KEVIN LA
Santa Barbara, CA | kevinla1986@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/kevinla1986
KEVIN LA
Product Line Management and Merchandising Professional
Experienced global product creation associate with many years of advancing consumer-loving products from start to finish in fast-paced work environments. Enthusiastic collaborator with passions for product and process.
Throughout my life, I’ve approached every challenge with enthusiasm, creativity, and a ceaseless desire to achieve success. This passion and drive have paved the way to countless opportunities, unique experiences, and exceptional relationships both personally and professionally.
Experience
Work History
Footwear Design Coordinator, UGG Women's Team
April 2021 - April 2023
An iconic and international brand that is pushing the boundaries of fashion footwear.
Assist and manage projects across UGG Women's Classics, Slippers, Boots, Sneakers, and Molded footwear categories.
Build smooth product creation alignment for Go-To-Market calendar success between the product line management, product development, and materials development teams
Create material tech packs for material design developments and manage UGG's seasonal color palette
University of Oregon
Graduate Studies & Library Services Assistant
January 2019 - April 2021
Provides reference collections, digital research services, and technologies to support academic programs at UO Portland.
Provided technical administrative support for library patrons and led classroom presentations.
Acquired & integrated EDITED retail merchandising system to provide real-time data analytics & metrics.
SOREL Footwear
Graduate Consumer Insights Research
January 2020 - March 2020
A global footwear brand creating unexpected footwear that pushes the boundaries of function-first fashion.
Researched whitespace opportunities in SOREL's product portfolio via market research, analysis & focus groups.
Delivered data-driven product brief presentation along with merchandising, marketing, and distribution strategies.
Ching Luh Footwear Factory
Nike & Jordan Brand
Material Speed Intern
June 2019 - September 2019
One of the largest sports footwear manufacturers in the world that focuses on Nike and Jordan Brand.
Elevated Tier-1 Nike Brand Factory product creation processes in material development research and reporting.
Increased visibility of Nike’s footwear material supply chain to provide faster material lead times to support Nike’s Triple Double Strategy: 2x Speed Category.
Ching Luh communication liaison between material supplier factories from South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
ManCrates.com
Merchandising and Product Coordinator
May 2016 - October 2017
E-Commerce start-up innovating product assortments that push the envelope on how people give gifts online.
Developed & coordinated complex direct-to-consumer product assortments at ManCrates.com.
Responsible for strategies involving: product line strategy & pricing, merchandising operations & product life cycle.
Collaborated and influenced cross-functional teams of customer service, finance, sales, creative, product marketing, distribution to bring 46 new site products to market in two years.
Contributed to product creation team that drove annual revenue over $40 million and surpassing financial goals.
Maria Yee, Inc.
Product Design Coordinator & Account Manager
April 2013 - April 2015
California contemporary furniture design studio & vertical manufacturer that focuses on sustainability, material, and craft.
Assisted product creation team, managed wholesale customers, and communicated with overseas manufacturers.
Led and responsible for business management of Urban Outfitters, Scandinavian Designs, and Target partnership.
Education
My Studies
MS University of Oregon
Sports Product Management
UO SPM's mission is to build worldwide leaders in the sports product industry. It's curriculum and experience provides students with the knowledge of the entire 18-month product creation process. This program is a collaboration between the UO academic community and the global sports product industry. The core teaching is the business of product creation and the complete product life cycle.
BA San Francisco State University
Industrial Design
The degree addresses the creation of industrial goods and services and concentrates on three principle aspects of design - process, people and product -- and incorporates the study of user-centered needs, relative to the responsible and resourceful implementation of technology innovation, materials, marketing principles, and aesthetic values.
My Skills
Consumer Research
Reporting and Trend Analysis
Microsoft Excel
Proficient
Product Creation Process
Brief-to-Box Experience
Project Management
Skilled in Working Cross-Functionally
Communication Skills
Diversity of Work Experiences and Teams
Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
Proficient
"Shoes don't talk, people do. Communication is the key to unlocking great footwear."