Sales Director
The Arab Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company (APM)
Total years of experience :23 years, 3 Months
The Arab Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company was acquired by Hikma Pharmaceutical Company in Jan 2008.
Inducted as Sales & Marketing Director and subsequently deputed as Sales Director of MENA region, after Hikma took over the Marketing Department.
Designation Chronology:
• Jan 2008 - Sept 2009: Sales Director
• Jun 2003 - Dec 2007: Sales & Marketing Director
Overall Responsibilities:
• Cultivating new business partnerships and developing existing clientele, understanding business challenges, making recommendations and tailor made strategies to achieve market leadership in MENA region.
• Developing promotional strategies to drive business and establish future growth objectives through geographical expansion, tender business and service enhancement.
• Facilitating the registration of corporate ventures by liaising extensively with senior level health and government officials.
• Prospecting, negotiating business partnerships within assigned territories, resulting in maximized revenue and business expansion.
• Overseeing and directing market research, competitor analysis, and retention monitoring processes and initiatives, enhancing product penetration into virgin markets and augmenting client base.
• Coordinating with departmental heads, country managers, for effective implementation and distribution of plans, consistent with sales/ marketing goals and objectives.
• Reviewing and adapting information regarding product innovations, competitors and market conditions to resolve problems, optimize strategies and market positioning.
• Utilizing internal and external resources, including key operations and sales team members, in evaluating and exploring potential business opportunities.
• Acting as the single point contact between various teams to ensure smooth execution and elimination of bottlenecks.
Key Responsibilities:
• Headed a team of professionals (operations & distribution etc) to drive sales as well as ensure smooth, cost effective, efficient services and excellent relations with company’s major business sources.
• Managed the overall sales activities inclusive of liaison and coordination with scientific offices of Roche and Astra Zeneca to ensure prompt support and smooth execution of sales activities.
• Formulated and implemented distribution campaigns and strategies targeting specific/ general market segments, keeping in perspective local and cultural perceptions through regular interaction with local distributors and divisional heads of the company.
• Conducted market surveys as a precursor to re-evaluate existing product range, and authorizing the introduction or purging of products as per their potential and profitability respectively.
• Ensured compliance with corporate requirements and led on commercial negotiations, which deliver both short and long term business benefits.
• Monitored, quality, product knowledge and skill of all team members, conducted regular up gradation sessions and awareness campaigns for both distribution teams and customers at all locations. Interacted with end-users and customers to track problems.
Inducted as Professional Sales Representative and crafted an upward growth curve to merit promotions to the position of Business Unit Manager Oncology / Virology -LEVANT.
Designation Chronology:
• Dec 2001 - 30 Sept 2002: Business Unit Manager Oncology /Virology -LEVANT
• Mar 1996 - Dec 2001: Country Manager, Open Care/Oncology - Syria and Jordan
• Sept 1992 - Mar 1996: Business Unit Manager Biotechnology/Oncology,
- Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Malta and Libya
• Jan 1991 - Sept 1992: Oncology Product Specialist - Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Malta and Libya.
• May 1986 - July 1988: Professional Sales Representative, Jordan
Highlights:
• Awarded with 'Outstanding Achievement Award' for the years - 1993/ 1996/ 2001 and Special Award Certificate in March 1989.
• Drove sales of Virology/ Oncology business in the LEVANT area, Open Care/ Oncology business in Syria and Jordan and Biotechnology /Oncology covering Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Malta and Libya.
Core Strategic Responsibilities:
• Designed customized turnkey strategic business solutions and indicators for diverse geographic locations, streamlined generic and regional business components.
• Established distribution networks for products and services in the entire region in line with company’s strategies, policies and standards. Explored potential business opportunities through network of alliances, partners and sales agents in the region.
• Assured that drugs are administered in ways that optimize therapeutic outcomes, minimize adverse effects, and are cost effective.
• Conducted regular field visits across all regions to gauge effectiveness of own promotions and also to evaluate competitor activities.
• Designed and developed innovative business practices and maintained relationships with key industry contacts in the region.
(Contd) Core Strategic Responsibilities:
• Drafted annual budget, affected cost cutting measures. Audited inventory levels, reduced costs, met target schedules.
• Actively focused on achievement of sales targets. Expanded business reach and proactively created new sales leads / opportunities.
• Conducted market research, competitor analysis and devised business/marketing plans to counter the same and penetrate markets.
• Analyzed CSF (Critical Success Factors) as well as feedback of customers and medical personnel to revise the business strategy, thus effecting higher levels of sales and achievement of company objectives.
• Recruited and trained middle level managers for all offices under purview and groomed a future core leadership.
Previous Professional Experience:
• Sept 1984 - Jun 1986: Medical Representative, Boehringer Engelheim International
• September 1983 - July 1984: Sales representative, Henry Marroum& Sons (Medical equipment).
• 1981 - 1983: Military service.
Professional Trainings & Certifications: • Territory Management - Walsh, Athens, March 1989. • Problem Solving & Decision Making - Kepner Tregoe, Crete, June 1989. • Oncology / Virology Courses. • Marketing Effectiveness - Cubeisy, Amman, August 1990. • Forecasting - Cairo, May 1991. • Physician Partnership Program - Innovara, HongKong, May 1992. • Presentation & Negotiation Skills - Merlin, Cairo, January 1995. • Management Course for the Newly Appointed Manager - MCE, Brussels, July 1996. • Building Strategic Partnership in a Highly Competitive Environment - Middle East Management Center, Singapore, December 1996. • Field force Management - MCE, London, December 1998. • Marketing management - MCE, Brussels, December 1999. • Territory management - R&S, Dubai, April 2000. • Coach the Coach - R&S, Brussels, May 2002. • The Art of Effective Communication - E.W., Amman, February 2006. • Leadership – Part One - E.W., Amman, March 2006. • Advanced Leadership - E.W., Amman, February 2007.