Sales and Sailing
Sales and Sailing do not only sound similar, they have a lot in common. Both require teamwork, strategy and tactics, but also flexibility in a rough and uncertain environment and – last but not least: the ultimate will to gain success.
Track Record
Sales is the base of my job experience, but originally I was more into Marketing, which I was majoring in university that time. Then there was an offer at the bulletin board with job offers for students. Benckiser was looking for ambitious students, who can help out for half a year as an intern in sales. Challenge was to visit small supermarkets and gain distribution for detergents, household cleaners, etc. Offer accepted, rest is history.
Commercial Director D/A/CH
Company: Hallmark Cards, Aachen and Capelle aan den IJssel
Impact: double digit CAGR in a challenging market by leading roll-out of new product concepts and re-organising the business
Responsibilities:
- Responsible for Business in DACH region
- Leading an organisation with total 25 headcounts
- Roll-out new product categorie „giftpresentation“ in 2016
- Roll-out renewed „counterpresentation“ in 2018
- Top-level counterpart for key-customers
- Budget, Forecasting and Reporting to European HQ
Director Offline Sales
Company: mymuesli, Passau
Impact: Established mymuesli in foodretail Germany by driving customer base from #150 POS up to #2.000 POS
Responsibilities:
- Responsible for all Retail and B2B activities at mymuesli
- Recruiting and fostering a team of 14 headcounts
- Reorganized processes, aligned On- and Offline-Marketing
- Set up sales controlling, forecasting and D&A system
- Implementation of Sales Force as CRM tool
Key Account Manager
Company: H.J. Heinz, Düsseldorf
Impact: Grow business on a decreasing customer base by new business development
Responsibilities:
- National responsibility for private owned retailer group
- Running 5 of their regional customers and associations
- Develop new business, e.g. drink retailers and lump-business
Demand Manager
Company: H.J. Heinz, Düsseldorf
Impact: Establish „Class A“ awarded Demand Management
Responsibilities:
- Establish processes to align Sales, Marketing, Finance and Production on future planning
- Responsibility for the results of a 24 month rolling forecast
- Demand related risk- and crisis-management
Sales Controller
Company: H.J. Heinz, Düsseldorf
Impact: Sales Managements’ trusted man of the numbers
Responsibilities:
- Daily reporting: sales volumes and gap analyis
- Invention and implementation of new sales reporting tools
- Launch strategic controlling tools, e.g. Customer Profitablility
