Strategic Marketer with more than 6 years of experience

Robeel Rao

Career Summary

A highly committed, results-oriented team builder with over 6 years’ experience in strategic marketing, market research and business development. Accomplished Project Manager with experience in managing a diverse range of projects

■ Market Research ■ Marketing Strategy ■ Project Management ■ Market Analysis

■ Strategy Development ■ Business Development ■ Export Marketing ■ Business Consulting

Professional Experience

Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP), Regina, SK, Canada

Market Intelligence Specialist 11/2015 – Present

Member of the Market Intelligence Team for a Provincial Government Organization that provides global marketing opportunities to provincial businesses. Gather and analyze market information and provide recommendations and entry strategies to provincial organizations.

Work in conjunction with a number of business owners and C-suite executives to determine their needs in terms of market intelligence. Analyze the current product offerings and market position of each company and recommend market entry strategies in both local and international markets

Conduct market research studies using a number of popular paid and unpaid resources to obtain the most relevant and accurate information about different markets and industries. Experience in using a number of databases including Hoover’s (Dun & Bradstreet), EMIS, BMI, Info mine, Trade Map and EDA

Experience in working on a diverse range of projects including market entry strategies, market assessments, pricing strategies and market share reports and providing the findings and recommended strategies to executives, all of which resulting in a high client satisfaction rate

Work cross-functionally with trade specialists, trade sector directors and Market Intelligence director to develop and recommend tailor-made strategies for provincial businesses

Serve as a relationship manager and a primary source of contact for 10 provincial organizations to improve the service level offered as well as to identify the needs of the business.

Experience in analyzing research data and providing market intelligence to top level executives of organizations operating in different industries including manufacturing, mining, agriculture and technology

Refresh Inc., Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Project Manager (Contract Basis) 09/2015 – Present

Member of the consulting team for a consulting and business strategy firm that work on different consulting projects. Managed different consulting projects with on-time and on-budget delivery. Regular interactions with the CEO to develop the business strategy for the firm.

Worked on different projects including a digital marketing project for a hardware company aspiring to switch its current business model to an e-commerce business model

Canora Weaving and Manufacturing, Canora, SK, Canada

Marketing Manager 05/2013 – 10/2015

Key member of the management team for a manufacturing company that manufactures custom-made products for a number of industries. Developed marketing and business strategies for the company that were aligned with the corporate goals. Conducted a situational analysis of the company and developed and executed strategies which not only increased the exposure of the company but also improved the bottom line. Managed sales, marketing and business development for the company.

Reviewed the existing marketing and business strategy and modified all the aspects of it including product mix, pricing, distribution networks and promotional strategies, resulting in improved revenues

Increased sales by ~35% due to the new marketing strategy implemented

Identified new markets and prospect customers in current markets for the existing product line and service offerings using a number of market research tools. Helped identify a number of customers including one crown corporation

Assisted in increasing brand awareness by designing different promotional tools. Managed all the advertising campaigns of the company including selection of media, periodicity and the content of the campaigns

Collaborated with customers and suppliers to identify new product opportunities which were beneficial to both customer and the organization.

Analyzed the total cost to manufacture every product and identified opportunities to reduce costs. Help reduce the overall cost of two of the core raw materials by 20% and 30% respectively

Managed every aspect of new product development from product inception, need analysis, product specification to prototype development

Managed a wide array of projects including product development and market research projects

Robeel Rao Page-Two

Collaborated with National Research Council Canada IRAP program to identify new markets and work on R&D projects

Experienced in presenting research findings and project proposals to board members and other important personnel

Town of Canora, Canora, SK, Canada

Board Member /Consultant 09/2014 – 10/2015

Part of Economic Development Commission group at the Town Office.

Analyzed the overall situation of the town and recommended strategies to The Town Council which can improve the economic situation of town and attract new businesses

The Stirling Creamery, Kingston, ON, Canada

Marketing/Sales Consultant 09/2012 – 04/2013

Member of a group of consultants assigned to analyze the entire organization and recommend strategies to improve the overall standing of the business.

Analyzed the current marketing strategies and validated against current market trends by interviewing retailers and food service industry

Analyzed the current product portfolio both in terms of demand and profitability using both primary and secondary resources and gave recommendations

Evaluated the product portfolio against that of competitors using market research tools to determine a potential gap which can be filled

Assessed the company’s distribution channel including the supplier network and pointed out the inefficiencies

Shafi International Corporation, Karachi, Pakistan 06/2009 – 11/2011

Sales Executive

Involved in sales and business development of chemicals, dyes and auxiliaries used in textile industry

Led a team of four Sales Associates and managed the entire sales process of products from prospecting to closing

Mentored 6 sales associates and shared personal knowledge and acumen about the selling process from sales planning to sales completion. These associates are now sales executives in the company

Assessed client needs and recommended product offer exceeding the sales quota by 30% for two products and boosting sales of Rs.1million in 4 months

Negotiated price/kg with wholesale suppliers of dyes and chemicals after in-house testing results proved inconsistent with original resulting in an overall cost reduction of almost 5%

Benchmarked competitor’s products by reviewing their literature and developing a thorough comparison with Shafi products

Analyzed prospects’ current product usage and presented the alternatives of best Shafi products to QC managers. Convinced 4 mills to change their product line to Shafi products resulting in Rs.1.5 million in sales

Education

Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

Ranked amongst top 3 business schools in Canada

Master of Business Administration (MBA) April 2013

Specialization: Marketing and Operations Management

Mentor for the “Skills for Leadership” course for new incoming students sharing personal experiences and insights about the course

Member of Case Analysis Club and Schulich Marketing Association (SMA)

Textile Institute of Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan

Ranked amongst top universities for textile engineering

Bachelors of Science (Honors) May 2009

Specialization: Textile Science and Engineering

Highest cumulative grade point average in the discipline

Member of “Textile Research and Innovation Center (TRIC)”

CONTACT DETAILS

19603 Rippling Brook Ln,

Tomball, TX, 77375

*********@*****.*** / 281-***-****

Contact this candidate