision and maintained P&L accountability. Managed and oversaw performance of omni-channel team of 130+ product resources. Monitored market trends and competitive activity and impact on business and customers.
· Spearheaded $15M increase in sales and revenue in 2 years by restructuring global product, supply chain, and channel strategies.
· Gained 3+ points of market share by defining differentiated brand vision and aligning omni-channel product team with new, progressive approach.
· Increased sell through by 24% and initial retails by 29% by introducing agile, demand-driven practices into supply chain.
· Delivered 83% revenue growth and 436%+ digital engagement by introducing 25 third-party contemporary brands to product assortment.
· Initiated global brand ambassador program and product line design partnership that achieved 92% product sell through and generated 7.6 billion online impressions.
PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER - Piperlime / San Francisco & New York / 2013 - 2015
Repositioned negative cash flow [-12%] $120M digital business to positive cash flow in just 18 months. Drove digital enhancements adopted by Gap, Inc. brands.
· Established brand vision and aesthetic that transitioned from price and discount-focused model to differentiated contemporary product value proposition complemented by Instagram strategy that delivered 22% increase in average order value [AOV].
· Increased conversion by 37% by rebranding site and integrating shoppable Instagram Olapic technology that enabled consumer purchases from social media.
· Grew profit margins by 17% after restructuring product matrix to introduce 150+ new contemporary brands.
· Boosted impressions by 5.6 million+ via new influencer program that fueled customer engagement and improved conversions by 33%+.
· Reimagined store design to realize 16%+ increase in annual sales.
· Introduced upscale Piperlime Collection brand that realized 87% sell through.
VICE PRESIDENT GLOBAL MERCHANDISING - Gap Brand / San Francisco & New York / 2007 - 2013
Turned around $3B Gap brand in 2012, which included launching 1969 Denim sub-brand and leading company’s transition to global retail giant. Managed and inspired $2.6B North American merchandising team that delivered positive comps for 28 consecutive months, including most profitable years in Gap history.
· Beat revenue targets by $144M; developed denim and knits merchandising strategy.
· Concepted and launched 1969 Denim sub-brand that surpassed all plans to achieving $246M+ in retail representing 42% comp in 2009.
· Grew fit business 33% and $50M in retail annually via Gap Fit expansion strategy.
DIVISIONAL MERCHANDISE MANAGER - Williams Sonoma Home / San Francisco, CA / 2005-2007
Led merchandising for $100M lifestyle brand that included upholstery, furniture, bedding, rugs, home textiles, lighting and decorative accessories. Focused on strengthening merchandising team to expand their expertise from the kitchen to include all areas of the home.
• Reported directly to the President of Williams Sonoma Home and the Growth Division of Williams Sonoma - represented merchandising strategies to Chairman and CEO
• Launched brand-merchandising strategy for all product channels: retail, catalog and Internet.
• Worked with creative team to develop and execute a more streamlined catalog presentation - increased sales year over year +15%.
SENIOR DIRECTOR, WOMEN’S MERCHANDISING - Banana Republic / San Francisco, CA & New York, NY / 1999-2005
Divisional Merchandise Manager, Women’s Knits, Sweaters & Intimates
Senior Director of Women’s Knits, Sweaters and Intimates departments - $435 million dollar specialty business. Led cross-functional planning, marketing, production and design teams to ensure financial expectations and growth targets are established and met.
Managed a team of 8 merchants in their development of seasonal and annual merchandising strategies.
Acted as Project Manager of the development and execution of a comprehensive new fit and aesthetic strategy for Banana Republic women’s tops resulting in a 13% regular price sales comparable, outpacing the women’s division by 11%.Served as one of two merchandising representatives on the reinvented pipeline project in 2004-2005 that crafted a process designed to bring more innovation and speed to the product.
Initiated and managed a fit clinic that analyzed top market shareholders in sweaters. Worked with production and technical services to implement any relevant findings into our future designs.
Created and implemented new pricing strategies and key product initiatives for all tops departments.Partnered with Marketing, Design and Production in production and store execution of Bravo’s Project Runway winning garment.
Supported merchant efforts to relaunch and maximize intimate apparel concept in stores.
EDUCATION
BACHELOR’S DEGREE /BIOLOGY
Trinity College, Connecticut
LIGHTWEIGHT CREW OARSMAN
Varsity Letter Winner
Trinity College, Connecticut
Elected to the National Lightweight Crew
FOUNDING MEMBER OF CHIEF, SAN FRANCISCO / Oct 2020
The only private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders