Yaghoub Taghizadeh

Main Responsibilities:
• Reporting to area general manager
• Preparing quarterly and annual business plan
• Working closely with our regional team in Dubai
• Handling a team of 50 field forces and sales promoters
• Setting quarterly operational budget and KPIs for the team
• Setting quarterly sales target, KPIs and incentive plan (back end margin) for distributors
• Supporting distributors on service and following up their technical issues with regional office in Dubai
• Analyzing competitors’ activities and launching new product in a certain product price band
• Handling launch plans for new products
• Taking quarterly order from distributors
• Tracing distributors weekly sales and supporting them with sales promotional plans, if needed
• Coordination with distributors on the pricing
• Coordination with distributors on weekly payments and shipments
• Implementing Nokia distribution strategies vis our two distributors
• Supporting distributors to deliver sell in and sell through target by occasional incentive plans
• Supporting sales channels (retailers/wholesalers) to meet sell out targets by running appropriate promotional plans
• Tracing monthly achievements vs targets
• Daily coordination with distributors’ teams in Dubai and Iran
• Following regularity related subjects like SAR test and needed documents for importation
• Initiating marketing activities and proposing them to regional team in Dubai
Main Achievements:
• Starting business from scratch and setting up a fully functional team in one month
• Negotiating with potential distributors and making distribution contract with one of them and adding another one year later
• Keep running business in spite of all difficulties of international sanctions against the country
• Expanding the size of field force team to 50 people and covering 11 major provinces
• Using our FF team and merchandisers as sales men to support distribution
• Establishing friendly and effective relationship with our distributors and leading them in most efficient way
• Increasing market share and making Nokia number 2 player in mobile market in Iran (volume wise)
• Stablishing business in Turkey from scratch

DTA (Donyaye Tahrir Adrian) is the leading retail distribution company in stationery field which has been exclusive agent of Faber-Castell for more than four decades in Iran.
DTA also distributes a group of other international brands, like Schneider, Canson, Pebeo and Quilo.
Main Responsibilities:
• Preparing annual business plan
• Fully responsible for P&L (profit and loss)
• Setting Annual and monthly sales target
• Setting sales target per brand and product categories
• Preparing quarterly and annual order
• Setting annual sales budget (distribution cost, sales team commission, and etc..)
• Setting required promotional plans for different channels
• Tracing sales vs. target regularly and taking required actions
• Managing two separated sales teams and five international brands including 3, 000 SKUs
• Setting monthly sales target for sales managers
• Setting monthly distribution and channel development KPIs for sales managers
• Supporting marketing activities
• Holding regular cross-functional meetings
• To assure company payments
• To assure company profit

Main Achievements:
• Developing distribution channels (retail, wholesale and KA)
• Establishing a new sales channel (art galleries and kindergarten)
• Dedicating a new sales team and hiring new salesmen for two brands of our sales portfolio
• Setting new KPIs for sales team to assure all distribution aspects are covered
• Increasing distribution coverage
• Increasing number of sold SKUs per invoice per customer
• Doubling number of sales men to assure sales and distribution
• Controlling sales budget
• Customizing team performance by having daily and weekly route plans

Samsung Electronics, one of the world top ten brands has been present in Iran market since 1995 .Samsung Iran is a strong member of Samsung MENA region with around 15% contribution in total business. With five departments (Mobile, Home Appliances, Audio/Video, IT and Network)Samsung is the most well-known and preferred brand in Iran, as well as market leader in Mobile, home appliances and AV industry .Almost 50% of sales value and 60% of total profit comes from Mobile Department lead by me .As head of mobile I report to Iran President (Korean nationality) and manage a group of managers included sales managers, marketing manager, logistic manager, channel manager, solution /content manager and technical manager .Also we have five distributors which import and distribute our mobile phones in Iran market .

Main Responsibilities:
• Setting quarterly and annual sales target, (value, volume, products category wise)
• Negotiating and taking quarterly order from distributors
• Designing quarterly incentive scheme based on distributors targets
• Setting channel and distribution KPIs for each distributor
• Communication with head quarter in Korea about product portfolio, product production and logistic issues
• To assure distributors on time payments
• Tracing sales against target regularly to assure meeting sales target
• To assure company profit
Main Achievements:
• To meeting 2012 Sales target with growth rate of 40% in H2, 2012 comparing to H2, 2011
• To increase our visibility on distributors, supply chain
• To secure distributors profit
• New channel approach, retail dominance and establishing 8 branded shops in four months
• Modifying product portfolio according to market trend /demand and currency fluctuations
• Setting distribution incentive for distributors based on monthly sell out and market share
• Increasing brand loyalty among consumers, retailers and wholesalers by running regular promotions
• Preparing detailed marketing monthly, quarterly and annual calendar
• Holding regular weekly meetings with distributors
• Analyzing distributor’s stock level and supporting them to liquidate their over stocks with dealer promotional plans, ATL/BTL activities and etc.
• Regular internal team meetings to follow up running activities in each function
• Analyzing collected data by field force and retail audit reports and taking required actions
• Tracking competition activities and taking action accordingly
• Utilizing our filed force team of 80 people which reports to channel manager
• Channel dominance activities such as establishing Samsung branded shops

After one year being with Nokia, I was moved to Arkan Telecom, one of Nokia official distributors in Iran .Nokia has got three distributors in Iran. Arkan Telecom is a branch of Derinton International which is Nokia agent for UAE and Iraq. Arkan Telecom did not have any proper infrastructure in Iran and it was managed through Dubai team and stocks was sold there. My mission in new position was to make the company a fully functioning organization to improve sales by meeting Nokia requirements and standards.
Left company due to UN sanctions.

