KARTHIK MANIVEL
Hilversum
Summary
Results-driven Planning Leader with over 20 years in Strategic Workforce Planning, Financial Planning, Inventory Management, and Retail Operations in multi-country environments. Built planning capabilities from the ground up and led enterprise transformations that improved productivity and operational performance. Collaborated with senior leadership across Retail, HR, and Finance to drive strategic initiatives.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Strategic Workforce Planning Lead
NIKE, INC.
01.2018 - Current
- Led strategic workforce planning for EMEA retail operations, managing $270M annual salary spend across 21 countries.
- Developed AI-based labour budgeting capability, enabling ~$5M average annual labour optimisation through enhanced base-contract recommendations.
- Delivered +3ppt improvement in Productivity Ratio (% Sales to Salary) through redesigned labor models and workload frameworks.
- Led EMEA rollout of Workforce Management & Scheduling platforms (Kronos / Legion), achieving ~100% scheduling accuracy and 15–20% overtime reduction.
- Strategic partner to VP Retail EMEA, HR Directors, Finance Directors, and Global Labor Leadership.
- Led and developed team of 9 planning professionals across EMEA, fostering skills and collaboration.
- EMEA
Senior Retail & Merchandise Planner
NIKE, INC.
Hilversum, Netherlands
01.2015 - 01.2018
- Managed financial planning, assortment architecture, buying quantities, trading cadence, margin management, and markdown strategy to optimise inventory and enhance profitability.
- Developed planning tools, dashboards, and monthly business review routines to enhance sell-through, margin efficiency, inventory turns, and product availability.
- Built end-to-end planning capability from scratch, scaling EMEA DTC business from €0 to ~€80M across EMEA retail and digital.
Merchandise Planner
NIKE, INC.
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Managed ~$50M multi-category business across NSO, NSP, and Digital channels, ensuring alignment with overall merchandise strategy.
- Delivered ~15% sales uplift with improvements in GM%, sell-through, and inventory turns.
- Led rollout of markdown optimization tool; partnered with tech teams and trained planning community to enhance tool adoption.
- Oversaw operations in EMEA region, streamlining processes to improve regional performance.
Store Planner
NIKE, INC.
01.2011 - 01.2013
- Optimised category mix and SKU productivity to increase revenue per square foot, contributing to overall sales growth.
- Planned 50–70 new and remodelled stores for Nike category-concept rollout across Oversaw operations in EMEA region, enhancing brand presence and customer engagement.
- Led KPI planning for London 2012 Olympics, achieving ~95% accuracy under uncertain demand, enabling effective resource allocation and operational readiness.
- EMEA
Product Flow Manager
NIKE, INC.
01.2008 - 01.2011
- Partnered with EHQ allocation and buying teams to optimise inventory levels and product flow.
- Led a 12-person door-to-floor team responsible for inventory flow, replenishment, and availability in a flagship environment.
- Improved stock accuracy, replenishment speed, seasonal peak readiness, and overall store execution through targeted initiatives.
- Converted Niketown London 4th-floor stockroom into fully trading sales floor, enhancing selling space and boosting commercial productivity.
- Transitioned inventory to CEVA off-site storage, redesigning inbound and replenishment processes for improved efficiency.
- Niketown London
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
01.2001 - 01.2005
- Progressed through onboard roles across hospitality operations and inventory coordination.
- Built a strong foundation in discipline, execution excellence, customer focus, and operational workflows in complex, international environments.
- Gained early exposure to inventory planning accuracy, logistics coordination, and high-pressure operational standards.
Education
MBA - London
University of East London
London01-2008
Skills
- Strategic Workforce Planning
- Demand Planning
- Forecasting
- Inventory Planning
- Financial and Merchandise Planning
- Retail Operations
- Store Productivity
- Advanced Analytics
- Excel
- Power BI
- Senior Stakeholder Management
- Performance Management
- People Leadership
Languages
English
Proficient
C2
Tamil
Proficient
C2
Dutch
Elementary
A2
Spanish
Elementary
A2
Timeline
Strategic Workforce Planning Lead
NIKE, INC.
01.2018 - Current
Senior Retail & Merchandise Planner
NIKE, INC.
01.2015 - 01.2018
Merchandise Planner
NIKE, INC.
01.2013 - 01.2015
Store Planner
NIKE, INC.
01.2011 - 01.2013
Product Flow Manager
NIKE, INC.
01.2008 - 01.2011
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
01.2001 - 01.2005
MBA - London
University of East London