Kathleen Lynn Combs

KATHY COMBS C har l ot t e, N C 28 22 7 ◾ ( 61 5) 43 0 -3 94 1 ◾ kc om b s@ c om ca s t. n et ◾ l in ke d in . c om/ i n/k a thy c om bs Project Management Strategic and detail-oriented professional with extensive experience steering cross-functional initiatives, aligning business objectives with technical execution, and delivering enterprise-wide projects across diverse industries through agile methodologies, stakeholder collaboration. Recognized for leading and mentoring project and peer teams with a strong track record of exceeding customer expectations by consistently delivering milestones on time and within budget. Demonstrated expertise in managing end-to-end project lifecycles, resolving complex challenges, and standardizing processes to enhance execution, efficiency, and stakeholder engagement. Skilled in leading multimillion-dollar programs, coordinating onshore and offshore teams, and driving operational transformation across retail, e-commerce, distribution, and manufacturing sectors. Adept at aligning cross-functional teams with strategic priorities through structured communication and governance to deliver scalable digital solutions leveraging cloud platforms and modern data infrastructures. Known for exceptional communication skills, including proactive identification of risks and opportunities, providing transparent feedback, and effectively navigating complex and challenging situations. AREAS OF EXPERTISE Project Lifecycle Management | Cross-functional Leadership | Agile Methodologies | Stakeholder Management | Operational Transformation | Process Optimization | Sales Performance Improvement | Digital Transformation | Cloud Solutions Deployment | Data Infrastructure Management | Strategic Planning | Change Management | Team Development & Mentorship | Training Facilitation | Microsoft Funding Projects | P & L Management | Human Resources Management | Forecasting & Budget Creation PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE I n s ig h t – C ha n dl er , A Z 20 22 to 20 25 Senior Project Manager / Consultant Provided project oversight for IT project teams, managing both long-term and short-term contract engagements for clients across various industries. Delivered comprehensive status reports on project milestones, deliverables, dependencies, risks, financials, and communicated progress across leadership teams. Partnered with client stakeholders to establish credibility, understand current environmental challenges, and develop solutions aligned with their roadmaps. Successfully led projects across diverse industries including retail, grocery, wholesale distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, automotive manufacturing, transportation, consumer meat processing, behavioral health, and electronics components distribution. ▪ Achieved targeted sales, margins, and exceeded client satisfaction goals, leveraging all functions of effective project management. ▪ Led project teams by building and motivating members to meet project goals, ensuring adherence to responsibilities and milestones. ▪ Managed contracts ranging from $500K to $2.5M, coordinating technical project teams of 3 to 20 members, both onshore and offshore. Phillips Pet Food & Supplies – Charlotte, NC 2019 to 2021 Key Accounts Operations Manager, PHIDO Division (2021) National Sales Operations Manager, Phillips (2019 to 2021) Led customer strategy initiatives by overseeing cross-functional projects, ensuring seamless customer onboarding, and managing special projects. Organized and facilitated weekly leadership meetings, collaborating with Key Account Managers, VP of Business Development, and Area VP/Directors to achieve sales, profitability, and customer satisfaction goals. Developed and standardized processes, including guidelines for assessing profitability and managing exceptional customer needs, ensuring smooth onboarding. Developed a customer-specific tracking and documentation system with assigned team ownership for pricing, assortment, and transportation follow-up, ensuring timely execution of sales and in-stock strategies. ▪ Launched and managed a national sales contest, driving a 35% increase in monthly order volume through competitive incentives. ▪ Provided mentorship and training to new hires and peers, focusing on business literacy and sales skills during quarterly leadership meetings and biweekly digital solutions training. ▪ Spearheaded a project that successfully auto-enrolled over 85% of customers into special ordering/fulfillment through the company's E-commerce division, improving process efficiency and increasing customer satisfaction and sales. Family Dollar Corporation – Matthews, NC 2017 to 2019 Project Manager, Corporate Store Operations | Communications Led store project activities, driving collaboration between store/field leadership and corporate teams to align with sales, margin, and service goals. Managed projects and tests for new legal requirements, including merchandising, signage, and process changes. Developed labor budgets, communications, and compliance plans. Spearheaded merchandise rollouts, assortment expansions, and process improvements by collaborating