What I’ve shipped, and what shipped me.

2011 → today

Four chapters, one pattern: own the number, then beat it.

Less a job history, more a record of how a career in RMG actually gets built, floor first, strategy later. Each role opens to the full scope of work behind it.

Feb 2024 – Present · Dhaka, Bangladesh

Merchandising Team Leader

LPP S.A. — Bangladesh Liaison Office (DLO)

Reserved · House · Mohito · Cropp · Sinsay

LPP’s Dhaka Liaison Office is the sourcing arm for five brands in Bangladesh. The role runs the supply side of that operation: capacity and allocation across the vendor base, pre-cost analysis and FOB negotiation, production and quality through to shipment, with daily contact between 20+ buyers in Poland and the factories here.

Vendor ManagementCosting & NegotiationCapacity PlanningProduction & QACompliance AuditsSourcing StrategyTeam Leadership

Key responsibilities

• Run order execution end to end for roughly 3 million pieces a year, from pre-cost evaluation and FOB negotiation through allocation, production and shipment.
• Coordinate daily with 20+ Polish buyers and design teams across Reserved, House, Mohito, Cropp and Sinsay.
• Plan factory capacity and production forecasts across the active supplier base, then allocate orders to balance load between brands.
• Lead a four-person merchandising team covering denim, woven bottoms and accessories.
• Spend two days a week on factory floors checking production status, quality and sampling.
• Report weekly to the Poland headquarters on production status, risk and recommended action.
• Identify, assess and onboard new suppliers, from first sample through commercial viability and audit clearance.

Detailed responsibilities5 areas

Production management and quality control

• Follow up daily production across supplier factories and troubleshoot issues as they surface.
• Allocate QA resource and oversee IPC, inline and final inspections.
• Visit factories two days a week to monitor production status, quality and sampling.
• Track development samples from request through to buyer decision.
• Review inspection results and give suppliers and buyers clear direction on what happens next.

Buyer coordination and communication

• Work daily with 20+ Polish buyers across the five LPP brands.
• Meet buyers and design teams regularly to align on specification, quality standards and delivery expectations.
• Support buyers in negotiation meetings with suppliers on price, terms and commercial conditions.
• Arrange buyer and supplier meetings where an issue needs resolving or new business is worth exploring.
• Send weekly production updates to the Poland headquarters with status and recommendations.
• Advise on supplier capability, alternative sources and product options.
• Act as the main bridge between the Poland headquarters and the DLO supplier network.
• Propose new suppliers to strategic buyers where they open up business.

Vendor management and sourcing

• Plan factory capacity and build production forecasts across 30+ active suppliers.
• Identify new suppliers, run sample development with them and assess commercial viability.
• Manage audit status across the base, covering ACCORD, BSCI and OEKO-TEX verification.
• Verify prices and evaluate suppliers against both active and alternative sources.
• Follow up vendor bookings with nominated forwarders and guide suppliers on shipment timelines.
• Keep backup suppliers developed for business continuity, and check market prices on an ongoing basis.
• Work to a season-on-season volume growth target for the Dhaka office.

Supplier development and performance

• Coach production merchandisers and quality controllers on supplier management.
• Train suppliers on quality, compliance and process improvement.
• Run orientation programmes at the DLO office for newly onboarded suppliers.
• Grade suppliers and run performance evaluations.
• Give buyers and production managers the performance data behind sourcing decisions.
• Keep order flow continuous and supplier relationships working over the long term.

Trend monitoring and strategic sourcing

• Follow mood boards, inspiration and technical specifications shared by the design teams.
• Brief suppliers on design direction and technical requirements for each season.
• Analyse trends and build supplier proposals to put in front of buyers.
• Engage fabric mills and raw-material suppliers directly.
• Share market intelligence and competitive price analysis with suppliers and buyer teams.

Selected impact

• 97% on-time delivery in the latest season, achieved by tightening capacity monitoring and weekly vendor follow-up.
• Grew the Dhaka Liaison Office’s supplier order volume 10% season-on-season, meeting LPP’s Bangladesh growth target.
• Sourced and onboarded 8 new vendors in 2025–26, alongside vendor-sharing and allocation strategies that balanced capacity across brands.

5 brands20+ Polish buyers35 active vendorsTeam of 4~3M pcs/yrDenim & AccessoriesACCORD · BSCI · OEKO-TEX

Dec 2018 – Feb 2024 · Dhaka, Bangladesh

Account Lead Merchandiser

Celio Sourcing Limited — Bangladesh Liaison Office

Tee · Polo · Sweatshirt · Nightwear · Pyjama · Accessories

Five years running six Celio product accounts independently: around 1.5 million pieces a year across 70+ styles a season, 14 factories and six buying seasons. Fine-knit polos alone accounted for a million pieces. This is where account ownership became second nature.

