Max Cataldo

Sales Manager - Wholesale & Distribution Division
The Açaí Spot, Dubai | Jan 2025 - Present
• Secured listings with leading retailers (Carrefour, Spinneys, Grandiose, Talabat, El Grocer),
rapidly expanding the brand’s UAE market footprint;
• Delivered record new clients acquisition sales in Aug 2025 - the company’s best performance
since its wholesale launch;
• Expanded client portfolio by 100+ active accounts, including premium hotels, cafés, and
restaurants;
• Boosted revenue per account by 25% via cross-selling and bundled promotions;
• Positioned the company as a category innovator by introducing high-demand SKUs;
• Built C-level relationships with category managers, negotiating rebates, promotions, and
competitive shelf positioning;

• Redefined KPIs and sales targets, introducing new SOPs for customer service and after-sales
operations;
• Directed a team of 8 sales executives and 3 coordinators, reporting directly to the CEO;
• Reactivated inactive accounts via personal involvement in site visits and client re-engagement
strategies;
• Conducted SWOT analyses of key accounts, unlocking missed cross-selling opportunities;
• Organized product showcases and brand awareness events at the company’s factory;

Key Achievements:

 Awarded a one-year contract with ADNH (Abu Dhabi National Hotels) for supply of bakery products which generated an average monthly turnover of AED 700, 000.00;
 Secured a 2-years contract with DWTC (Dubai World Trade Center) for events catering (achieved 13.8 million sales in 2022);
 Worked jointly with R&D department for the launch of seasonal NPDs within the operations of major retail coffee chains such as Costa ELR, Café Nero, Tim Hortons;
 Managed the day-to-day operations of the sales department (4 sales executives / 3 sales coordinators) - reported directly to the Group Managing Director (hospitality division);
 Responsible for setting up company’s business plan, sales team mentoring and KPIs implementation;

Established the new B2B Horeca division channel within the company from the ground
up; implemented SOPs and industry’s best practices across several departments in order
to streamline processes and improve workflows;
 Liaised with R&D / Marketing departments for conceptualizing and launching new
products and broadening company’s existing range;
 Teamed up with Training & Development Department for improving company’ SOPs
manual for staff across all the Zadina showrooms (company’s flagship luxury retail
brand);
 Led and implemented the production of company’s marketing collaterals; revamped
company’s current corporate gifts collection and store concept across all Zadina outlets;

Key Achievements:

▪ Consistently met and exceeded personal and team' sales targets by generating AED 8, 000.000 sales in 2017 in line with the divisions' predefined budgets;
▪ Finalised a one-year service contract agreement for customised hotel room amenities program with the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates worth AED 541, 000
▪ Developed a strategic partnership and awarded a corporate annual supply agreement with the Prime Minister's Office - Ministry of Cabinet Affairs worth AED 50, 000;
▪ Generated 74%+ increase in sales from existing/new accounts and secured the company’s top rankings in the competitive UAE F&B industry;
▪ Provided strategic guidance and direction for overall business growth across B2B Horeca / Corporate division channels by guiding the professional efforts of a team of 5 Sales Managers;
▪ Maintained a consistent, proven record of rapid account expansion by demonstrating multilayered efficiency in sales force mentoring, company's corporate SOPs implementation and by nurturing profitable vendor relationships with regional Hospitality key accounts e.g. Meydan Group, Marriott Hotels & Resorts ME, FRHI Hotels & Resorts, etc;

Key Achievements:

▪ Positioned the company's corporate brand within the hospitality and Government community by developing an aggressive marketing campaign through the use of newsletters, direct mailing, marketing collaterals and sales presentations;
▪ Successfully finalised an yearly contract for transportation services with Abu Dhabi International Airport which generated an average monthly revenue of AED 90, 000;
▪ Set-up company' Sales & Marketing action plans, corporate company's profile; developed and conducted social media advertising campaigns;
▪ Facilitated a team approach which led to achieving company's mission and objectives, increasing productivity and enhancing employees' morale;
▪ Assisted Operations Manager in overseeing day-to-day operations;
▪ Performed mystery shopping; understood the overall market scenario, competition SWOT analysis, economic trends of supply and demand and used gathered sales data to sell against them;
▪ Served as a point of contact with group's key senior decision makers and stakeholders in order to strenghten strategic relationship ties;
▪ Continuously focused on securing customer retention and increasing group's ROI;

Key Achievements:

▪ Promoted to Sales Manager in 2005 for outstanding sales performance by having successfully finalised deals for a value of € 80000;
▪ Established and nurtured long-term relationships with exisiting and new accounts which generated an increase of over 78% in company’s gross turnover;
▪ Managed, guided and motivated a team of Sales Executives in achieving their assigned monthly targets, ensuring enquiries were converted into confirmed business and new sales opportunities;
▪ Monitored, tracked and evaluated KPIs in order to ensure achievement of the team sales targets;
▪ Negotiated agreements; successfully sold new accounts through the use of consultative NLP sales model approach;
▪ Led the company in a radio advertising campaign for the entire product line;

Key Achievements:

▪ Responsible for developing the entire company's sales and marketing plan from the ground up, including presenting at trade shows and national conventions;
▪ Built brand awareness and drove sales of company's products portfolio in the market;
▪ Ran campaigns such as direct mailing/newsletter campaigns in order to generate new leads;
▪ Sourced and co-ordinated production of promotional and marketing collateral;