Laura Emerson
Retail Consultant | Relationship Manager | Sustainability Advocate | Client-Centered, Data-Driven | Global Sourcing | Negotiation & Margin Growth
- Role
- Associate Relationship Manager at Cognizant
- Location
- Atlanta, GA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Laura Emerson
A dynamic and purpose-driven consultant specializing in retail profitability and sustainable operations. I partner with clients to solve complex problems impacting product categories, driving financial growth while championing the \"people, profit, and planet\" triple bottom line to build thriving, resilient businesses. My expertise lies at the intersection of strategic planning, data-driven analysis, and impactful implementation.With nearly a decade as a retail buyer, I excel in optimizing category mixes, negotiating costs, and managing global logistics for multi-million-dollar budgets across boutique and major retailers with extensive e-commerce channels. My track record includes consistently growing sales and increasing gross margins.As a Vice President of Strategy & Analysis at AlixPartners, I delivered significant financial impact, such as contributing to SKU-level profitability analysis for a $1 billion retailer\'s e-commerce channel, generating to $2.1 million in annualized savings. I also developed a cross-functional tariff mitigation initiative that addressed $6.2 million in cost increases and spearheaded data-driven cost reduction protocols. My experience extends to initiating line review processes, sourcing new global suppliers, and establishing a global trade optimizer platform.My drive for sustainability in retail was ignited by first-hand observation of the human and environmental costs of global product sourcing and shipping. Leveraging my MBA, which highlighted me as Poet & Quants\'\"Best & Brightest\" MBAs for 2024, I am uniquely positioned to help organizations achieve profitability through sustainable raw material sourcing and packaging design. Additionally, my leadership roles in professional associations and community involvement, such as serving as the President of the Consulting Club and a Board Member at the Athens Area Humane Society, underscore my commitment to impactful change beyond the immediate workplace.Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Excel & PowerPoint, Power BI, Alteryx, Google’s Looker, Oracle’s NetSuite, Copilot, ChatGPT, Power Pivot, DAX, Tableau. Languages: Proficient in Spanish.
Experience
Associate Relationship Manager
Jun 2025 — Present · Atlanta, GA, US
Education
University of Delaware
BA, Secondary History Education
University of Georgia - Terry College of Business
Master of Business Administration - MBA, Consulting Strategy, Brand Management & Marketing, Sustainability & Social Innovation
Skills
- Management
- Private Label
- Product Development
- Multi-Channel Retail
- Outlook
- Assortment Development
- Staff Development
- Social Networking
- Social Media Marketing
- Powerpoint
- Microsoft Excel
- Retail
- Microsoft Word
- Electronics
- Textiles
- Fashion
- Inventory Management
- Gifts
- Trend Forecasting
- Leadership
- Visual Merchandising
- Trend Analysis
- Import Logistics
- Social Media
- Loss Prevention
- Retail Sales
- Teaching
- Research
- Customer Service
- Store Management
- Microsoft Office
- Sales
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