with field leadership, merchant teams, and vendors. Provided strategic recommendations on business opportunities through surveys on expanded registers, assortment changes, and competitor market exit strategies. ▪ Led successful sales contests, such as the Valentine’s Balloon Sales collaborating with Marketing, Buying, and Field Leadership to drive excitement and exceed the company goal of 1M units sold. ▪ Played a key role at national leadership conferences by co-chairing the Open House event, organizing 50+ vendor and functional support tables, developing content and scripts, and coaching Vice Presidents for a general session presentation delivered to an audience of 1,000+. ▪ Drove sales performance by creating and executing monthly and seasonal store communications and checklists. Led field conference calls at all organizational levels to build excitement, gather feedback, and reinforce expectations. Dollar General Corporation – Goodlettsville, TN 2008 to 2015 Senior Manager, Store Operations (2014 to 2015) Led corporate projects and initiatives, driving collaboration across departments and managing key in-store operational touchpoints for the Store Operations Team. Crafted weekly field directives aligned with store priorities and supported seamless execution across locations. Led and collaborated with pricing, marketing, and planogram teams to balance store workload and meet labor budgets. ▪ Enhanced financial performance and customer satisfaction by analyzing and recommending optimizations in advertising, signage, pricing, and merchandising strategies. ▪ Leveraged data analysis and critical thinking to pinpoint improvement areas, developing actionable solutions resulting in contributing to increased sales and profit margins. Merchandise Planning and Allocations Manager, Supply Chain Division (2008 to 2014) Collaborated with Buying, Supply Chain, and Pricing teams to assess risks, uncover opportunities, and recommend strategic actions. Led planning efforts across divisions, beginning with home categories such as housewares, domestics, and home décor, and later advancing to Consumables including cleaning products, paper goods, health, beauty, pet care, and general merchandise. Participated in the Dollar General Corporate Golf Tournament, supporting education and literacy initiatives in communities served by the company. ▪ Mentored and elevated a team of three Merchandise Planners, with one promoted to the role of Allocations Manager. ▪ Improved profitability and achieved year-over-year increases in sell-through performance by analyzing and executing seasonal allocation plans, averaging 95% forecast accuracy. ▪ Developed sales plans ranging from $1B to $3B using JD Arthur Planning, forecasting by year, quarter, month, and week for receipts, sales, margins, promotions, inventory turnover, and permanent markdown strategies to support company objectives. ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE Merchandise Planner / Assortment Planner | Kirkland’s – Nashville, TN Retail District Manager | Cracker Barrel – Nashville, TN District Sales Manager | Victoria’s Secret Stores (Limited Brands) – Richmond, VA District Manager / Store Manager / Buyer / Merchandise Analyst | Sears – Multiple U.S. Locations KEY PROJECTS ▪ Spearheaded Consumer Meat Packing project team to design and launch a modern data engineering and analytics platform in Azure, including MVP development, data pipeline strategy, and full organizational onboarding. ▪ Supervised Transportation Industry projects, completing E-Pay migration to AWS, extending Azure DRaaS for POS applications, and enhancing automation for on-prem and cloud modernization. ▪ Directed Behavioral Health project team in successfully migrating SharePoint and TEAMS sites with VIVA Connections to a new tenant. ▪ Led project execution in the Distribution and Services Industry, completing a modernization assessment for the existing data platform and transformational roadmap, along with building a production-ready Azure Landing Zone and initiating a proof of concept. ▪ Oversaw deployment in the Electronics Components Distribution Industry, completing VIVA Connections implementation and delivering custom app development initiatives. ▪ Steered assessment activities in the Automotive Manufacturing Industry to support a migration and modernization plan into the Azure Cloud through a fully funded Microsoft engagement. ▪ Managed dual initiatives in the Retail Industry, replacing the existing Talent Acquisition referral system with a SharePoint and Power Automate solution, and piloting a Google Chromebox solution across five stores with joint client and Insight resource teams. EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS Bachelor of Science in Business Administration | Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL ▪ Coursework in PMP Preparation | Microsoft Office Suite Training | Sears Executive Training Program TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES Microsoft Office | Microsoft TEAMS | Microsoft Project | SCRUM | Team Kanban Practitioner | Azure DevOps Boards | SharePoint | Salesforce | Google Docs | Power BI | SLACK Kathy Combs - - Page 2