Area Manager- Oman
British American Tobacco
Total years of experience :21 years, 10 months
Job responsibilities:
• Implement the Trade Marketing & Distribution (TM&D) strategy by developing the operational business plan in line with the GCC guidelines aiming to achieve strong growth in the premium cigarette segment and close gap with competition to achieve market leadership position.
• Development & creation of specific TM&D programs based on Co- Plan for all channels (independent grocery, organized trade, key accounts and HoReCa) to achieve market volume and share objectives.
• Development and delivery of the market TM&D KPIs as per the annual operational plans (Availability, Visibility, Volume, Margin, Quality-Retail, Stock Levels etc.) and field force sales incentives and training.
• Manage an effective TM&D structure from a manpower and financial resources perspective to ensure set objectives are achieved on budget and route to market capabilities are in line with industry standards.
• Management and development of mid management team consisting of 1x Trade Marketing Manager and 3x Territory distribution managers through the distributor.
• Facilitate and manage demand planning and ensure optimum stock holding in the warehouse and in the market place (traditional & organized trade).
• Delivery of the Oman company targets and P&L driven from GCC targets.
• Contribute to the creation of yearly operational brand plans (Dunhill, John Player Gold Leaf, Rothmans) and implement all agreed brand activations and plans in the Oman market.
• Negotiate and work with KAs (modern trade) for implementing trading and yearly visibility trade agreements.
• Maintain a strong relationship with the distributor’s tobacco Division Head and GM.
Achievements:
• 2012: Oman recorded the highest full year growth at +9% (2011 vs 2012) for full BAT portfolio and +19% on global drive brands (Dunhill, Kent & Vogue) thus driving up premium share in line with strategy.
• 2012 & 2013: Achieved market leadership for BAT over Philip Morris in Muscat (Oman’s biggest market contributing to 55% of industry volumes) with December 2012 Nielsen reading at 47.2% (PMI at 45.2%).
• 2012: Increased trade market coverage by covering additional 259 outlets in the Interior and Coastal regions in Oman thus driving up product facing share by +2.1ppt for Dunhill and +0.9 for Vogue.
• 2013: Managed the first DR route reengineering in the last 3 yrs leading to an additional coverage of 157 outlets (10.4% higher direct coverage) and increasing volume by 1.2% on a monthly basis.
• 2013: have currently initiated several business development projects in military camps, cruise lines and up coming interior regions such as Duqm. These are under execution with an objective to increase volume and increase market presence.
Job responsibilities:
• Working with the UAE Market Manager and distributor management team to execute the UAE distribution plan in line with the end market TM&D objectives.
• Deliver brand and volume objectives within trade channels and key accounts through the efficient and effective utilization of resources. Primary focus was on the Abu Dhabi and Al Ain markets.
• Manage, track and evaluate the performance of the BAT Trade marketing team (in house) & the distribution team sitting with the UAE Distributor. Managed 4 direct reports.
• Drive the implementation of the agreed action plans i.e. brand and trade programs as per yearly Operational Plan
• Ensure that objectives in terms of availability, visibility, volume, margin, quality (e.g. RQI) and customer price of products are achieved for the market.
• Contribute to the demand planning and the monthly forecasting process. Ensure volumes are achieved as per agreed forecast.
Achievements:
• In 2011, delivered as per exceed KPIs in market share for key brands such as Dunhill (+0.7ppt at 5.7%) and John Player Gold Leaf (+0.4ppt at 7.9%).
• Integrated & trained the first batch of TMRs (4 nos) under BAT payroll in 2010 and implemented the new trade marketing structure under BAT for AUH/AA and then rest of UAE.
• Maintained and exceeded distribution KPIs (>95% distribution &
Job responsibilities:
• In coordination with the Chief Executive responsible for the development and execution of the marketing/sales program and brand marketing activities of six assigned strategic trade shows which are annually held at the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre.
• Implementing marketing plans as per allocated budgets and agreed objectives by delivering forecasted revenue and achieving profitability for each exhibition through available resources- people and financial.
• Tracking variations on sales and marketing initiatives and implementing corrective action for achieving bottom line targets.
• Designing communication messages for direct mailers, exhibition newsletter(s) and telephone reminder briefs.
• Writing job briefs and coordinating with various suppliers including the advertising agency, PR agency, printing houses and barter partners to create marketing collateral.
• Managing seven direct reports including project managers and exhibition sales executives.
Achievements:
• Independently rolled out new marketing programs for the launch of the Middle East Food Exhibition ’09 and Beauty Vision exhibition ‘09 - Channels’ first ventures into the Abu Dhabi market. Initial research indicated marketing collateral had been positively received by key buyers with visitor footfall increase by 9.5% versus target.
