Venkata Krishnan Ganapathy

Location: Chennai, India

Mob: +91-936**-*****, +91-936**-*****

Email: adpo0q@r.postjobfree.com

AREA SALES & TRADE MARKETING MANAGER

Enthusiastic, dynamic and dedicated professional, with over 20 years of experience in developing an extensive career in multicultural organizations. Expert at managing and implementing building blocks, Sales /Trade Marketing Activity Planning and Sales forecasting. Hands on experience in sales planning/implementation, Distributor margin and trade spend management and Trade presentations. Demonstrated experience in spearheading channel strategy planning trade marketing initiatives and Trade Marketing implementation.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Managed 175m US$ Business across GCC for Ferrero Products

Ability to reform and rebuilding the brand.

A proactive manager with core strength in leading development of the Sales Strategy to achieve defined business objectives across all product categories.

Channel Development across the Trade, JBP with key retailers developed.

A Dynamic communicator with the ability to own responsibility for the development, execution, and performance of all activities designed to increase presence and ultimate take-away.

A self-starter ensuring alignment across the Sales and Marketing departments on field sales needs and marketing initiatives, including coordination with Corporate Trade Marketing and budget management.

Strong interpersonal communication providing seasoned leadership in the translation and execution of the Marketing strategy into impactful programs.

Skilled in putting in place, monitoring and improving processes to link all Marketing activities with the activities of the Sales team. Work closely with the higher management to improve processes that link corporate brand building activities and Product Development activities with Sales activities.

Experienced in leading the Customer with Sales /Trade Marketing function including specific experience in evaluating the needs of the field and translating that into specific marketing programs

Proven ability and desire to help build a Marketing infrastructure, including processes, methodologies and tools required to drive Marketing effectiveness.

Proven success working in a fast paced environment where strategic brand-building efforts are complemented by hard-driving promotional activities.

TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) is what I strongly believe in. Have strong ability to handle and manage a team with my People’s Person Attitude.

Route to Market and Go to Market Implemented in Gulf/India.

Category Management for all the channels.

Managed effectively allocated Budget to manage the Trade Spend.

CAREER OBJECTIVES

Though my present assignment in the senior management position level, affords me with enough Opportunities to exercise my Sales and marketing leadership skills, and is rewarding, I still look forward to a change, in a progressive organization, where I could further come up by dint of hard work and Dedicated efforts.

EDUCATION& TRAINING

Bachelor of Science (MATHS), D. B Jain College,University of Madras,India

Masters in Computer Applications, University of Madras

Honors Diploma in Advanced Systems Management, Informatics Computer Systems

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Trade Channel Strategy Planning

Sales Planning and Development

Market Research and Forecasts

Operations Management

Trade Channel Development

Corporate Reporting

Effectiveness and Efficiency of Brand Budget

Flawless implementation

New Product Launches

Marketing Feasibility

Leadership Skills

Negotiation & Advise

Competition Analysis

Training and Development

Business Strategy

CAREER PROGRESSION

Regional Sales Manager KRBL limited (Feb 2021 to July2021)

KRBL limited(Leading basmati rice producer flagship brand India Gate and others)

Responsibilities:(Kuwait,Qatar,Bahrain)

Route to Market and Go to Market

Primary and Secondary sales

Category Analyzing

Distribution planning

Outlet development

Budgeting & Forecasting

ROI for the activities

ATL and BTL planning

Activities planning by channel and outlets

New product launches

Brand Management and Product portfolio

Category Management

Key Account/JBP presentation

Bottom up planning

National Sales and Trade Marketing Consultant(September 2019 to Jan 2021)

Responsibilities:

Route to Market and Go to Market

Primary and Secondary sales

Category Analyzing

Distribution planning

Outlet development

Budgeting & Forecasting

ROI for the activities

ATL and BTL planning

Activities planning by channel and outlets

New product launches

Brand Management and Product portfolio

Category Management

Key Account/JBP presentation

Area Sales Trade Marketing Manager/ (Ferrero Trading Lux S.A, Jan 2011 –July,2019

Location Dubai

Responsibilities:

Responsible for the P&L and ensuring sound financial practices with proven expertise in maintaining budgets, CAPEX and OPEX management and optimize expenses.

Actively involved in Market research and collaborating with head office in New Product launches.

Driving sales along with developing and coaching the team to work together in delivering the set targets.

Managing cross functional departments within the organization as well as the distributors across the region.

Spearheading a team of Trade Marketing Executives and BI specialists, conducting training programs for managers and executives at different hierarchy.

Analyzing A.C Nielsen Data for the region, selling sheet and argumentation preparation for the region, and argumentation for the sales team with the source data of AC Nielsen, MIS information.

Consumer Market Research-Kantar & Ipsos

Marketing Plan activation across the Gulf Region

Specialized in Spaceman Software (developed by AC Nielsen) for Planograms, engaging in canvas plan preparation in line with the region’s calendar activity.

In charge of planning, tracking and reporting on the status of POSM from the suppliers, managing on time POSM arrival reporting, repacking projects as per the display confirmation sheet while coordinating with the sales team.

Updating the activity performance during implementation period, managing sales folders, product catalogue, and presentations for major campaigns, selling sheets, category and arguments for trade negotiations.

Directing Planogram implementation, briefing canvas plan to the sales and merchandising team along while providing adequate training.

Managing selling sheet for the sales team, managing gifts for lower trade, update annual trade agreements and trade spend by outlet.

Defining special promo pricing/tailor made activities, analyzing and reporting sales and stock information along with activity efficiency.

