Head of National Key Accounts
AlSafi-Danone
Total years of experience :22 years, 9 Months
Key Accountabilities:
Define, implement long-term Category, Sales & Distribution Strategies amid Annual Sales Plans based company strategy.
Lead and guide the sales teams in translating Strategy into Business Plans and Go to Market approach within budgeted costs.
Prepare and maintain Annual Sales & Distribution plans to deliver budgeted Revenue, Profit, and Brand equity targets for the year based on category and channel potential.
Consolidate/evaluate consumer/customer insights for designing and implementing innovative action plans for accomplishing channel growth objectives.
Develop business forecast and assess market size for the brands based on collated market intelligence on competition and other historical data such as customer sell-out data (EPOS), AC Neilson reports etc..
Set up the National Sales Rolling Forecast Plan for product planning and designing national targets for the regional teams.
Enhance penetration across all regional customers by preparing model wise build-up for the optimal distribution.
Ensure effective dissemination of overall sales targets from the corporate level down to the Sales Executive levels.
Prepare and ensure compliance with annual sales budgets and internal operating budgets for maintaining organizational P/L.
Lead the Key Account channel by driving sales, profitability by optimizing the sales mix across all regions.
Assess the performance of brands, products, customers by region and address shortfalls through corrective action plans.
Set up improvement initiatives action plans based on the identification of relevant trends and opportunities.
Develop sales strategy at national level to ensure achievments of distribution and sales targets across Saudi Arabia.
Build and maintain productive business relationship with customers by leading the business planning and quarterly reviews.
Lead BDA negotiatings, budgets, product listings, store visibility for delivering the set target growth.
Conduct regular market visits across KSA, to assess the company’s availability/visibility and customer service levels.
Enhance visibility (Gondolas, Branding, Floor displays, Stands..) across all accounts. Conduct periodic spot checks.
Define road maps and put in place best practices, by identifying gaps/opportunities.
Enhance team performance by coaching direct reports, conducting road-shows, sales and merchandising coaching sessions based on the business and operational requirements amid opportunities.
Accomplishments:
Accomplished sales YTD (double digits), while utilizing the same trade budget, despite shrinking categories market trends and by resolving previous accounts issues with important customers.
Grew Market share (AcNeilson), increased revenue by driving top and bottom line profitability for Modern Trade Channel.
strategic Modern Trade customers with full and complete budget responsibility, target setting and achievements
•Ensuring all KPI’s are properly set to expedite growth by enhancing business performance ahead of competitors and market
•Building competitive and Strategic Customer Business Development plans with the objective of outperforming competition, by putting in place the required Business Growth drivers by account
•Leading and guiding the Key Account team to deliver and exceed regional sales and distribution targets
•Planning, setting and forecasting all targets by ensuring obejctives are delivered in full with the correct sales & promo mix
•Maintainning, optimizing the trade spent and budgets by ensuring proper ROI and efficient activities are executed on time
•Presenting monhtly/ quarterly customer Business reviews and putting in place corrective SMART action plans
Achievements
•Optimized the trade spent and generated savings which in return were utlized to further grow sales by customer
•Set the team’s objectives by ensuring adequate focus is given, where needed, by enhancing performance and results
•Grew the business with the same allocated budget by utlizing all possible tools and incurred savings
•Managed and organized business reviews to get aligned planning/ coordination which transpired into incremental growth
a competitive footprint for Strategic Customers along with Initiatives enabling Business Growth across channels
•minimizing business risks, both internal & external
•Develop direct reports and improve communication within KSA and the GCC
Achievements
•Managed to reclassify all customtrs by creating a pyramid heirchy and managed to finalize and sign all Key account contracts by optimizing trade spent amid generating savings and investing behind the right customers
•Re-organized channels and managed to gear up the Key accounts and Horeca by delivering double digit growth and achieving the yearly objectives ahead of time, all in all by winnig in the market place with the right customers
•Highest ever market share for BAT (AcNielsen) and especially for Key accounts, where helped in gaining market leadership
•Almost doubled the contribution of some channels
•Create a strong TM&D Infrastructure by developing Key Customers, optimizing Trade Marketing/ Retail investment Strategy
•Drive business focus to ensure optimal performance by getting insights and leading in the following areas of Sales and TM&D, Internal Reports, Industry & Other FMCG Insights, Political and Economic Overviews
•Lead the overall business & strategic agenda by being the catalyst and interlinking between departments.
