Emily Balser
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Experienced Furniture Industry PROJECT MANAGER - Supply Chain & Logistics, Product Quality, Data
EMILY BALSER
Supply Chain & Logistics | Business Improvement | Data Analytics | Product Quality
972-322-3873 | emily-kathryn@hotmail.com | linkedin.com/in/emilykbalser
(resume link here)
A seasoned professional with experience in project management, operational excellence, and product quality within the luxury consumer goods sector. Skilled in building strong cross-functional relationships, driving comprehensive enhancements across operations, and developing strategic recommendations for executive/senior-level management. Demonstrated success in business improvement, ensuring efficient operations, high-quality product delivery, and exceptional customer experiences.
- Central Texas College: Global Supply Chain Management (In Progress - 2025)
- Southern Methodist University: Project Management (May 2024)
- Project Management Institute: Project Management Professional, PMI-PMP (In Progress - 2024)
- Stephen F. Austin State University: (2013-2015)
Project Development Consultant
Carriere International | Remote | Freelance
November 2023 - Current
- Develop detailed project plans, including scopes, objectives, timelines, resources, and budgets, ensuring thorough planning and documentation.
- Coordinate with various departments and stakeholders to ensure project alignment with business needs, facilitating communication and collaboration among cross-functional teams. Oversee the implementation of projects, ensuring they progress according to plan.
- Manage project schedules, resources, and teams to ensure timely and efficient project completion.
- Prepare detailed reports on project progress, challenges, and outcomes. Present findings and recommendations to stakeholders to facilitate informed decision-making.
Project Leader - Delivery Services Transformation Consultant
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (MG+BW) | Remote | Contract
September 2022 - August 2023 (permanent company closure due to unexpected inability to secure necessary funding)
- Led cross-departmental task forces within the transformation office to resolve critical business challenges, leveraging data analysis, industry best practices, and creative problem-solving techniques, with a goal to reduce return and exchange rates by 10%, at sum of $20 million annually.
- Created and led project management initiatives to develop and implement comprehensive strategies in the delivery services department, including creating SOP documentation, minimizing unnecessary costs, establishing elevated quality standards, optimizing inventory management, and implementing EZClaim to recover revenue from lost or damaged products, with a goal of saving $10 million annually and significantly improving operational quality and efficiency.
- Developed and individually delivered customized educational materials to train delivery partners across all 14 3PL sites.
- Collaborated with and provided regular reports to the Senior Director of Transportation, COO, CFO, and PMO leadership, offering insights and recommendations to support informed decision-making in order to manage and scale the record growth of the business.
Project Leader - Quality Business Improvement & HDC Operational Excellence
Restoration Hardware (RH) | Hybrid
December 2020 - August 2022
- Led comprehensive projects on returns and exchanges, identifying key issues through root-cause analysis and implementing solutions that saved over $30 million annually at a 1% YOY return rate reduction while revenue increased by 31% between January 2021 - January 2022 (2021 FYE revenue $3.76 billion).
- Managed projects cross-functionally with quality leaders, vendors, home delivery sites, transportation, IT, and the home office to improve product quality and customer experience, ensuring alignment with corporate strategies.
- Directed initiatives to optimize delivery operations and improve product quality, leveraging data-driven insights to enhance performance and accountability across all 35 home delivery markets.
- Regularly provided detailed reports and recommendations to executive/senior-level leadership, facilitating strategic decisions and fostering a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.
Customer Service Representative
Williams Sonoma | Remote | Seasonal
October 2020 - December 2020
Luxury Sales Specialist
rag & bone | Highland Park Village
October 2019 - March 2020 (left due to COVID-19 long-term store closure)
- Top 10 in the company for personal sales volume out of 42 US retail stores.
- Consistently achieved a personal conversion rate of 35% for new client business, surpassing all other sales team members.
Flagship Assistant Store Manager - Visual Strategy Projects
Cole Haan | Northpark Center
December 2018 - October 2019
- Top 10 in the company for inline store sales volume.
- Lead and manage visual strategy projects aimed at improving the store's visual impact and customer experience.
Assistant Store Manager - Visual Strategy Projects
Cole Haan | Allen Premium Outlets
October 2016 - December 2018
- Top 10 in the company for outlet store sales volume.
- Lead and manage visual strategy projects aimed at improving the store's visual impact and customer experience.
Sales Team Leader - Talent Development
Asics America | Allen Premium Outlets
August 2015 - October 2016
- Consistently #1 for personal sales volume and #1 in the district for store sales volume.
- Design and deliver effective training and development programs, including technical skills training and soft skills enhancement.