Caitlin Gardulescu
Strategy & Operations,
Product Development &
Consulting
New York, NY
+1 734-846-1006
linkedin.com/in/caitlin-gardulescu
Retail, Grocery, CPG, Tech
About
Strategic and creative leader with 15+ years of experience propelling brand and category growth in the consumer goods space. Proven ability to leverage business insights and macro trends to shape high-impact category strategies that deliver measurable results. Entrepreneurial, data-driven, and passionate about transforming the food industry through innovative solutions.
Experience
Senior Strategic Consultant
Caitlin Gardulescu Consulting
January 2023 - Present
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Provide confidential consulting services to diverse organizations within the grocery, retail and tech sectors globally.
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Offer expert guidance on strategic initiatives to drive incremental growth across various consumer categories.
Director of Vendor Operations
Bitewell
March 2024 - July 2024
*Position ended due to company-wide restructuring.
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Cross-functional leader of vendor strategy, including reevaluation of existing partners and expansion of new product offerings.
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Increased profit margins by up to 50% through strategic vendor pricing negotiations across all food & beverage categories.
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Developed and analyzed P&L statements for all retail operations, delivering insights in regular reviews with the CEO and COO.
Senior Vendor Manager (L6)
Amazon Fresh
March 2022 - November 2022
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Championed the creation, implementation, and successful execution of a comprehensive Clearance program across all sites, reducing the organization's total shrink risk by $3M in 2022.
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Directed strategic business planning across all store categories for Seasonal events. Pioneered the introduction of captivating Seasonal experiences in both physical stores and online, resulting in a +22% YoY increase in 2022.
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Streamlined processes for both Clearance & Seasonal, reducing lead times.
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Led 40+ person cross-functional team for eComm and brick-and-mortar.
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Proactively identified and integrated new Seasonal vendors, elevating the customer experience through diverse product offerings.
Category/Brand Manager
Wakefern Food Corporation
September 2020 - February 2022
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Managed end-to-end CPG private label production and manufacturing of Fresh Produce, Deli & Appetizer products for all 360 Wakefern grocery stores, including Fairway Market, ShopRite & Price Rite.
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Spearheaded brand development and supply chain logistics of all private label Conventional & Organic Produce, including successful launch of key high volume categories Packaged Salads, Apples, Potatoes and Mushrooms.
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Strategic lead for total Fairway private label reevaluation of all categories.
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Optimized operational efficiency, resulting in 33% reduction in lead time.
Product Development Manager
Kohl's Corporation
October 2017 - February 2020
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Headed 15 person CF team of Developers, Creative and Marketing.
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Drove & executed strategy for key private & exclusive brands, 2500+ SKU’s.
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Created a test and react plan, resulting in $5M increase in 2019 sales volume.
Associate PD Manager
Kohl's Corporation
January 2016 - October 2017
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Achieved remarkable financial results with a 20% YoY comp increase in 2016.
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Guided e-commerce sales increases in all categories: +$4.8M total for 2017.
Brand Developer
Kohl's Corporation
July 2014 - January 2016
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Successfully launched stand-alone national Fila Outlet stores, operated by Kohl’s.
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Propelled sales growth for all Men’s/Boy’s active private/exclusive brands, $300M.
Education
Bachelor of Science: Business Retail
University of Wisconsin - Madison • Madison, WI
2010 • Retail Club Board Member
Personal
• New York Cares Volunteer Lead • Avid Home Cook • Color Expert • Creative Writer & Artist
Core Competencies
• Team Leadership: Coaching & Mentoring • Collaboration • Innovation • Positive Problem-Solving • Process Streamlining
• Communication • Analytics: SQL, IRI, Nielsen • Negotiation • Strategic Pricing, Planning & Execution • Vendor Partnerships