Nishantha Gunarathna
Brampton,ON
Summary
Strategic and results-driven Supply Chain & Operations Leader with over 20 years of experience in the apparel industry. Expertise in demand planning, inventory control, and production planning scheduling for global brands including Nike, PVH, Deckers, and Victoria’s Secret. Proven ability to align POS data with manufacturing execution using advanced planning tools such as JDA, FastReact and ERP like SAP, Infor M3 & IFS. Adept at managing multi-site operations, reducing costs, and leading cross-functional teams toward world-class supply chain performance.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Head of Planning & Operations
Hela Apparel Holdings PLC
04.2017 - 04.2025
- Unified end-to-end planning, inventory, and logistics across regions using SAP and JDA
- Delivered 98% forecast accuracy through integration of POS and ERP systems
- Mentored 35+ planners, promoted to senior roles within 12 months
- Oversaw factory operations including planning, IE, technical and logistics
- Achieved 96% on-time production starts and drove improvement in OTIF to 94%
- Led group-wide planning with focus on PVH, Deckers, and Levi’s accounts
- Introduced SOP tool that aligned capacity planning with seasonal POS demand
- Confidential PVH/Deckers Supplier | Apr 2017 – Apr 2018
- Piloted JDA–SAP–Movex data lake project reducing ERP buffer from 21 to 12 days
- Integrated planning with North American retail trends to enhance replenishment speed.
Senior Manager – Planning
Essentials Ltd
05.2008 - 03.2017
- Led demand planning, production control, and inventory across multiple factories
- Executed seamless inventory integration with PVH Corp (Tommy, CK) via JDA and SAP
- Delivered 95%+ OTIF, minimized stock-outs, and reduced excess raw materials
- Managed production flow, material planning, and factory execution schedules
- Enhanced visibility and reduced delays through FastReact implementation
- Supported multi-factory planning; drove 20% reduction in re-planning requirements
- Superuser for FastReact, improving planning efficiency by 25% across 5 facilities
- Increased production capacity by 10% in 6 months through schedule optimization.
Planning Executive
MAS Holdings
10.2002 - 04.2008
- Managed 500K units/month for Nike/Victoria’s Secret.
- Implemented lean initiatives, reducing waste by 18% annually.
- Reduced operational costs with effective budget management and resource allocation strategies.
Education
Diploma - Textile Technology
SLITA
Sri Lanka11.2010
Skills
- ERP/Tools: SAP S/4HANA, FastReact, IFS, Infor M3
- Data Analysis: Advanced Excel, Power BI, Demand Forecasting
Certification
- Lean Manufacturing Certification – Total Systems Development, USA
- Open Work Authorization in Canada
Languages
English
Professional Working
Accomplishments
- Achieved $3.2M aged stock reduction within 12 months by deploying SAP S/4HANA inventory cockpit
- Cut air freight shipments by 17% through JDA demand plan and POS projection for North American markets
- Managed 15,000+ employees into 10 factories across 5 countries, producing 12.5M+ units/year with 95% OTD performance
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Demand Forecasting & S&OP
- Production Planning & Control
- Lean Manufacturing (Certified)
- Inventory Management & Optimization
- ERP Systems: SAP, JDA, FastReact, IFS, Movex
- POS-Driven Planning Integration
- Team Leadership & Performance Management
- Apparel Logistics & Capacity Planning
Timeline
Head of Planning & Operations
Hela Apparel Holdings PLC
04.2017 - 04.2025
Senior Manager – Planning
Essentials Ltd
05.2008 - 03.2017
Planning Executive
MAS Holdings
10.2002 - 04.2008
Diploma - Textile Technology
SLITA