Main Responsibilities:
• Nokia main contact person in Iran
• Daily communication with Nokia management team
• Negotiating quarterly targets and KPIs with Nokia management team
• Responsible for company P&L (profit and loss) in Iran
• Reporting to company management board in Dubai
Main Achievements:
• To obtain importation license
• To establishing a fully functioning team by hiring sales and logistic managers, sales team of 20 people in different provinces and etc.
• Establishing sales office and warehouse
• Establishing distribution channel by focusing on both wholesale and retail
• Visiting 30 main cities and 300 wholesalers in a three month tour and preparing a reliable customer data base
• Increasing sales up to three times in one year time
• Achieving all Nokia quarterly targets and KPIs and getting quarterly full incentives from Nokia
• To make Arkan Telecom number one Nokia distributor in Iran in terms of volume and value
• To make Arkan Telecom number one Nokia distributor in terms of importation by having regular shipments to Iran
• To make Arkan Telecom number one Nokia distributor in Iran in terms of meeting Nokia requirements and standards

• Setting annual and quarterly sales and distribution objectives and KPIs for distributors
• Planning time to time promotion and incentive plans for distributors to improve Sell-In,
for wholesalers to improve sell -Through and for retailers to improve Sell-Out figures.
• I have three subordinates (general retail manager, retail analyst and training manager)
who reports to me directly.
• Managing a field force team of 50 people who take care of our field related activities such
as data collection, sell out figures, training trade and merchandising, this team reports to
my retail manager
• Cross-functional working with Sales, Marketing, Care and Operator account manager and
giving inputs for their plannings
• Reporting to Iran GM as solid line manager and MEA sales manager as dotted manager
based in head office in Dubai.

Gallina Blanca is a Spanish company, one of the pioneers in food industry such as dehydrated and ready soups, bouillon and stock cubes, noodle, pasta, sauce etc. present in almost 70 markets worldwide.
Main Responsibilities:
• In my position I was responsible for A to Z of our business in Iran
• Sales forecast, order placement and shipment,
• Marketing activities
• Preparing annual business plan
• Managing two subordinates of marketing manager and merchandising manager who has got 15 merchandisers in Tehran and provinces.
• Working with a local integrated distributor which imports and distributes our products in Iran having 12 branches in country.
• Setting annual and monthly sales and coverage target for distributor.
• Planning trade promotion and sales force incentive plans for improving sales and distribution
Main Achievements:
• Obtaining MOH (ministry of health) and MOC (ministry of commerce) import licenses
• Negotiating with several potential distributors and making distribution contract with one of them (Royal Pishgame Shargh), soul agent of some other international brands such as Super-Max world, Himalia, Evyab, Energizer, Johnson and Johnson and etc.
• Securing company payment with finding a distributor who is opening L/C in an International bank.
• Hiring my two subordinates of marketing manager and merchandising manager and establishing merchandising team and Gallina Blanca Iran office
• Market share of 38%, numeric distribution of 57% and weighted distribution of 72% in the first year of launching our products. (according to retail audit report)
• Using our merchandisers as cash sales men in Tehran and Tabriz to improve distribution coverage and availability, on top of their merchandising and in-store activities.
• Establishing friendly and effective relationship with our distributor

British American Tobacco is the second largest in tobacco industry in the world, holding international brands such as Dunhill, Kent and Pall Mall. Our scope of business in Iran was 10 billion sticks per year with turnover of over 400M$ annually.


Main Responsibilities:
• I was one of the pioneers who joined BAT Iran.
• I started my job as TMR (trade marketing representative) based in Tehran
• After 15 months once the team established I got promotion as trade marketing and distribution area manager responsible for western provinces of Tehran
• I had the same position in north (Caspian Sea) and south of country (Shiraz) for three years reporting to head of trade and marketing who was an Expad.
• Managing a trade marketing team of 6-7 people and assuring product availability and visibility in channel
• Managing distribution and sales team indirectly
• My last position before leaving company was national key account manager based in head office, Tehran


Main achievements:
• Managing retail census projects and outlets classifications in Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas and Rasht
• Establishing two local offices in Karaj and Shiraz, and hiring the teams
• Installing 1300 big stands in 1300 retails shops out of 2100 shops in Karaj
• Increasing brand availability up to 99% in Karaj and Shiraz
• Increasing BAT market share from 17% to 22% in Karaj
• Increasing BAT market share from19% to 27% in Shiraz in 15 months time.
• Training and couching my marketing team and sales team regularly and promoting 4 of them to management position
• Holding weekly and monthly cycle planning meetings with my team and distribution team and tracing retail audit report, sales and marketing activities.
• Becoming # one in country in launching two new SKUs in Shiraz, 67% availability in 2 cycles (months).
• Fantastic product visibility in 2, 000 shops in Shiraz
• Making Shiraz # one in terms of best selling and highest availability rate in premium segment
• Participating several international courses and improving my knowledge level and performance
• Fixed member of assessment team for hiring new staff
• Fixed member of team of trainers and facilitators