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I am Sebnem M. Kavalci, a seasoned fashion professional with 10+ years in global organizations, specializing in end-to-end product execution and strategic lifecycle management from design brief to bulk production. I have led a globally distributed merchandising team of six, setting clear priorities, ownership, and decision frameworks to keep development and production on track in fast-paced, complex environments. I excel at balancing cost, quality, and lead times by translating technical product knowledge into actionable trade-offs across seven global sourcing markets. I improved cross-functional alignment between design, production, and sourcing teams, reduced late-stage rework, identified early risks, and built repeatable workflows that boosted efficiency season over season.…I am Sebnem M. Kavalci, a seasoned fashion professional with 10+ years in global organizations, specializing in end-to-end product execution and strategic lifecycle management from design brief to bulk production. I have led a globally distributed merchandising team of six, setting clear priorities, ownership, and decision frameworks to keep development and production on track in fast-paced, complex environments. I excel at balancing cost, quality, and lead times by translating technical product knowledge into actionable trade-offs across seven global sourcing markets. I improved cross-functional alignment between design, production, and sourcing teams, reduced late-stage rework, identified early risks, and built repeatable workflows that boosted efficiency season over season.

Sebnem Kavalci Akbulut

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I am Sebnem M. Kavalci, a seasoned fashion professional with 10+ years in global organizations, specializing in end-to-end product execution and strategic lifecycle management from design brief to bulk production. I have led a globally distributed merchandising team of six, setting clear priorities, ownership, and decision frameworks to keep development and production on track in fast-paced, complex environments. I excel at balancing cost, quality, and lead times by translating technical product knowledge into actionable trade-offs across seven global sourcing markets. I improved cross-functional alignment between design, production, and sourcing teams, reduced late-stage rework, identified early risks, and built repeatable workflows that boosted efficiency season over season.…I am Sebnem M. Kavalci, a seasoned fashion professional with 10+ years in global organizations, specializing in end-to-end product execution and strategic lifecycle management from design brief to bulk production. I have led a globally distributed merchandising team of six, setting clear priorities, ownership, and decision frameworks to keep development and production on track in fast-paced, complex environments. I excel at balancing cost, quality, and lead times by translating technical product knowledge into actionable trade-offs across seven global sourcing markets. I improved cross-functional alignment between design, production, and sourcing teams, reduced late-stage rework, identified early risks, and built repeatable workflows that boosted efficiency season over season.

Available to hire

I am Sebnem M. Kavalci, a seasoned fashion professional with 10+ years in global organizations, specializing in end-to-end product execution and strategic lifecycle management from design brief to bulk production. I have led a globally distributed merchandising team of six, setting clear priorities, ownership, and decision frameworks to keep development and production on track in fast-paced, complex environments.

I excel at balancing cost, quality, and lead times by translating technical product knowledge into actionable trade-offs across seven global sourcing markets. I improved cross-functional alignment between design, production, and sourcing teams, reduced late-stage rework, identified early risks, and built repeatable workflows that boosted efficiency season over season.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Language

Turkish

Fluent

English

Advanced

German

Advanced

Work Experience

Global Merchandising Manager at COS

January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2023

Led a globally distributed merchandising team of 6; main coordination between Design, Buying, Production Offices and Suppliers; drove risk mitigation and escalation; designed structured workflows across 7 global sourcing markets; improved cross-functional alignment; reduced late-stage rework; built repeatable workflows and supported capability development.

Senior Merchandiser / Product Merchandiser at COS

January 1, 2023 - Present

Owns early-stage product execution including quotation, cost evaluation and supplier assessment; improves sample and lead times; strengthens price positioning; mentors production merchandiser; supports daily supplier communications.

Purchasing Assistant at COS

January 1, 2012 - January 1, 2014

Identified and proposed alternative development solutions, improving outcomes across price, lead time and quality. Strengthened early feasibility input for design teams, reducing development rework at later stages. Improved sample and early development lead times and overall price index performance. Mentored production merchandiser and supported daily supplier communication.

Production Merchandiser at COS

January 1, 2014 - January 1, 2016

Establishment of systems during brand’s first launch phase. Analyzed product requests to ensure clarity and determine which markets to develop. Supported product execution and production follow-up across global suppliers. Coordinated sampling, color and trim approvals to ensure on-time delivery. Conducted risk assessments and collaborated with cross-functional teams on issue resolution. Monitored order status to secure quality and delivery standards. Ensured smooth communication between production offices and design studios.

Trend Quotation Merchandiser at H&M

January 1, 2016 - January 1, 2017

Owned early-stage product execution including quotation, cost evaluation and supplier assessment. Worked closely with suppliers to identify optimal solutions balancing price, quality and lead time. Proposed alternative development options to mitigate risks and improve overall product outcomes. Improved sample and early development lead times and strengthened price positioning through structured quotation and supplier evaluation. Mentored production merchandiser and supported daily supplier communication.