Karina Di Giovanni
Sainte-Sophie
Summary
Dynamic business development leader with a proven track record at Avalon CSC, excelling in strategic partnerships and sales management. Expert in supply chain optimization and project management, driving significant revenue growth. Adept at coaching teams and fostering collaboration, resulting in enhanced operational efficiency and client satisfaction.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Business Development, Consulting
Avalon CSC
01.2024 - Current
- Directed strategic partnerships to enhance market position and drive sustainable growth.
- Fostered relationships with key stakeholders to support long-term business objectives and align resources effectively.
- Negotiated high-value contracts, ensuring alignment with corporate goals while maximizing profitability.
- Mentored junior team members, promoting professional development and enhancing team performance through knowledge sharing.
- Executed competitive analysis to identify industry trends, informing strategic planning and decision-making processes.
- Strengthened relationships with key accounts to ensure long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Fostered strategic relationships with external partners, maximizing collaboration opportunities for mutual benefit.
- Led cross-functional teams to execute complex projects, delivering high-quality results on time and within budget.
- Established a robust pipeline of prospective clients through targeted networking events and industry conferences.
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining strong attention to detail and exceptional organizational skills.
- Increased revenue growth with comprehensive business development strategies.
- Expanded market presence by identifying and pursuing strategic partnerships and alliances.
- Exceeded sales quotas and increased profitability through effective sales strategy and business planning.
- Recruited, interviewed and hired employees and implemented mentoring program to promote positive feedback and engagement.
Associate, Practice Lead - Planning
Avalon CSC
09.2017 - 12.2024
- Led cross-functional teams to enhance practice delivery and client satisfaction.
- Developed strategic initiatives to improve operational efficiency within the practice.
- Evaluated team performance and provided actionable feedback for continuous improvement.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to align practices with organizational goals and client needs.
- Analyzed market trends to identify opportunities for service enhancement and growth.
- Facilitated training sessions to elevate team skills and ensure high-quality service standards.
- Managed resource allocation effectively to optimize workflow and project execution.
- Implemented innovative marketing strategies to increase brand awareness and attract new clients to the practice.
- Developed strong relationships with clients by providing personalized attention, understanding their needs, and offering tailored solutions.
- Mentored junior team members, providing guidance on best practices, industry trends, and career development opportunities.
- Delivered engaging presentations at industry conferences to share insights on emerging trends, showcase expertise, and strengthen the practice''s reputation as a thought leader.
- Optimized resource allocation across projects by tracking progress closely, adjusting priorities as needed, and managing potential risks proactively.
- Expanded the client base by actively participating in networking events and building strategic partnerships within the industry.
- Consistently exceeded revenue targets by effectively managing financial resources and optimizing service offerings.
- Recruited, hired and trained all staff, providing direct supervision, ongoing staff development and continuing education to employees.
- Analyzed market trends to inform decision-making and identify new business opportunities.
- Spearheaded project management efforts, ensuring timely delivery of services and alignment with client expectations.
- Oversaw budget management, ensuring financial stability while maximizing profit margins.
- Negotiated high-value contracts with clients, securing profitable partnerships for the company.
- Increased client base by implementing effective marketing strategies and fostering long-term relationships.
- Developed comprehensive business plans that led to significant revenue growth and expansion opportunities.
- Built strong networks with key stakeholders both internally and externally to support business growth objectives.
- Cultivated high-performance team environment, recruiting top talent and implementing development programs for leadership and skill advancement.
- Handled problematic customers and clients to assist lower-level employees and maintain excellent customer service.
Principal Consultant / Director
GCRL Inc. & IMAFS Inc.
01.2012 - 08.2017
- Led cross-functional teams to streamline project delivery and enhance client satisfaction.
- Developed strategic frameworks for client engagement, driving alignment with business objectives.
- Analyzed market trends to identify growth opportunities, informing key decision-making processes.
- Facilitated workshops and training sessions, empowering teams to adopt best practices in project management.
- Built strong relationships with clients, fostering long-term partnerships and repeat business.
- Increased client satisfaction by providing tailored consulting solutions for their specific business needs.
- Managed large-scale projects, ensuring timely completion within budget constraints.
- Collaborated with subject matter experts to develop best practices and industry-leading methodologies.
