Rajesh S Nadkarni

Managing operational setup and business development, leveraging procurement & supply chain expertise to establish a robust organisation to cater to future business growth. Successfully established the business from ground up to a respectable top line as well as bottom line within a short span of time.

Headed roles in 3 different areas of senior management, GENERAL MANAGEMENT Spearheaded management and operational leadership for Hong Kong and China particularly leveraging procurement & supply chain expertise to fuel business growth. Successfully engineered organisational restructuring to meet expansion and evolution needs, talent upgrade, formulating process refinement and renewed business strategy. Includes setting up of representative offices ground up in China (Ningbo & Qingdao) and building teams to cater to procurement, QC and QA functions. Collectively headed cross-cultural teams of 60 members and reporting to the Group CEO. PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Lead a US$150M+ procurement portfolio across regions through strategic vendor development, product identification, third party manufacturing partnerships, mapping innovative and efficient supply chain processes with specific cost & top line targets. Delivering procurement advantages to a combination of distributors, wholesalers and retailers. Managed multiple product categories including FMCG, Consumer Electronics & Appliances, Paper, Industrial & Power Products. Significant amongst these being, managing a procurement portfolio of 60,000MT Paper per annum & creating a strong foot print in FMCG. Created and implemented key plans towards an efficient end-to-end supply chain. Building strong relationships with shipping lines, maximizing on delivery options, constantly reviewing cost effective supply options and freight negotiations. Overseeing and advising customers on maintaining optimum inventory levels. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Renewed business strategy across Africa, expanding customer base. Worked closely with customers in emerging markets on brand creation, setting up of countrywide retail and dealer networks for distribution of multiple product categories.

Spearheaded a global procurement and vendor development initiative in FMCG and Paper with a revenue growth & product diversification objective. Was responsible for creating strategic partnerships with multi-national Paper Mills and FMCG vendors globally. Lead the development of Paper & Food divisions, with a primary focus on procurement. Successfully developed a FMCG product portfolio from customer collaborated market surveys, brand and product creation to vendor identification, strategic procurement and supply chain management, vendor audits and statutory compliance. Lead to the addition of a new product category (FMCG) and brand, converting it a significant top line contributor. Initiated an effective entry into Paper trade creating the most consistently contributing portfolio for the company in revenue share as well as bottom line. Built a strong procurement & supply chain base supporting distribution to West Africa by cultivating key strategic relationships with paper mills in Asia and Europe. Set up long-term business relationships, product/ market exclusivities, and credit lines with Paper mills across the globe. Fuelled a business growth from a start up to $20 Million per annum within 4 years. Currently is a 28% top line contributor.

Primary responsibilities of Procurement from the APAC region and business development across 10 countries in Africa meeting specific bottom line target for Consumer Electronics, Home Appliances, Power Products through B2B partnerships with distributors, wholesalers and retail chains, identifying and meeting their procurement & supply chain needs. Successfully developed and serviced a strong customer base across Africa growing the revenue share from 10 to 20%. Provided valuable business solutions to customers, including product development and branding options, exclusivity agreements with vendors, supply chain advantages, and trade finance. Created a procurement base across the APAC region to service the business needs through identification & development of vendors, product development, quality assessment, audits, and cost control. Added a significant amount of vendors and new products to the existing portfolio fuelling business growth.

Founded a start up operation in Ghana ground up, engaged in importation, distribution & wholesale of FMCG, Consumer Electronics and Appliances, Paper. Conceptualised and executed multiple aspects of the project including initial market research, business plan, company set up, infrastructure creation, team recruitment and development, banking & logistics relationships. Steered the company from zero to a respectable turnover within the first 2 years. Managed & nurtured a team of 40+, building a strong market presence through operations management, financial management, creating a strong distribution network & customer base, brand building, advertising and promotions, logistics, supply chain and inventory controls.

Responsible for B2B sales & business development of branded consumer electronics, primarily in the EME region.

Successfully developed business through institutional & exports sales of BUSH brand Audio & Video Electronics.

Responsible for sales and business development of ZENITH brand personal computers & peripherals, NOVELL LAN products.