Product DevelopmentCosting & NegotiationSupplier DevelopmentOrder ManagementProduction & QASustainabilityLicensed Product

Key responsibilities

• Manage six product accounts from order inquiry through to shipment.
• Negotiate against target margins across six seasonal buying meetings a year.
• Track yarn and fabric prices to build the cost data behind each negotiation.
• Approve fabric colour, quality, design, accessories and embellishment before the PP sample is released.
• Hold suppliers to the T&A from lab dip through to final inspection.
• Source, develop and onboard suppliers for core programmes while keeping qualified backups in place.
• Execute licensed-product programmes, handling artwork approvals and licensor compliance alongside core lines.

Detailed responsibilities5 areas

Fashion trend and product development

• Monitor fashion trends and put newness in front of the product designers.
• Visit factories to assess capability and discuss innovation.
• Develop accurate samples on short lead times with clear written specification.
• Approve fabric colour, quality, design, accessories and embellishment ahead of PP sample release.
• Brief suppliers fully for development sampling: 7 to 14 days on local fabric, three to four weeks where fabric is imported.
• Run licensed-product programmes across Marvel, Warner Bros. (Batman, Superman, Harry Potter, Rick & Morty), Cartoon Network, Star Wars, Naruto, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Pokémon and NBA, covering artwork approval and licensor compliance.

Cost management and negotiation

• Track yarn and fabric prices and turn them into usable cost data for negotiation.
• Negotiate against target margins across six seasonal buying meetings a year.
• Monitor and consolidate raw-material costs for top management review.

Supplier management and development

• Identify and source new suppliers for core programmes with cost competitiveness in mind.
• Develop and onboard new suppliers while maintaining qualified backup sources for supply chain continuity.
• Train vendors on new systems and processes.
• Run vendor ratings and scorecard evaluations for top management review.
• Handle claims with both buyers and suppliers, and maintain supplier strategy data.

Production, quality control and compliance

• Manage accounts from order inquiry through to shipment.
• Scrutinise purchase orders and monitor yarn, fabric and trims booking.
• Follow up lab dips, strike-offs, embellishments and sample approvals against the T&A.
• Monitor fabric and garment test reports.
• Troubleshoot product issues and visit factories frequently to keep production under control.
• Coordinate with the quality, technical and supply chain teams.
• Update development sampling data in the Celio system and monitor lead times.

Sustainability and certification

• Lifted sustainable production to 30% of the collection using organic OCS and recycled materials.
• Pushed vendor OEKO-TEX STeP certification toward an 80% coverage target for the MADE IN GREEN label.
• Maintained the data in the MADE IN GREEN global system so end customers could trace it.

Selected impact

• 94% on-time delivery across 70+ styles a season, held by strict T&A management.
• 30% of the collection moved into sustainable production (organic OCS, recycled).
• Licensed programmes delivered across 12+ entertainment, anime, gaming and sports IPs alongside core lines.

6 categories~1.5M pcs/yr1M fine-knit polos70+ styles/season14 factories6 buying seasons/yr

Dec 2014 – Nov 2018 · Dhaka, Bangladesh

Key Lead Merchandiser (Senior Role)

New Wave Group — Bangladesh Liaison Office, and Multi Sourcing Asia Ltd.

Circular Knit · Flat Knit · Woven

One year on New Wave’s own brands, then the leap: two merchandisers starting a trading operation from zero through the group’s intercompany, Multi Sourcing Asia Ltd. By late 2018 it carried USD 35 million in annual order value, serving European corporate and sportswear buyers.

Year 1 Own brands. Managed New Wave’s Craft and Cottover brands, developing product and arranging presentations for different customer segments.

2015 – 2018 Trading business. Co-founded the Multi Sourcing Asia operation as one of its first two merchandisers and scaled it to USD 35 million in annual order value.

Business DevelopmentProduct DevelopmentPricing & CommercialOrder & T&A ManagementQuality AssuranceBuyer Management

Key responsibilities

• Open and develop new buyer accounts, and respond to customer development queries.
• Quote and negotiate in both directions, to buyers and to suppliers, protecting margin without losing competitiveness.
• Develop new product and prepare presentations for trading customers.
• Maintain T&A plans built around each customer’s requirement.
• Place orders, collect supplier confirmations and confirm delivery dates back to customers.
• Organise complete QA files for inline, bulk and final inspection.
• Coordinate L/C opening and financial matters with the commercial team.