- Developed comprehensive strategies with key stakeholders to drive organizational growth and success.
- Generated significant revenue by securing new business opportunities through effective networking efforts.
- Participated in industry conferences, staying up-to-date on current trends and emerging technologies.
- Optimized resource allocation to maximize return on investment across diverse projects.
- Collaborated with teams to define, strategize, and implement marketing and web strategies.
- Created and managed project plans, timelines and budgets.
- Devised and implemented processes and procedures to streamline operations.
- Collaborated with senior leadership to define long-term strategies and operational frameworks for business growth.
- Implemented innovative solutions to solve complex problems, resulting in increased productivity and streamlined operations.
- Spearheaded innovative approaches to resource allocation and strategic planning.
- Negotiated favorable contracts with vendors for reduced costs and improved service quality.
- Boosted client satisfaction rates through exceptional relationship management and prompt resolution of issues.
- Secured key partnerships that contributed to the company''s overall growth strategy and market reach.
- Led numerous strategic inventory and purchasing mandates for clients, including Aluminerie Alouette, Goldcorp Éléonore, and the City of Sept-Iles, resulting in optimized inventory and purchasing strategies.
- Spearheaded the logistics team at Goldcorp's Éléonore mine startup, developing business processes and implementing a service-level dashboard with key performance indicators.
- Managed a global demand forecasting improvement project for Camoplast Solideal, implementing new tools and processes to enhance client service measurement.
- Conducted Supply Chain diagnostics for various clients, including business process mapping, ERP configuration analysis, and inventory network simulations to determine optimized strategies.
- Trained Supply Chain teams to execute action plans, facilitate change management, and ensure long-term sustainability of new processes.
- Served as a facilitator on a Lean project for Via Rail, focused on improving inventory management.
Director of Supply Chain
Dépro Électronique
11.2010 - 12.2011
- Developed production planning functions and tools, resulting in a 19% increase in service levels and reduced customer delivery times.
- Developed strategic partnerships with suppliers to improve delivery times and ensure product quality.
- Developed strong vendor relationships to ensure timely delivery of materials and maintain high-quality standards.
- Initiated risk mitigation strategies to address potential disruptions in the supply chain, minimizing impacts on business continuity.
- Formalized cost price management , customer service processes, and implemented customer service performance indicators.
- Directed a team of 10 people responsible for production, purchasing, sourcing, inventory, and quality management.
Supply Chain Manager
Positron Public Safety Systems/Intrado
05.2007 - 03.2010
- Supervised a team of 13 employees across planning, purchasing, logistics, and customer returns departments.
- Developed and managed forecasting processes, Master Production Schedule (MPS), and Material Requirement Plan (MRP).
- Achieved annual purchasing savings of over 10% and reduced spare parts delivery times from 14 to 2 business days.
- Decreased overall inventory by 17% and improved gross inventory accuracy from 23% to 98.7% by implementing a warehouse management system and cycle count program.
- Led data conversion and managed the successful implementation of Oracle within the Operations and Engineering groups.
Supply Chain Consultant
Genuine Parts Company - NAPA
11.2005 - 04.2006
- Conducted a diagnostic of the purchasing group, assessing personnel, processes, and performance metrics.
- Implemented a training plan on demand planning and inventory management best practices, which reduced overtime by 10% by decreasing manual interventions in the MRP system.
- Developed tools to evaluate inventory surpluses and measure replenishment cycles, reducing overstock by $353,000 and increasing inventory accuracy from 81% to 98%.
Super User / Senior Business Analyst, Procurement
UAP, Heavy Duty Vehicle Parts Division
05.2004 - 09.2005
- Led the technical implementation of Manhattan DPR software, coordinating data cleansing, conversion, and user training.
- Successfully implemented the software 6 months ahead of schedule, with a cost savings of $417,000 (49%) on interfaces.
- Evaluated the purchasing team and their processes, which led to the centralization of the purchasing function and the creation of the planner-buyer role.
Inventory Manager , Hydraulic and Process Products
Kinecor
11.2002 - 04.2003
- Managed a team responsible for purchasing, demand planning, and data integrity for 4 distribution centers and 20 stores.
- Reduced inventories by $1.1 million (13%) by optimizing inventory parameters and improving inventory deployment.
