International Business Dev/Commercial Director

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Serial No: 7512

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Skills keywords: business development, commercial experience, leadership skills, marketing strategy

Short Bio:

International Sales & Operational Mktg executive with extensive Business Development, Sales & Sales Team mgt, Trade Mktg, Global Key Account Mgt and Business Unit Mgt experience in FMCG & Service Companies.
*Europe - Global Roles & Expat experience (Central Europe / Hungary).
*P&L responsability.
*Executive team member & Private Equity environment experience.
*Also, Non Executive board director experience at Rude Health, helping business growth from 2M£ to 5M£ over last 2 years with fast growth still ahead.

Current location:  Île-de-France, France - View on map

Preferred Sector of Employment:  accounting and finance

Spoken languages: French / English / German

Location I am interested in working: Anywhere

Education

2013 INSEAD: ‘IDP’ – International Directors Programme Fontainebleau

2008 INSEAD: ‘AMP’ – Advanced Mgt Programme Fontainebleau

1995 CORNELL University: ‘Food Executive Program’ Ithaca NY

1994 COCA-COLA Co.: ‘LME’ – High potential Leadership programme Atlanta

CHINA project: Sales Distribution set up in Beijing & Beijing

1978-1982 EBS, EUROPEAN BUSINESS SCHOOL: MASTER in Int’l Business (82) Paris / Wiesbaden / London

Non Exec. Board Experience

2011 – Current: RUDE HEALTH FOODS Ltd (www.rudehealth.com/ 650K£ in 2008 – >5M£ by end 2013)

Board Member NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR London

Member of the six-some Board of Directors since February 2011 (3 Exec / 3 Non Exec).

Recruited by Nick & Camilla BARNARD, the founders, to bring in International Sales & Marketing expertise and to support Strategic Initiatives to accelerate Growth Plans.

Goal: *Install Rude Health as an ‘umbrella Brand’ and multi sub-category player in Premium Healthy Food, beyond its original Organic Breakfast Cereal start up point in 2006

*Plan future Founders exit via PE firm or Industrial partner buy out or Strategic Alliance.

Professional Experiences

2003 – 2013: KETTLE FOODS Ltd (KETTLE CHIPS / 44M£ in 2003 – 110M£ in 2013) Home based

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR – CONTINENTAL EUROPE – BU Manager

Mar10 – Apr13: Taken over by DIAMOND FOODS / California – Accelerating broader brand presence into Europe & Mid East (12M€)

Sep06 – Mar10: Owned by LION CAPITAL / London – Targeting strategic brand development into select European markets (8M€)

Nov03 – Sep06: Owned by US Founders – Developing ‘from scratch’ Premium Kettle Chips brand presence into mainland Europe (2M€)

Mission: Strategically build up from scratch the development of the ‘KETTLE CHIPS’ brand from a UK based business to a pan-European expanding business by managing & developing partnerships and distributorships, and structuring the organisation across mainland Europe. Member of the seven-some Executive Committee since end 2005, initiate all relevant Marketing & Sales activities to install the brand long term on target markets over Continental Europe, generating solid profitability & creating shareholder Value.

-Top 7 country focus: The Netherlands / Belgium & Lux / Italy / Germany / France / Switz. / Sweden, (90% of business)

-Contracting new distributors or negotiating direct contracts with many Retailer Customers across Greater Europe

-Managing Brand communication via PR campaigns & the creation of a European website – www.kettlechips.eu

-Launching new Packagings & a specific European range across all territories

-Developing a dual Private Label & Brand Strategy

-Initiating all appropriate Trade Marketing activities to develop the business

-Recruiting direct support functions in Norwich UK HQ or adequately external consultants in local territories

-Additionally setting up new distributors in Spain / Portugal / Greece / Austria / Norway / Finland / Middle East & India

-Ending up managing, directly or indirectly, more than 30 people.

-Results: From less than a 1M€ business to 12M€ planned for 2013; with Brand presence now in above 22 countries.

2002 – 2003: STYPEN SA (Writing Instruments / 25M€, acquired by BIC end 2003) Burgundy

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR

Mission: Member of a four-some Executive Committee working with the CEO/main shareholder to re-structure overall Sales

& Marketing activities in France & Europe to plan a return to profitable growth & prepare company to LBO or sell out

-Co-managed with Chairman 3 subsidiaries (UK / Spain-Port / Italy) and closed down the 4th Germany loss making

-Managed the marketing team, an export manager and 3 sales managers covering 3 key distribution channels over the French market (Independent retail, mass retail market, BtoB publicity segment / ie 40 persons) to successfully implement

the first stage recovery plan

-Recruited new head of BtoB and new team to achieve new ambitious objectives on that segment

-Streamlined product range & contracted new licences (eg Warner Bros) and redesigned branding & packaging

to help stop market share loss in mass retail channel

-Unfortunately, Shareholders sold abruptly to BIC, rupturing recovery process & pact with executive committee

1991 – 2001: COCA-COLA System

99 – 01: CCHBC // COCA-COLA HELLENIC BOTTLING COMPANY

NORTHERN CENTRAL EUROPE Division Budapest (Expat)

KEY ACCOUNT DIRECTOR – Food Retailing & Petroleum

HUNGARY – Set up Key Account Customer capability & Operational Management of the National KA team