•Develop the Retail Investment Strategy, Customers' Credit terms and control overdues
•Drive business focus to ensure optimal sustainability, ensuring the right controls & processes are put in place
all Sales, Local and International Business Development activities
•Manage a team of 6 Direct Reports and 250+ other employees in the Sales Organization
•Ensure all Sales Capability and Trade Marketing functions are geared up to support the business
•Deploy the Sales Critical Success factors in place and ensure the operations are in line with the sales mission
•Develop cross-functional leadership teams’ talents to ensure capability to deliver on key business objectives
•Open up new channels/ markets and adopt best in place models to acquire new businesses and grow
•Develop and nurture customer relationships to increase customer loyalty and be a preferred supplier
•Deliver top & bottom line through ensuring AOP is efficiently delivered.
Achievements
•Brought up best in class sales leaders competent to deliver, despite the challenging times in the markets (i.e. competition..)
•Achieved the highest Market Share growth on Rabea Tea (AC Nielsen Jun’15) & recorded the highest ever IMS (May’15 sales)
•Delivered record sales in food and non-food categories with enhanced focus and effective RTM strategy (Direct coverage)
•Attracted and hired talents to fit into ambitious business plan in a challenging market
•Revived relationships with dormant accounts and managed to get a major turn around and win win situation for both
•Managed to put in place new SOPs and reports to instigate & ensure we have the right sales discipline in place
Growth Path
•Jan’11 - Aug’13Business Development Manager (6 direct reports)
•Aug’13 - Mar’14National Channel Manager - General Trade (3 direct reports)
Job Profiles
•Develop & lead General Trade channel plans, capability building & projects by putting in place a full year activities plan
•Ensure the annual plans by region & sub-channel are in place and have the best in market execution
•Verify all channel/region (6Ps) & lead the channel blue print infrastructure with Catops & CM teams.
•Measure & review customer performances & adjust the plans accordingly to optimize spent and achieve targets
•Lead the RTM assessment & evaluation with distributor i.e. Outlet mapping, channel segmentation, coverage…
•Identify & mitigate distribution gaps & develop plans to cover requirements through the utilization of sales technology tools
•Manage the budget for the General Trade, Trade Marketing Investment & spending (loyalty programs, SFI’s).
•Assess infrastructure requirements based on market size, future potential, channel requirements & weight of business
•Develop sales fundamentals progression & development plans (coverage, distribution, productivity & visibility& NPI) based on the channel requirements and brand strategies.
•Develop the channel strategy & best practice and accordingly monthly briefs & communications
•Assess capabilities, skills & experience & develop the training required for the sales & merchandising teams
•Evaluate special projects plans & networks to further develop channels, and establish new channels operation by region
Achievements
•Assumed dual roles of BDM and ASM (Area Sales Manager in Binzagr) and managed to get a major turnaround to achieve highest ever sales record amongst all 18 branches
•Attained highest ever Market shares and regional awards (AC Nielsen Jun’13 Tea & Hair care)
•Revamped the team (phasing out old/ poor performers) amid skill assessment & trainings ensuring they are fit to compete
•Managed top regional customer relationships (Modern trade and General trade, Pharmacies, etc) to ensure best-in-class trade relationships in line with the companies standards of leadership to become the greatest execution power house
•Reached to highest distribution levels in general trade with the highest no of active customers by channel through proper and adequate visibility/ knowledge and focus on direct distribution amid higher drop size
•Achieved record sales for the West Branch in Binzagr (during the time of secondment) delivering highest ever record sales
& influence all Distributor teams’ (Olayan, AlGhosaibi, ALQurashi & ARROW) by delivering on the KSA strategies
•Formulate trade marketing plans with P&L accountability; POP execution, planning of trade activities by channel/ customer
•Forecast monthly and yearly targets’ setting by channel, and ensure achievement of shipments
•Plan the optimal “Route to market” to ensure excellence of execution and efficient trade coverage
•Develop visibility and merchandising solutions with the objectives of having state of the art, eye catching displays
•Ensure financial targets are achieved by optimizing sales portfolio best mix and optimal route to market model
•Plan execution & support for all of KRAFT’s brands & categories by ensuring in-market excellence in execution as well as identifying new opportunities and threats for further growth
•Optimize customer performances & business relationships across all channels (i.e. Customer business planning for all key accounts, annual loyalty schemes for the traditional trade, etc.)
