1. Diane Graham
704-576-3400
dianezgraham@yahoo.com
- SUMMARY –
Dynamic Merchandising Executive with diverse wide-scale experience and responsibilities
encompassing Category Management, Product Management/Development, Global Sourcing,
Marketing, Sales, In-Store Presentation and E-Commerce. Focused on creating and delivering
the strategy and structure to outpace industry results in every aspect including sales, new
initiatives, promotions, supplier relations, financial results and support by developing a best-in –
class Omni-Channel Lighting Division with high-performing collections, increased profitability,
improved in-store and online presences. Recognized leader able to take action with a diverse
team.
- COMPETENCY HIGHLIGHTS –
 Visionary&Executive Leadership
 StrategicPlanning
 P&L Management
 Financial, Quality &AnalyticalAcumen
 Private Label Sourcing&Development
 SupplyChainOperations
 SupplierRelationshipManagement
 Category& Portfolio Management
 Brand Management
 Online Planning&Assortment
 PricingStrategyDevelopment
 Project& PlanogramManagement
- PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE –
Lowe’s Companies, Mooresville,NC
Merchandising Director, Décor Lighting January 2014 – June 2016
 Financial Accountability for 40+ supplier relationships with a 5,000+ item portfolio
management in a $900Mretail sales business. Included Overall Product and Pricing Strategy,
Margin Managementandthe financial healthof the productportfolio.
 Categories – Chandeliers, Flushmounts, Vanity, Wall Sconces, Table and Floor Lamps and
Track Lighting.
 Successfully executed the transformational change of Lighting in all Locations and created a
newShowroomconceptforLowe’sin60 High-Volume Locations.
 Redefined and formalized all negotiations to maximize both short and long term objectives
while building supplier alliances. Approaches included a formal Line Review process,
supplier allowance with improved terms and conditions contracts, investment buys,
assortment and product placement, fulfillment and logistics, E-Commerce and search,
exclusives and new “Only at Lowe’s” product launches. Delivered incremental supplier funds
with strong rate growth making Décor Lighting the #1 category in the Home Improvement
Channel.
 Successfully developed and launched new exclusive products along with web merchandising
and growth programs which included a formal/foundational process for brand, category and
itemselection, review andapproval.

2.  Responsibility for a turn around that included new in-store sets that supported an Omni-
channel bestinclassshopping experience.
Achievements:
 Development of a Merchandising discipline within the business to become market
leader.
 Successfully resetting all stores with improved directional materials for store sets
and store teams to flawlessly execute that are now part of the total reset direction
for all of Lowe’s.
 Implementation of Category Management practices, established improved quality
control specificationsforall productcategoriesincludingLEDLighting.
 Developed “Shop by Collection” for Lowes.com and business practices that enable
the organizationtoscale.
 Implementation of value-based pricing strategies that delivered multi-million $
marginaccretionwhile gainingmarketshare.
Lowe’s Companies, Mooresville NC
Merchandising Director, Fashion Plumbing December 2011 – December 2013
 Responsible for transforming and improving the Merchandising Operations team Fashion
Plumbingbusinessprocesses.
 Managed cross-functional program teams responsible for requirements gathering, project
prioritization and on-going project management to ensure stakeholder requirements were
met.
 Strategic development and implementation of business metrics used to monitor the health
of business processes and financial health of $1.6B business; category scorecards to
continuallyevaluate the financialhealthof the Merchandisingportfolio.
 Responsible for assortment planning, line review processes and the development of tools
and metrics that support the Merchandising functions financial health including profitable
growth, increasing competitive advantage and to meet/exceed business performance
expectations.
 Leadership of category planning team responsible for supplier allowances, program
management, administration, analysis, forecasting and tracking, including category long-
range planningprocessestobudgetandforecastsalesandmargindeliverables.
Achievements:
 Createdandmanaged a totallynew strategyforKitchenandBath Faucets,Vanities
and Vanitytops,BathFans,Hardware,Medicine CabinetsandStorage Solutions for
in-stock,Special OrderandLowes.com.
 Improvedthe in-store experience withthe introductionof the FaucetPod.Thisnew
displayallowsacustomertosee total bath solutionsfromfaucetstolightingtohelp
themmake a choice.Responsible for “Shopthe Collection”onLowes.comand
coordinatingwithmerchants company-wide tosupporttrendsandmarketing
initiatives.
 Ledthe change inmerchandise selection,pricing,planningandmarketingtoadd
value andgainmarket share. Implementedstrongprogramsandpromotionsto
increase sales,ticketandattachmentrates.

3. Lowe’s Companies, Mooresville NC
Merchandise Director, Window Treatments November 2003 – November 2011
 Created and delivered strategy and structure to outpace industry results in every aspect
from sales, new initiatives, promotions, supplier allowances, support and financial results of
$650M forHard WindowTreatments,ShuttersandCustomMade BlindsandShades.
 Responsible for supplier relationship management, on-going negotiations, contract
managementand assortmentplanningforcatalogproductionprocesses.
 Redefined and formalized all negotiations to maximize short- and long-term objectives while
building supplier relationships. Approaches included a formal Line Review process, supplier
allowance and terms, investment buys, assortment and product placement, fulfillment and
logistics, E-Commerce and search, exclusives and new product launches. Delivered
incremental supplierfundsandwithstrongrate growtheveryyear.
 Successfully launched category growth initiatives that included expansion of private label,
reenergized private brand strategy, promotional efforts, new channel/market launches and
expansion efforts. Introduced state-of-the-art in-store cutting machines to improve
accuracy, time/qualityof cutsandcustomersatisfaction.
 DirectedMerchandisingandstrategicplanningactivitiesincludedimplementingassortment
plans,directingbudgetsandexpensecontrol.Managedsales,markdowns, defectives,
inventory,margins,turnoverandGMROI.
 Coordinatedall executive levelnegotiationsandmanagedthe DirectImportPrograms.
InteractedcloselyandmaintainedkeyrelationshipswithAsianmanufacturers.
Achievements:
 Firstto launchin stockCordlessoptionsforWindow TreatmentSafety
 Deliveryof multi-million$supplierallowance improvementsthroughnegotiations.
 Launched state of the art In-Store Cutting Machines in 500 store with productivity
increase of 40% and improved defectives and minimized downtime with proactive
maintenance of machines
Lowe’s Companies, Mooresville NC
Merchandise Director, Lighting and Ceiling Fans February 1999 – November 2003
 Created and delivered strategy and structure to outpace industry results in every aspect
from sales, new initiatives, promotions, supplier allowances, support, and financial results of
$1B Productcategory.
 Responsible for supplier relationship management, on-going negotiations, contract
management&assortmentplanning andinstore merchandising
 Responsible for implementation of GMROI metrics to better drive category performance
management processes; rationalization of portfolio and development of revised stocking
strategy.
Hechinger/HQ/Better Spaces, Landover MD
Merchant – Lighting and Ceiling Fans April 1994 - February 1999
 CategoryBuyer

4.  Private Label andProductDevelopment
 Marketingand Promotions
Lamps Plus, Chatsworth CA
Associate Buyer – Chandeliers April 1989 – April 1994
 ImportSpecialist
 Private Label andProductDevelopment
 Marketingand Promotions
- EDUCATION –
Associate: Retail Management and Buying, 1982
Bradford Business School - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION–
 Unsung HeroAward2011 for Top Performance –Window Treatments
 Home World BusinessBuyerof the Year2003 - Lighting
 Presidential AwardfromHechinger/HQforOutstandingPerformance andVision