James Drew

Principal Data Analyst

Costco Wholesale•  June 2021 - Present•  Sterling, VA

Developed enterprise-scale management tools, streamlining analysis and empowering stakeholders, resulting in an estimated $25M improvement in Apparel Net Margin. Delivered high-visibility reporting and analysis of Costco's competitive market positioning, directly informing strategic business objectives for Executive Leadership. Fostered a collaborative IT team, optimizing resource allocation and accelerating delivery timelines for enterprise-scale reporting and analysis. Joined forces with Business Unit Experts to rectify incorrect logic in system fact tables, improving data quality, efficiency, and reliability, leading to more accurate reporting. Served as a bridge between Business and IT, leveraging 14+ years of business experience to translate complex business requirements into actionable IT initiatives. Championed the integration of AI/ML technologies, advocating for new use cases to enhance business value.

Merchandise Data Analyst and Inventory Control

Costco Wholesale•  April 2019 - June 2021•  Sterling, VA

Collaboratively fulfilled ad hoc reporting and analytics requirements for multiple departments, identifying and eliminating inefficiencies to amend data quality and save an estimated $30 million. Redeveloped outdated reporting, leveraging cloud computing and automation to enable near real-time analytics and insights. Originated a US category comparison report to analyze and forecast sales and product allocations, improving company-wide in-stock status by 17% during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manager - Merchandising, Non-Foods, Foods & Sundries, Center/Seasonal, Front End

Costco Wholesale•  November 2010 - April 2019•  Multiple in the NE, SE, and MW

Supported sales growth and operational efficiency in various management roles, including Ancillary Business Manager for the Tire Center. Championed the development of aspiring leaders, resulting in 12 employee promotions. Led a team of 26+ employees to achieve the #1 Tire Center in the MW Region, increasing Net Sales by 27%.