Ute Küker-Bannasch

Partnership Management:

• Build and maintain long-term relationships with >200 key partners and external suppliers, driving significant growth and supporting robust margin strategies.

Strategic Category Management:

• Design and implement comprehensive category strategies for Private Label and third-party products, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives to drive growth and profitability.

Agile Management:

• Establish and regularly review OKRs on a tertial basis, ensuring the achievement of short-term goals in alignment with overarching business strategies.

Team Leadership and Culture:

• Lead a multidisciplinary team of >18 Category, Sourcing, and Retail Media Managers, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and high-performance work environment.

Quality and Target Control:

• Ensure product quality consistency, adherence to pricing structures, and the achievement of margin targets.

Process Optimization and Reorganization:

• Introduce best practices and continuously optimize category management processes to improve efficiency and profitability.
• Restructured Operations and Supplier Management within the department to align with organizational goals and improved the efficiency

Partnership & Negotiation Management:

• Identified and addressed the needs of external stakeholders related to marketing and data transparency.
• Established a two-person Retail Media team, increasing profitability by over 50% in 2023.
• Developed negotiation objectives and ensured the achievement of set goals in supplier negotiations.

Leadership and Development:

• Led and managed a team of 14 Category & Retail Media Managers, including coaching and performance management.

Strategic Development:

• Designed and implemented category strategies for B2B areas to support corporate objectives and drive category growth.

Market Analysis:

• Conducted market analyses and competitive intelligence to identify trends and implement strategic adjustments.

Budget and Cost Management:

• Monitored and controlled budgets and costs to ensure economic efficiency.

Disciplinary Leadership and Development:

• Lead and develop a team of 7 individuals, ranging from Junior to Senior Manager, fostering professional growth and high performance.

Negotiation Management:

• Set negotiation objectives and take responsibility for achieving these goals in supplier negotiations.

Strategic Development:

• Design and implement category strategies for B2B areas to support corporate objectives and drive product category growth.

Market Analysis:

• Conduct market analyses and competitive monitoring to identify trends and make strategic adjustments.

Budget and Cost Management:

• Oversee and control budgets and costs to ensure financial efficiency.

Partnership and Strategy:

• Developed and implemented long-term business strategies, aligning with corporate objectives to drive growth, achieve a +45% annual increase in revenue (>€500M), and manage key supplier relationships (annual revenue >€1 billion).

Leadership and Team Development:

• Led and developed a team of 7 professionals (Assistant to Management level), driving performance and fostering growth while overseeing strategic business and category management.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Financial Management:

• Managed the OTB and financial planning for the unit, maximizing revenue and margin. Worked closely with departments like Supply Chain, Logistics, Pricing, and Controlling, while leading strategic projects to optimize processes and organizational structure.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Led and developed a team of 4 professionals (Assistant and Management level), driving growth and performance within the business unit.

Strategic and Operational Planning:

• Managed the strategic and operational planning before and during the season, ensuring the achievement of business unit goals.

Process Optimization and Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Optimized processes with Controlling, Pricing, and Logistics teams. Collaborated proactively with the procurement team to enhance supplier relationships, improve product availability, and manage assortment planning.

Strategic and Operational Planning:

• Managed strategic and operational planning both before the season and on a monthly basis during the season to ensure goal achievement.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Led a team of 2 individuals and supported their professional development to enhance performance.

Process Optimization in Fast Fashion:

• Collaborated with Controlling, Pricing, and Logistics teams to optimize processes within the fast fashion sector.

Proactive Collaboration with Buyers:

• Worked closely with buyers to ensure product availability and to plan assortments effectively.

Budget Pre-Planning and Rolling Monthly Planning:

• Managed budget pre-planning and rolling monthly planning throughout the season to ensure financial efficiency and alignment with business goals.

Process Optimization in Fast Fashion:

• Optimized processes within the fast fashion sector to improve efficiency and meet market demands.

Proactive Collaboration with Stakeholders:

• Worked closely with buyers to ensure product availability and effectively plan assortments.

In-Season Management:

• Managed in-season activities, including reorders, direct orders, and returns management, to maintain stock levels and meet customer demand.

Order Management and Inventory Control:

• Managed order processing and inventory control to ensure product availability and efficient stock management.

Supplier Communication and Negotiations:

• Handled communication with suppliers and conducted negotiations on terms and conditions to secure favorable agreements.

Process Management in Women's Footwear:

• Oversaw and optimized processes within the women’s footwear category to improve operational efficiency.

Reorders and Bulk Orders:

• Managed reorders and bulk orders to meet demand and ensure product availability.

Season Planning at Budget and Assortment Levels:

• Planned seasonal strategies at both the budget and assortment levels to align with financial goals and market trends.

Support for Buyer in Order Deadlines:

• Assisted the buyer in managing order deadlines and ensuring timely procurement.

Close Collaboration with Marketing Department:

• Worked closely with the marketing team to align on strategies and campaigns.

Back-office Tasks:

• Managed administrative and organizational tasks to support business operations.

Team Leadership:

• Managed and developed team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment.

Customer Consulting and Visual Merchandising:

• Provided expert customer advice and ensured effective visual merchandising to enhance product presentation and sales.

In-Season Management

• Managed product lifecycle during the season, including optimizing stock by implementing a "best-sellers/slow-movers" strategy .