• Increased productivity (in terms of sales) overall by an average increase of 10.7% on sales achievement within the first quarter of taking over the new role.
• Focused positioning and targeting activities lead to a 12% increase in targeted trade visitor count for the PhotoWorld- Dubai (Dubai’s only photo show) exhibition concluded in April 2008.
Career development: Hired in 2004 as an Exhibition Sales Executive. Promoted to Project Manager in September 2005 (managing one exhibition). Promoted to Group Project Manager in September 2006.
Job responsibilities:
• To lead, manage and drive through the successful planning and execution of the entire lifecycle of each event under the assigned portfolio.
• Selling exhibition concept and positioning to various targeted multinational brand owners regionally and internationally.
• Working with and motivating various international sales agents to achieve territory sales target(s).
• Achieving quarterly sales targets individually and through the team for 4 exhibitions under the assigned portfolio. The portfolio included a travel retail & luxury product exhibition, interiors show, photo imaging show & a private label show.
• Assisting the management in designing communication messages for marketing communication collateral of the assigned exhibitions.
• Contributing to the overall marketing program by sharing feedback and providing suggestions based on client interaction and overall experience.
• Provide on site management and operational support to customers/clients/other staff members during the exhibition.
• International travel to Europe, South East Asia and the Indian Subcontinent to various competing exhibitions in order to establish contacts and network with stakeholders.
Achievements:
• Achieved the sales target of AED 275, 000 for 4 exhibitions individually within the first working year.
• In coordination with the General Manager & our advertising agency created and developed a new marketing campaign for repositioning and re-branding of the Gifts & Premium- Dubai 2007 exhibition.
• Developed sustained relationships with international agents and manufacturing associations for promoting our exhibition portfolio to international clients.
Job responsibilities:
• Promotion and selling the company’s unique 3D imaging technology (branded as “3D Magic”) to three major customer types; studios and photo labs, advertising agencies and multinational companies.
• After exceeding the sales targets with 3D Magic, was given the opportunity to sell our unique 3D outdoor signage, namely the 3D unipole to multinational brand owners, media buyers and advertising agencies.
• Coordinating with the production and creative teams in executing projects as per the client’s requirement.
Achievements:
• Achieved the distribution (50 outlets) of 3D photography (part of the product line of “3D Magic”) in the Dubai market in 1 month by procuring and negotiating distribution agreements with leading studios and photo labs in Dubai.
• Within 3 months of marketing the 3D unipoles, was able to close two contracts (i.e. the sale of 2 outdoor locations) having an aggregate net value of AED 1.1 million (Year 2004). These sites were sold to “Gillette” and “HP” respectively.
Job responsibilities:
• Conducting market visits and store checks in pharmacies and leading supermarkets in Dubai to check the availability of the infant formula products, their prices and competitors actions.
• Analyzing and interpreting qualitative feedback from pharmacists regarding the sales and promotional strategies of own and competitor infant formula products/brands.
• Directly reporting to the Brand Manager and the Regional Sales Manager.
Achievements:
• Inputs from the market facilitated the company in collating market intelligence (quantitative & qualitative) from the ground up (i.e. from purchasing influencers including pharmacists and store managers) leading to evaluation of standards and hygiene factors pertaining to product distribution and availability in the market.
Background: AIESEC is a multinational youth organization. Based in the Netherlands it has centers in 84 countries around the world and also has 30000 members worldwide. AIESEC’s mission is to exchange students from all around the world by providing internships in multinational corporations like IBM, HP, Citibank and Pricewatercoopers etc.
Job responsibilities:
•Raising and managing “traineeships” for various corporate accounts.
•Selling and promoting AIESEC, Dubai to various companies.
Earned an Executive Master’s in Business Administration (EMBA) specializing in Marketing from S.P. Jain Centre of Management (SPJCM), Dubai, U.A.E. SPJCM is an international campus of S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, India which is ranked amongst the top 10 B-schools in India. In 2004 it was also ranked as the 6th best MBA school in Asia by Singapore based Asia Inc. Magazine.
Earned a Magna Cum Laude (QPA 3.66)Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (BBA) majoring in marketing from the Emirates Center for Management and Information Technology (ECMIT), Satellite campus of Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont, USA. Some core courses undertaken during my study: - Introduction to Marketing, Marketing Management, Sales Management, Consumer Behavior, Web Marketing, Advertising, Strategic Management, Creative Problem solving and decision-making.
Passed the All India Senior School Examination (CBSE), Commerce Stream, Securing First Class Percentage, from THE INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL, DUBAI.