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Ryan Walker

Strategy | Transformation | Program & Change Management

Miami, FL, United States
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About
About Me

Experienced senior transformation leader, program manager, and change management consultant well-versed in developing strategies and executing implementation plans, primarily for clients in the retail and consumer goods/services industries.  Conscientious, methodical, and diplomatic advisor who delivers value by approaching problems with structure, logic, and efficiency.  Recognized for critical thinking skills, ability to operate cross-functionally, and aptitude for building strong relationships across all levels of an organization.

Work Experience
Founder/Principal at RW Strategies - Independent Consulting Practice Jul 2017  - present New York, NY & Miami, FL USA

Representative Client Projects:

- Global Beauty Brand:  Developed process documentation and supporting training materials for the newly redesigned new product development process.  Interviewed key stakeholders across multiple supply chain teams, finance, and IT and documented functionality across Specright, Blue Yonder, and NetSuite to build the documentation.  Conducted multiple training sessions with approximately 30 stakeholders to ensure the new process was widely understood and adopted.

- Global Beauty Brand:  Managed organizational development and recruiting for the supply chain function.  Reviewed resumes, conducted interviews, managed the relationship with 3 external recruiters, interfaced with hiring managers, composed offer proposals, and assisted with on boarding.  Successfully filled 23 roles from ~250 candidates over a 10 month period.  Additionally provided PMO status reporting support for the supply chain team's transformational activities. 

 - National Luxury Department Store:  Served as lead strategist and engagement manager during an end-to-end assessment of the retailer's brand partnership program.  Interviewed 15 internal stakeholders and 5 brand partner teams to better understand pain points and areas for improvement.  Summarized findings and delivered recommendations across people, process, technology, data/analytics, and metrics/KPIs.

 - Global Industrial Machinery Manufacturer:  Performed a dual role as the CEO’s chief of staff and as the organization design lead.  Led organization design activities as the company set up three new business units; produced org charts, change management and training plans, communications, and an activity RACI.  Performed multiple personnel-related analytical activities during the company's pandemic response.

 - Global Beauty & Skincare Brand:  Served as the program manager and change management lead during a statistical sales forecasting implementation.  Responsible for project management, executive engagement, and the overall client relationship.  Designed and drove change management and stakeholder communication activities.  Oversaw the development of a performance management dashboard.

 - National Canadian Big Box Retailer:  Developed category and sub-category merchandising and assortment strategies based on best practices, internal sales data analysis, and competitive assessments for next-generation store formats.

Associate Vice President - Program Management at Antuit Feb 2019  - Apr 2020 New York, NY, USA

 - Managed timelines and production of deliverables for large-scale global rollouts of data-driven sales forecasting solutions at consumer products companies while supervising teams of data scientists.

 - Designed and drove change management and communications with executives, key stakeholders, and demand planners across multiple geographies globally.

 - Oversaw the development of analytical tools and dashboards for use by executives and demand planners.

 - Developed in-house capabilities focused on project delivery and customer relationship management, including a "voice of customer" client feedback program.

Manager - Strategy and Management Consulting; Retail/Consumer at Accenture Mar 2015  - Jun 2017 New York, NY, USA

 - Advised clients and built relationships with leadership and executives during projects focused on operations improvements, cost reduction, and merchandising transformation.

 - Managed teams focused on achieving project objectives and delivering insights, including developing future state visions, strategic plans, business cases, and communication materials.

 - Influenced cross-functional client stakeholders to collaborate in project activities, provide input to project deliverables, and adopt interim and final recommendations.

Representative Client Projects:

 - US Retailer: Designed a comprehensive, multi-year change management strategy and plan for a merchandising transformation.  Authored and distributed communications. Planned and conducted an educational town hall meeting for the 150-person merchandising organization to communicate transformation goals.  Conducted “voice of business” interviews and workshops to understand current organization and develop future state org design vision and options.

 - Global Travel & Hospitality Company: Served as change management lead during an operating model assessment project. Conducted “voice of business” interviews and synthesized the results of the interviews.  Built a high-level change impact assessment and developed a comprehensive change management strategy and plan for the multi-year transformation.  Planned and executed communications for key stakeholders.

 - Global Food Manufacturer: Developed a knowledge transfer plan, training schedule, and organizational readiness approach to prepare for a shared services go-live.  Shared approach and best practices with European counterparts.

 - Multiple Clients: Recommended operations improvements using benchmarks and client feedback from interviews and workshops. Integrated costs/savings into the business case.  Outlined implementation activities and timeline.

Education
Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University
Aug 1995 - May 1999
Focus:
Foreign Service
Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University – Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business
Aug 2002 - May 2004
Focus:
Strategy & Marketing
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate from Columbia University in the City of New York
Jul 2011 - May 2014
Focus:
Psychology

Languages
English
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