- Improved service levels by 2% and increased forecast accuracy from 75% to 92% by developing a collaborative forecasting process with the sales force.
- Acted as a change agent, training the entire Supply Chain and Operations group on best practices.
Demand Planning and Data Integrity Manager
Kinecor
05.2002 - 11.2002
- Coordinate and develop the demand planning group
- Develop demand planning policies and procedures
- Coordinate consensus forecasting with 24 Branch managers
- Manage inventory parameters calculation and analysis
- Develop tools and management reports to measure forecast accuracy and to facilitate demand and inventory analysis
- Coordinate and develop the data integrity group (4)
- Support JD Edwards implementation team
- Organized the data integrity function and reduced their response time from 48 hours to 6 hours
- Helped improve customer service (2%) by optimizing inventory parameters, improving forecast accuracy (75% to 92%) with branch managers and deploying inventories through network
- Provide inventory management and material resource planning training to 90 employees from 80 branches
Demand Planner
Kinecor
09.2001 - 05.2002
- Generate forecasts and inventory parameters for branches and distribution centers
- Develop tools and management reports to measure forecast accuracy and to facilitate demand and inventory analysis
- Coordinate new product introductions and product obsolescence with Branch managers and Marketing manager
- Integrate market information from Branch managers and sales force into forecast and inventory parameters
- Implemented JDE forecast module and participated in MRP implementation
- Developed and implemented demand planning and inventory management throughout branches and distribution centers
- Provide inventory management and material resource planning training (MRP) to 43 employees from 24 branches
Demand Planner
Sico Inc.
07.1998 - 09.2001
- Analyze sales trends and integrate market information from Marketing and Sales managers into forecasts
- Develop tools to measure forecast accuracy, to analyze sales trends and to follow-up on promotions and product launches
- Coordinate efforts between Marketing, R&D, Planning and Distribution departments for product launches, obsolescence and special projects
- Prepare yearly budget for sales and operation plan and update it on a monthly basis
- Plan purchases of Sikkens product line and of labels
- Implemented Time Trends (forecasting software)
- Increased forecast accuracy from 70%to 85%
- Organized and coordinated monthly meetings with the Sales and Marketing team to create consensus forecast
Logistics Analyst
Sico Inc.
01.1997 - 07.1998
- Develop, update and analyze over 50 different key performance indicators for Operations group
- Plan purchases of Sikkens product line and of labels
- Developed and provided a weekly executive summary to the Operation Vice-President
- Developed a data warehouse for reporting software (Business Object) and trained 27 users
- Increased quality of the information used for decision making by reviewing data provided within each report and comparing to accounting sources.
- Reduced dead stock by 100K$
Education
BBA - Production And Operations Manangement
École Des Hautes Études Commerciales
Montreal, QC12-1996
Skills
- Business development
- Sales management
- Supply chain management
- Partnerships and alliances
- Coaching and mentoring
- Operations management
- Project management
- Team management
- Change management
- Business strategy
- Effective leader
Languages
French
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual
Italian
Limited Working
Timeline
Director, Business Development, Consulting
Avalon CSC
01.2024 - Current
Associate, Practice Lead - Planning
Avalon CSC
09.2017 - 12.2024
Principal Consultant / Director
GCRL Inc. & IMAFS Inc.
01.2012 - 08.2017
Director of Supply Chain
Dépro Électronique
11.2010 - 12.2011
Supply Chain Manager
Positron Public Safety Systems/Intrado
05.2007 - 03.2010
Supply Chain Consultant
Genuine Parts Company - NAPA
11.2005 - 04.2006
Super User / Senior Business Analyst, Procurement
UAP, Heavy Duty Vehicle Parts Division
05.2004 - 09.2005
Inventory Manager , Hydraulic and Process Products
Kinecor
11.2002 - 04.2003
Demand Planning and Data Integrity Manager
Kinecor
05.2002 - 11.2002
Demand Planner
Kinecor
09.2001 - 05.2002
Demand Planner
Sico Inc.
07.1998 - 09.2001
Logistics Analyst
Sico Inc.
01.1997 - 07.1998
BBA - Production And Operations Manangement
École Des Hautes Études Commerciales
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