Description

Strategic and commercially-driven retail leader with 15+ years of experience in shaping category strategies for European e-commerce giants like About You and Zalando, as well as major international players. My core expertise lies at the intersection of data-driven merchandising, high-level procurement and cross-functional leadership. I help retail businesses scale their operations, optimize assortment lifecycles and maximize profitability through advanced financial planning and markdown strategies.

What I bring to your project:

Strategic Assortment Lifecycle Management: Full ownership of category strategies, from market trend analysis to seasonal stock efficiency and sell-through optimization.
Commercial Impact & Margin Engineering: Proven track record of doubling GMV within 12 months and negotiating high-level commercial terms with key global suppliers (e.g., Nike, Tommy Hilfiger).
Data-Driven Decision Making: Expert-level proficiency in commercial analytics, forecasting and Merchandise Planning .
Process & Leadership Excellence: Extensive experience in building up retail business processes from scratch (reporting, allocation, replenishment) and leading high-performance cross-functional teams.

Selected Achievements:

Led buying and planning strategies for 400+ international fashion brands.
Managed multi-million Euro budgets and complex category portfolios across European and CIS markets.
Successfully established E2E business processes for luxury and mass-market retail brands.

I am available for:

Interim Management (Head of Buying / Merchandising)

Strategic Assortment & Category Reviews

Profitability & Markdown Optimization Projects

Retail Business Process Engineering

Let’s connect to discuss how I can help your business reach its next commercial milestone.

Industry field of expertise

Languages

English
Native or bilingual

Workplace preferences

Can work on-site

Hamburg (up to 50km)

Underwear&Swimwear, Occasion About You
Team Lead Buying I
July 2023 - July 2025 (2 years)
Hamburg, Germany
•  Owning and executing category strategies aligned with customer insights, market trends and commercial targets.
•  Strengthening strategic partnership with Key Suppliers and Brands, negotiating commercial terms to drive margin and assortment quality
•  Overseeing assortment planning, margin strategy, stock efficiency and seasonal lifecycle management
•  Leading, mentoring and developing high-performance Buying teams; fostering cross-functional collaboration with Planning, Operations, Communication and Marketplace teams.
•  Initiating and leading initiatives focused on customer experience, optimizing processes and operational efficiency
Zalando
Team Lead Buying I Kids Textile, Accessories & Toys
July 2022 - January 2023 (6 months)
Berlin, Germany
•  Developing and driving omni-channel commercial strategies to align assortment with market needs and balance category growth
•  Driving assortment optimization using performance data and trend insights
•  Leading and coaching Buying teams and collaborating with stakeholders from multiple functions (Planning, Content, Communication and Marketplace Teams).
Kids & Toys Lamoda
Head of Buying & Planning I
March 2018 - August 2021 (3 years and 5 months)
Moscow, Russia
•  Leading Buying & Planning strategies for 400+ Fashion international brands (Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren etc.) achieving double GMV growth in 12 months.
•  Directing seasonal planning cycles with stakeholders briefings and feedback loop to align with business objectives.
•  Initiating and leading cross-functional projects with Data Analytics, UX, Marketing & Content, Logistic and Marketplace Teams for business boost.
•  Leading customer research and market landscape overview to find growth opportunities and to develop market-leading initiatives.