Wesley Swart

Reporting to the CEO and COO of this industry leading Direct Marketing company, responsibilities include: - Conceptualising and implementing direct selling/marketing and brand strategies across multiple brands and a portfolio of 50+ products incl. website and social media platforms - Managing end-to-end international product sourcing incl. importing and related activities - Developing competitive product and deal costing/pricing structures to maximise profit incl. research - Financial management and model creation. - Overseeing/managing stock forecasting and ordering incl. budgetary control - Planning/managing/delivering improvement projects on time/budget and to specification - Driving/ensuring Quality Assurance standards across all products incl. local electrical/import compliance - Managing suppliers incl. international/local negotiations, contract management, agency, performance, etc. - Supporting large teams of sales agents (100+) with Product, Sales, Technical and Marketing requirements - Planning/managing/delivering all company events incl. 2-3 events p.a. with an average of 200 attendees ACHIEVEMENTS: Successfully launched two brands and conceptualised/launch the company’s 3rd brand; Negotiated with suppliers to secure a 5-8% decrease in annual product costs and increase profitability; Saving significant duty payments, correcting import tariff headings preventing +20% product costs; Conceptualised/developed/wrote/produced corporate videos with celebrity ambassadors for two brands; Grew business product offering by 25-30% through successful delivery of eight product launches

Reporting to the Director of this Sales and Merchandising agency, responsibilities included: - Overseeing effective in-store merchandising activities throughout the country for a variety of well-known brands and products incl. Proctor and Gamble, Maize Meal, and Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods (FMCG) - Implementing sales and merchandising strategies to maximise sales and gain forward share - Translating/driving client briefs into deliverable plans incl. relaying actions to Sales Reps and managers - Driving/analysing/reporting monthly sales and merchandising targets and KPIs - Analysing campaign performance and developing strategies to drive improvements - Relationship management of Principals incl. developing contingency sales planning, and feedback - Financial management of budgets and expenses to ensure effective use of available funds - Leading/managing large teams (350+) for 50 clients incl. performance/recruitment/training & development ACHIEVEMENTS: Established/developed a network of effective relationships with key senior decision makers at store level to improve collaboration and enable easier and more effective implementation of strategy/plans; Designed/delivered several comprehensive store-level merchandising training and development programs

Reporting to the Sales & Marketing Manager of this Home Carbonation Systems business, responsibilities included: - Managing overall account profitability in-line with strategy and key Business/Account targets - Performing sales forecasting incl. local requirements, and category/customer analysis - Managing products, pricing, and related activities to maintain and grow market share incl. stock control - Ensuring 3rd party Sales and Merchandising agents deliver in-line with strategy and performance KPIs ACHIEVEMENTS: Opened a new premium countrywide retail channel, supporting brand repositioning; Grew product range in 1 major retailer by 20-30% across various categories; Delivered a CO2 brand awareness campaign, increasing visibility and sales by 8-10% per month

Reporting to the Marketing Manager of this recognised and trusted SA brand retailer, responsibilities included: - Supporting all marketing functions incl. website content/maintenance, design of marketing materials, packaging design, product presentations, and producing/editing of TV commercials - End-to-end management of products throughout the lifecycle incl. research, development, and delivery - Managing international trade (import/export) incl. price negotiation and contract agreements ACHIEVEMENTS: Sourced and introduced a home DIY product the contributes ZAR1m+ per month in sales