Issuing new product listing in advance to avoid time delays in arrival and monitoring each field activity.

Distributor Management Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, working closely with distributors.

Trade Spend and Budget/P&L Managing of the respective markets.

Implementation of all the activities in the Main Coop & Top 50 Branches, KA, MT in Kuwait

Successful implementation of the RTM in the Branches.

Country Sales Manager & Trade Marketing Manager

Ferrero Trading Lux S.A, Apr 2008 – Dec 2010-Location Dubai

Responsibilities:

In charge of managing the sales and trade marketing operations of the firm in the Oman and Bahrain while collaborating with KSA, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Yemen.

Developed, planned, implemented and measured product quality, distribution, consumer price, visibility and display through all channels in Oman & Bahrain while developing sales competencies and every day sales activities.

Training people to Ferrero standards with help of our Ferrerita programs.

Directed the sales process, facilitated sales and marketing plan communication with a 12-month calendar for the trade marketing activity planning.

Handled sales forecasting on a weekly basis by monitoring market trends, preparing distributor activity plans and supply chain situation. Updated sales to trade forecast.

Collaborated between the firm and the distributor, developed and maintained business relationships while effectively managing sales and brand activities.

Engaged in day to day negotiations with distributors on investment and other activities while ensuring to involve key personnel in negotiation decision making.

Monitored the price list from FTL to the consumer to study and manage retailer margins, developed strategies to build effective strategies to improve returns and profits.

Created trade presentations for key accounts and wholesales while collaborating with FTL sales and marketing departments, participating in trade meetings with distributors.

Trade Marketing Manager & Sales officer

Ferrero Trading Lux S.A, Mar 2006 – Mar 2008-Location Dubai

Responsibilities of Trade Marketing Manager:

Promoted as the Trade Marketing Manager.

Sales and trade marketing strategy development: Engaged in channel strategy planning, development of building blocks KPIs per channel or type of POS based on distribution, freshness, visibility, price and display. Proposed and implemented tools to support strategic development of the retail mix, developed monthly and annuals sales activity and marketing support plan along with new launches and initiatives. Identified and confirmed marketing objectives feasibility for new launches and calculated the costs of trade marketing activities for brand P&L.

Trade Marketing implementation: Collected inputs and proposals on trade marketing activities while coordinating between sales and marketing departments, collected and analyzed data, defined promo pricing and distribution targets from key SKUs. Handled coordination between BTL in store activities, defined promoter system, monitored POS activities plan implementation and analyzed performance of the campaign.

Marketing Projects Support: Provided marketing support on proposal development through market tests, select distribution, consolidated market tests reporting and marketing competition reports. In charge of POS materials management, Sourced and most appropriate POS material to the National TM manager, managed external suppliers to improve and deliver POS materials, forecast, production and logistics efficiency with timing.

Sales Support: Provided sales support by developing sales tools, volume forecasts, trade expense forecasts for BTL while ensuring alignments of business objectives with management.

Trade Expense Budget Control: Proposed activity-based trade spending plan, identified marketing opportunities, and designed planograms, POSM and visibility tools.

Responsibilities of Sales Officer:

Handled POSM management by supervising the stock flow at distributor warehouse and follow up, coordinated with the quality auditors on display confirmation, collected feedback on implementation and coordinated with the sales manager and distributor if necessary.

Tracked daily display implementation, monitored POSM and maintained photo database for market display activities, managed the retail environment, market freshness and other building block budgets as per the QA report and report to the sales managers on issues faced.

Managed the channel data on all markets monthly, collected data and analyzed trade spend data, conducted trade visits and on job training for merchandisers and van sales.

Obtained lower trade outlet database, compared and improve coverage on lower trade, and monitored and implemented RSP across all channels.

Quality Auditor

Ferrero Trading Lux S.A,Oct 2004 – Mar 2006-Location Dubai

Responsibilities of Quality Auditor:

Handled the building blocks operations of the Ferrero systems, performed audit for the UAE, Oman and Kuwait.

Research on distribution and freshness of products, provided systematic information to the Market Information Service based in the headquarters.

Visited outlets and defined routing, collected information on visits, number of outlets, etc., to the updated to the system database.

Prepared reports for the quality auditors for the MIS department.

Marketing Services Coordinator

Ferrero Products, India, Oct 1999 – Sep 2004-Location India

Ferrero International based in Italy is a global leader in confectionary products. TicTac a mouth refresher is a leading brand of Ferrero International.

Handled: Panel Control, Distribution Panel, Merchandising, Routing, Sales control and Database.

Route to Market and Go to Market

Commercial Head

Vectra Systems & Solutions Pvt Ltd (Front line partners ofHCL INFOSYSTEMS LTD,) India,

Feb 1997 – Sep 1999-Location India

Administration in-charge

Pride Paints and Chemicals Pvt. LTD, India, Apr 1995 – Jan 1997-Location India

STRENGTHS

Dynamic Communicator

Strive for excellence

Amiable disposition

Team Motivator and Builder

Dependable personality

Conceptual and Analytical

IT SKILLS

Operating Systems: Windows 8. 7, Vista, XP& NT, UNIX & DOS

Software Skills: Basic, COBOL, Pascal & C

Packages: Dbase 3+, WordStar, Lotus 123, WordPerfect, FoxPro 2.6

Microsoft Applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook

PERSONAL DETAILS

Date of Birth : 4 Mar 1975

Gender : Male

Marital Status : Married

Children : 2

Nationality : Indian

Languages : English, Hindi, Malayalam, Italy (Basic Spoken)

Arabic (Basic Spoken)

Driving License : UAE and India

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