Detailed responsibilities5 areas

Product development and buyer management

• Develop new products and arrange presentations for trading customers.
• Manage new buyer account development and respond to customer development queries.
• Arrange product samples to customer requirement: photo samples, flat shots, size sets and SMS.
• Arrange lab dips, trims, accessories, body materials and PPS for customer approval.
• Provide technical guidelines and written comments to suppliers.

Pricing and commercial management

• Review price quotations and analyse comparative advantage between sources.
• Negotiate prices with suppliers to keep offers competitive.
• Quote both directions, to buyers and to suppliers, protecting margin while staying competitive.
• Coordinate with the commercial team on L/C opening and financial matters.

Order and T&A management

• Review part lists and worksheets, clarifying specification before anything went out to a supplier.
• Maintain T&A plans based on customer requirements.
• Place orders with suppliers, collect confirmations and confirm delivery dates to customers.

Quality control and compliance

• Organise complete QA files covering every product detail for inline, bulk and final inspection.
• Monitor in-house lab reports on all orders before shipment.
• Conduct weekly factory visits to monitor product quality and productivity.
• Plan production against T&A schedules and keep orders controlled across the team.
• Follow company SOP requirements throughout.

Production and delivery management

• Provide weekly production follow-up reports to customers.
• Keep daily merchandising communication clean between customers and vendors.
• Coordinate with quality personnel to monitor product quality through production.
• Drive follow-up across the team and the vendor base to protect delivery dates.

Selected impact

• Multi Sourcing Asia Ltd. grown from a two-merchandiser start to USD 35 million in annual order value by 2018.
• 15 new buyer accounts opened and developed: Björn Borg, SEBAGO, Salming Sports AB, Volvo AB, Ralawise, Premier Clothing Ltd., L-SHOP-TEAM GmbH, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd., Oy Sultrade Ltd., IDÉ House of Brands Finland, Creon Promotion AB, ACC Another Clothing Concept AB, J:son Handels AB, Sport Design Sweden and Swedemount Sportswear & Fashion.

USD 35M/yr built15 accounts openedCraft & CottoverTrading + brandsEuropean corporate & sportswear

Nov 2011 – Dec 2014 · Valuka, Mymensingh

Merchandiser / Assistant Merchandiser

Crystal Martin Apparel Bangladesh Ltd. — Crystal Group, UK

Marks & Spencer account · Circular Knit · Woven

Factory-side merchandising on the Marks & Spencer account, with the production floor a staircase away. Orders were run from collection through to shipment: costing, critical path, sampling, materials, production and inspection. Everything since stands on this.

Product DevelopmentCostingCritical Path & T&ASampling & PPERP InventoryQuality & Testing

Key responsibilities

• Manage season-wise product development against M&S requirements.
• Prepare initial costings for buyer inquiries and take them to the team leader for approval.
• Build T&A and critical-path plans, cross-checked with IE and planning to protect the delivery date.
• Run PP meetings with approved trims cards and samples, flagging critical areas before bulk.
• Manage fabric, trims and accessories inventory through the ERP system.
• Monitor cutting, print, embroidery, washing and finishing through daily production reports.
• Follow up physical and chemical test reports to M&S requirement, through to AQL final inspection.

Detailed responsibilities6 areas

Product development and order management

• Manage season-wise product development as per M&S requirements.
• Collect purchase orders and confirm delivery dates.
• Prepare initial costing for buyer inquiries and submit to the team leader for approval.
• Coordinate with the CAD, pattern and sample sections to develop samples to specification.

Production planning and critical path

• Analyse technical packages and design packs for SMS and bulk production planning.
• Prepare T&A plans and critical-path planning.
• Cross-check with the IE and planning departments to protect time of delivery.
• Coordinate with the technical team on product review and production progress monitoring.

Sample management and pre-production

• Follow up every sampling stage: styling, development, counter, PP, size set, rack and seal samples.
• Arrange pre-production meetings with approved trims cards and samples.
• Highlight critical areas with the sampling, technical, production and quality teams before bulk started.

Inventory and procurement management

• Assist the procurement team in sourcing trims and accessories to M&S standard.
• Manage fabric, trims and accessories inventory through the ERP system.
• Track in-house production material status and keep factory management informed.
• Address shortages and delays early enough to keep production uninterrupted.

Production monitoring and execution

• Coordinate closely with factory management on production execution.
• Follow up cutting, print and embroidery work to keep the line flowing.
• Monitor production, washing and finishing processes.
• Track daily production reports against the shipment schedule.

Quality control and testing

• Follow up physical and chemical test reports as per M&S requirements.
• Monitor final inspections with the AQL teams.
• Keep the T&A intact through the quality process, through to shipment.

Marks & SpencerFactory-sideCircular knit & WovenERP & T&AAQL inspection