Claudia Del Conte
About Claudia Del Conte
Claudia Del Conte is the Manager of Industrial Design - CMF at Spectrum Brands, Inc., where she leads teams in trend forecasting and operational excellence. With a background in graphic design and business management, she focuses on cost improvement initiatives and collaborates with global vendors to enhance product development.
Work at Spectrum Brands
Claudia Del Conte has been employed at Spectrum Brands, Inc. as the Manager of Industrial Design - CMF since 2005. In this role, she leads the Home+PersonalCare CMF teams in trend forecasting and operational excellence. Her responsibilities include managing the global Color, Material, and Finish strategy for several well-known brands, such as Black+Decker and George Foreman. She collaborates with Chinese vendors and factories throughout all phases of product development, ensuring that design programs are competitive in terms of features, execution, and cost.
Education and Expertise
Claudia Del Conte studied at Florida International University, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a focus on Management and International Business from 1996 to 2000. She also completed a year of study in Graphic Design at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale from 2003 to 2004. Her educational background supports her expertise in industrial design and management, enabling her to lead design teams effectively and implement cost improvement initiatives.
Background
Before her tenure at Spectrum Brands, Claudia Del Conte worked as an Assistant Product Manager at Cosabella from 1997 to 1998. She also served as a Production Coordinator at Florida International University's Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology from 1999 to 2004. These roles provided her with foundational experience in product management and coordination, contributing to her current capabilities in leading design teams and managing product development.
Leadership and Team Development
In her current role, Claudia Del Conte leads a team of designers, focusing on their professional growth and development through training and project experience. She drafts the department budget, supervises expenses, and ensures compliance with budgetary constraints. Her leadership style emphasizes collaboration and mentorship, fostering a productive environment for her team.
Design Strategy and Market Focus
Claudia Del Conte concentrates on maximizing product platform variations through Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) strategies. She aims to cater to diverse regional markets, including North America, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Her work involves creating design stories, mood boards, and prototype samples, while staying current with trends in various industries such as fashion, automotive, and interior design.