CZECH / SLOVAKIA – Commercial Strategic Leadership & Build up of KA teams

Over 3 Countries & POLAND – Customer Marketing System Capability & Process Development

Mission: Enhance the development within this Coca-Cola bottler of Key Account Customer Management Capabilities in emerging

& highly competitive markets: HUNGARY, CZECH Republic & SLOVAKIA

HUNGARY – Operational Management of the National Key Account Team (10 Persons)

-In 2000 managed revenue of 54 M Euros & gross profit of 8 M Euros representing 43% of the country Business

through 18 customers and 10 buying groups of which Cora, Auchan, Tesco, Metro…;

growing revenue +27% and gross profit +24%

CZECH / SLOVAKIA – Commercial Strategic Leadership

-Contributed to both KA departments Assessment and re-build up of KA teams

-Lead the coordination of Customer Strategy Developments on Int’l Retailers over the 3 countries

(Tesco, Carrefour, Ahold, Metro, Rewe Penny Market, Shell…)

Over 3 COUNTRIES & POLAND – Customer Marketing System Capability & Process Development

-Trained KA teams in 4 countries on Strategic & Conceptual Selling and RPA

(Retailer Profitability Analysis model)

-Built reporting & controlling systems to manage annual Customer Agreements

-Hired new Category Analyst in Hungary to build internal capabilities to launch Category Management initiatives

with selected customers

-Focused on coordinating Trade Marketing activities to maximize growth opportunities / Best Practice lead role

91 – 99: The COCA-COLA COMPANY – CUSTOMER MARKETING EUROPE Paris

Mission: In close collaboration with Coca-Cola bottlers across Europe / the World, manage and co-ordinate Sales & Channel Marketing Strategies towards specific Trans-National Customers of the Coca-Cola System

97 – 99: GLOBAL ACCOUNT DIRECTOR – CARREFOUR Europe / Asia / Latin America

-Co-ordinated world wide Negotiations and managed process leading to the first long term ‘Global Strategic Alliance’

with Carrefour

-Managed the global relationship & lead the development of business objectives and strategic initiatives to ensure

both parties maximise profitable growth opportunities across all Territories in the World

95 – 96: MULTI NATIONAL KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER – FOOD RETAILING Europe

90% dedicated to these 2 major expanding International French Retailers + Metro & Ahold

PROMODES

– Managed 1995 existing European Agreement (5 countries)

– Re-negotiated 1996 & 1997 European Contract while hiring replacement

– Renewed successfully this 2 year Int’l Agreement implementing measurable & stricter ‘Pay for Performance’ elements

CARREFOUR

– Started negotiation process over Carrefour’s first ‘Global Deal’ request early 95

91 – 94: MULTI NATIONAL KEY ACCOUNT & CHANNEL MANAGER – ON PREMISE Europe

-Managed the International Relationships, lead the Strategic orientations and implementation of European Marketing Plans with accounts from the Hotel / Leisure / Fast Food / Contract Catering / Cinema Channels eg:

* ACCOR GROUP (Structured Europe multi national Agreements)

* CLUB MED (Negotiated & finalised the first long term Marketing Global Agreement 94-98)

* QUICK (Co-ordinated negotiations leading to the first 93-97 Franco / Belgium Agreement)

* SODEXHO – HOLIDAY INN – ITT Sheraton – La CROISSANTERIE – MOVENPICK – UGC…

1986 – 1991: AMERICAN EXPRESS – TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES Paris

AMERICAN EXPRESS CARTE FRANCE

90 – 91: REGIONAL SALES MANAGER – Paris Region

– In charge of PARIS area , main region of 4 covering 55% of FRANCE Turnover

– Managing a staff of 13, the team developed the network of affiliated Hotels, Restaurants & Shops

89: PRODUCT MANAGER – France

– Defined and implemented the 1989 ‘Take One’ new Card Member national marketing acquisition strategy

– Successfully managed an External Sales Force subcontractor with 30 Promoters (Budget of 1,5M€)

88: SALES DEVELOPEMENT MANAGER – France

– Structured and implemented an aggressive network development strategy affiliating Hotels, Restaurants,

and Retail industry establishments to accept AMEX Card all over France

– Achieved objectives controlling an External Sales Force of 50 Salesmen (Budget of 1,2M€)

AMERICAN EXPRESS AFRICA & OTHER EUROPE

86 – 87: AREA SALES MANAGER – 15 African countries and Turkey

– Developed the Card, Travellers Cheques and Travel Service points across the zone with 11 indirect staff

-Lead Business Development Initiatives Multi Country & Multi Industry: Hotel / Resto / / Leisure / Banking / Travel

1984 – 1985: UGINE GUEUGNON / (Stainless Steal – Arcelor Mittal – Aperam today) Paris

EXPORT SALES MANAGER (UGINOX)

Africa & Middle East / Central Eastern Europe

-BtoB Tender & Negotiations, of very technical Industrial semi-transformed goods

1981 & 1982: Various Int’l Business Experiences & Marketing Internships

– PHILIPS Medical System Commercial Financial Control – Germany operations Hamburg

– SOPEXA Promoting French Food products in The Netherlands The Hague

– Groupe TOTAL Petrol Station Development project over South Africa Johannesburg