Dr. Alexander Merklein

Geschäftsführer /Managing director @ jö Bonus Club

About

As a professional, I am recognized for my impact-driven leadership, transformative approach, strategic thinking, sharp communication, and unwavering commitment. Currently, I am the managing director of jö Bonus Club, Austria's largest multi-partner loyalty program, connecting over 4 million members with a wide range of retail and service partners. Within jö, I am responsible for CRM/program management, Marketing, Sales & Business development as well as Corporate Communications. Before jö, I was the divisional head of strategy, transformation, and CRM at BILLA AG, a leading Austrian grocery retailer. I led three dedicated teams: 1.) one team for the end-to-end strategy process, 2.) the other team led and supported strategic initiatives and transformative projects for the company and 3.) my last team and I oversaw all customer relationship management (CRM) activities to create a seamless experience for our valued customers. Prior to my current position, I had the privilege of serving as an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, where I worked closely with clients in the Consumer Goods and Retail sector across Europe. My focus was on various areas such as operations, transformations, and procurement strategies, both direct and indirect, to drive sustainable growth and efficiency for our clients. My academic journey includes obtaining a Doctoral degree from KIT, a M.Sc. in International Management from WU Vienna and Bocconi in Milan, and a B.Sc. from WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management. These educational experiences have equipped me with a diverse skill set that I leverage to contribute meaningfully to the organizations I work with. My goal is to cultivate a workplace culture that enhances individual development and performance while also unlocking value for the company. I believe that embracing diversity and inclusive practices not only drives innovation but also creates a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

Country

Austria

City

Vienna

Industry

Retail

Skill

Veränderungsmanagement, Unternehmensstrategie, Customer-Relationship-Management (CRM), Treueprogramme, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Management, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Research, Public Speaking, Project Management, Strategic Planning, Unternehmensberatung, Diversity Management, Management Consulting, Retail, Business Transformation, Leadership, Procurement

Experience

Geschäftsführer /Managing director

jö Bonus Club

2025-7 - Present · 1 yr 3 mos

Wien, Österreich

I am the managing director of jö Bonus Club, Austria's largest multi-partner loyalty program, connecting over 4 million members with a wide range of retail and service partners. Within jö, I am responsible for CRM/program management, Marketing, Sales & Business development as well as Corporate Communications.

Head of Strategy/Transformation and CRM

BILLA AG

2023-2 - 2025-6 · 2 yrs 5 mos

Wiener Neudorf, Niederösterreich, Österreich

Leading the strategy and CRM department with 20+ people and full budget responsibility for BILLA in Austria (>7bn EUR sales, 1.300 stores) - Leading a team that develops, executes and measures all CRM activities of BILLA in close collaboration with JÖ Bonus Club; the CRM portfolio includes special loyalty campaigns (e.g. community campaigns, sticker collection) but also mailings, newsletters and special loyalty shelves at the POS resulting in significant sales uplifts - Leading the strategy team who develops and executes E2E the strategy process from analyses, strategy and project portfolio definition to strategy controlling and communication - Leading a team of consultants who lead and contribute to key strategic projects of the company along the entire value chain (e.g., pricing, private label, store network, ecom, sustainability, plant-based concept stores, organizational structure) - Coordinating the change & transformation agenda for BILLA together with HR & communication

Head of Strategy/Transformation

BILLA AG

2021-8 - 2023-2 · 1 yr 7 mos

Wiener Neudorf, Lower Austria, Austria

Shaping the strategy and transformational projects for one of Austria‘s leading grocery retailers

Associate Partner

McKinsey & Company

2012-10 - 2021-7 · 8 yrs 10 mos

Vienna, Austria

During this position, I provided consulting services to top management of medium-sized and large corporations, with a focus on the Retail and Consumer Goods industry. The main goal was to drive transformations and unlock potential along the entire value chain (e.g., procurement, logistics, digital). - Evaluated, devised, and executed strategies to enhance business performance for renowned multinational firms - Collaborated closely with top-level executives to ensure a positive impact and lasting results - Fostered strong relationships and developed loyal followership among the organization's stakeholders - Led teams both at McKinsey and within the client companies to effectively deliver projects and enhance capabilities - Created several publications of knowledge topics in the area of consumer and purchasing - Leader of the European Service Line for all topics related to retail procurement - Member of the interview team for hiring consultants

Marketing for Kérastate, Shu Uemura & Kéraskin (internship)

L'Oréal

2012-1 - 2012-6 · 6 mos

Vienna, Austria

Responsible for boosting the brand image of the luxury brands Kérastase, Shu Uemura & Kéraskin by organizing, developing and executing marketing campaigns. - Prepared product launches for all three brands - Organized and facilitated meetings for the marketing and sales team - Created various reports and analyzes