Karim Merhi, Senior Brand Manager – Gifting & Sharing (Middle East)

Karim Merhi

Senior Brand Manager – Gifting & Sharing (Middle East)

Nestle Middle East FZE

Location
United Arab Emirates - Dubai
Education
Master's degree, MBA
Experience
18 years, 8 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :18 years, 8 Months

Senior Brand Manager – Gifting & Sharing (Middle East) at Nestle Middle East FZE
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • My current job since February 2013

Handling Mackintosh’s Quality Street, KitKat & Nestle Minis range
Direct reports: 2 Brand Manager & 1 Assistant Brand Managers

Achievements:
• Developed a portfolio strategy for the confectionary business aiming at rationalizing the tail portfolio and focus on the key must win brand, along with a 2 years action plan
• Set a strong 3 years plan, including I/R agenda behind Mackintosh’s Quality Street and Minis range
• Achieved record high shares during Ramadan 2013 driven by strong support plans and excellent in-store executions
• Re-launched Mackintosh’s Quality Street in the Middle East region, including recipe & packaging revamp, base portfolio optimization, product launches, brand architecture, communication and BTL support
• Led Quality Street’s global brand re-positioning, from a ME perspective, together with the global strategic business unit and the UK team including: brand essence, communication strategy and platforms, growth pillars and innovation pipeline
• Led the development of a new premium brand, in collaboration with the global strategic business unit, for the Middle East

Brand Manager – Chocolate, Cakes & PB (Levant) at Kraft Foods Levant (Cadbury Adams ME)
  • Lebanon - Beirut
  • December 2010 to January 2013

Handling Cadbury Dairy Milk, Flake, Cote D’Or & Tang
Direct reports: 1 Assistant Brand Manager

Achievements:
• Led the total business portfolio strategy of Kraft Foods Levant post its global acquisition of Cadbury
• Set the chocolate portfolio growth matrix (must win/ must compete/ harvest) and 3 years strategic plan
• Launched a productivity project for both Chocolate and PB categories to increase its profitability and enable strong investment behind it
• Launched the one of a kind online activation in the region, Flake Fashion Campaign in February 2011
• Re-launched Cadbury Dairy Milk with a new packaging and communication strategy
• Launched Cote D’Or Mignonette 2011 massive holistic Christmas consumer promotion resulting in record high market share for the brand, exceeding competition for the first time
• Designed and led the 2012 chocolate category workshop for the Levant region
• Led the launch of Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel in the Mashreq region (Egypt & Levant)
• Led Cadbury Dairy Milk’s mega promotion in Egypt

Brand Manager - Gum & Candy (Middle East) at Cadbury Adams Middle East
  • Lebanon - Beirut
  • September 2008 to December 2010

Handling Chiclets, Trident, Clorets, Dirol and Halls

Achievements:
• Supported the Category Head in the development of the Trident and Chiclets brand strategy in the ME (brand positioning and need state, price point, communication and innovation strategy)
• Launched Trident brand in the Levant reaching record shares, over-passing main competition in 12 months’ time
• Re-launched Clorets under a new packaging to uplift the brand image in accordance with the brand positioning
• Developed and managed a strategic plan for the transition of the Gum non-strategic brands under our core ones to maximize communication spillover and brand equity
• Developed the strategies of core brands in the GCC markets
• Led a regional project (MEA) to develop an innovative offering tailored for the region under Trident
• Assigned the value optimization (VO) leader for the ME to train and manage a cross functional team to work on margin enhancement projects

Marketing Executive at C-Food International
  • Lebanon - Beirut
  • December 2007 to August 2008

Achievements:
• Supported in the creation and launch of the Lily Green brand, a frozen vegetable range
• Supported in the creation of the Sirella and Adriana brands, frozen seafood ranges
• Led the development of the Siblou TV commercial
• Initiated the Siblou brand uplift, including packaging, advertising, promotion and environmental trademarks registrations

Account Manager at Dunes Advertising
  • Saudi Arabia - Jeddah
  • September 2005 to November 2007

Achievements:
• Led the launch of Limonado, a line extension of 7up, in Saudi Arabia
• Planned and executed sampling activities for Aquafina, Mirinda Sorbet and Pepsi Max sampling activity in in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait
• Pitched and won the 2008 Mirinda and Pepsi Max activities and launches (AOP projects)
• Planned and executed the launch of Mirinda Sorbet in Saudi Arabia
• Managed the development and implementation of Mirinda Superman campaign pan GCC
• Led the packaging transition launch for all Milupa baby products in the GCC and Levant
• Pitched and won the Milupa Cereal BTL launch in Saudi and Gulf

Education

Master's degree, MBA
  • at American University of Beirut
  • February 2012
Bachelor's degree, BA
  • at American University of Beirut
  • June 2005
High school or equivalent, Mathematics
  • at Collège Protestant Français
  • June 2002

Specialties & Skills

Portfolio Strategy
Project Management
Brand Equity
Brand Management
Marketing
Brand communication
Category and brand strategy
Brand Management
Project management
Brand activation
Portfolio strategy and management

Languages

Arabic
Expert
English
Expert
French
Expert
Italian
Beginner