•Manage distributor sales teams, set and ensure KPIs are met (i.e. coverage, distribution, strike rates, calls frequency, drop rates, etc.), business updates, competitor news, resolving key trade issues, business brand building programs
•Lead road shows to the all distributors teams, making sure that all activities and trade deals are in synch & fully understood by the team enabling them to achieve the overall targets
•Build & Synergize activities into the sales cycle plans by leveraging/ aligning distributors on the A&P
•Manage and consolidate trade marketing budgets and initiate & close reports related to trade & other promotions, stocks…
•Agree on concepts and influence distributors, including promotions in cycle plans and Key Accounts retail activity calendars’ & agree volume allocations per channel with all distributors
•Brief Sales and distributors on volume achievement, distribution, merchandising objectives and co-packing requirements
•Formulate trade marketing budgets, finalize agreements on Sales proposals including in cycle plan/retail activity calendars
•Lead Sampling Initiatives, select and brief sampling agencies and enusre proper ROI
•Manage the standard POSM Activities - including development of merchandising standards, steps of the call, score cards…
Achievements
•Grew OREO Sales & Market shares by expanding distribution and building the brand equity across KSA different channels
•Attained all time high branch growth for Olayan and ALGhosaibi in market sales and shipments
•Increased market share from 29% to 40% in a highly competitive Cheese market (AC Neilson Dec07)
•Leveraged RTM exercise to increase the drop size and route efficiency of the sales van operations amid reclassification of customers for operational excellence
•Created and launched the first cheese village concept across Key accounts in GCC and the region which was a model later adopted and rolled across the regions/ markets
(1 direct report)
•Jan’08 - Jan’09Business
Job Profile
•Responsible for NUTRITION portfolio valued at 45M USD (CERELAC, NAN, GUIGOZ, NESLAC) & MILKS portfolio valued at 130M USD (NIDO& NESQUIK) with 1 direct report
•Ensure the achievement of each category’s yearly volumes, NPS and RIG
•Accountable for the delegated marketing budget requirements (TCS= Pfme+TTS).
•Determine brand objectives, develop supporting strategies, implement brand and category specific action plans, identify new business opportunities to expand and further grow market shares
•Tailor category and channel strategies to country’s channel requirements and specifics
•Develop core distribution & merchandizing guidelines to effectively expand product distribution displays & sales targets
•Contribute to the product development process of launching new products (tasting, new packaging, forecasting) in conjunction with head office Marketing Department and factory duties
•Maximize market/trade development ensuring company products are merchandised according to company standards & strategies to ensure best in class eye catching visibility
•Plan and execute new product launches, phasing in/out of old stocks, trade stocks, etc.
•Launch K/A specific activities, tailored to customers’ requirements per channel (Retail, Pharmacies & WS)
•Develop thematic promotions (POSM to support communication at POP, sourcing premiums for tactical promotions)
•Provide on the Job training for: assistants and distributor via road shows and presentations / market visits
Achievements
•Grew CERELAC market share from 88% to 98% in a shrinking Infant Cereal Market (MEMRB) and highest ever CERELAC sales
•Increased Pharmacy sales volume market share from 86% to 97% (MEMRB) and record high CERELAC sales and distribution
•Instrumental in implementing Blue Bear Castle across Key accounts and thematic parks further growing equity of the brand
•Organized Nido Super Kid and NNS activations across key accounts, schools and exhibitions
•Prepared & participated in customer and trade activation activities - biggest displays across KSA in different trade channels
•Established Pharmacy Mystery shopper & thematic stand visibility across KSA enticing sales while abiding by the WHO code
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