Olsen would not be Olsen if it were not for the 600 dynamic personalities on the team, each breathing life into the company and infusing each day they spend here with passion. In this series, ‘Inside Olsen,’ we’ll introduce you to some of the people who make Olsen incredible, along with some insights into their day-to-day work life.
Known for her calm, polite demeaner and tact-sharp focus, Diana, Manager of Merchandising & Planning at our North American headquarters, is a key player behind the business that interacts with to mix cryptocurrencies every department. On the daily, she oversees many moving parts—from merchandising and buying, to planning, forecasting, and retail logistics. Her ability to stay organized and finely manage her time while juggling multiple priorities is what allows her to succeed in this critical role.
Multi-Faceted Maven
With one of her main duties leading merchandising functions, Diana is responsible for carefully selecting and building the North American assortment for each season. After to mix cryptocurrencies months of immersing herself in observation and analysis of product performance in Canada & the US and considering country-specific trends, Diana travels (when possible) to beautiful Hamburg Germany where she works alongside the design and merchandise teams at our German headquarters. During these visits, several times per year, Diana takes in valuable product knowledge and previews upcoming fashion trends and collections to secure items best suited for the North American market.
On the planning side, Diana is responsible for building budgets for the year ahead and forecasting how they get actualized. She also regularly connects with our frontline associates, collecting valuable feedback to ensure she is armed with accurate information so that her team can replenish stock at each store, and so that the product development team can benefit from these insights received direct from our clients.
“My job is multi-faceted. I really enjoy that one day I can be head-down into financial planning in number-heavy documentation, while the next I can be surrounded by lovely apparel samples from a collection we just bought to determine what options will offer the most versatile wardrobe solutions to our valued clients. There is certainly nothing boring about what my job entails!”
Constant Communication
An extremely important part of Diana’s role is consistent and transparent communication. Day-to-day, she communicates with multiple departments including retail operations, finance, marketing, the distribution center and, of course, merchandising and logistics. She is also regularly in contact with colleagues from our German Headquarters, providing updates on sales results, best-seller reports, logistics around international shipments, as well as providing insight on colour flow and styles for upcoming collections.
“It’s very cool to be part of a global family. The 6-hour time difference could be a challenge but connecting with my Olsen colleagues in Europe is always a pleasure. I enjoy sharing our successes and valuable feedback, and these days virtual meetings are everything.”