Adam Carlin

Driving OQEMA’s Flavour & Fragrance growth across North America, with full responsibility for sales strategy, key accounts, and business development. Based in the UK, I operate across time zones and travel as needed to ensure seamless stakeholder engagement, procurement oversight, and cross-border collaboration. I built and lead a dedicated US sales team, spearheading significant expansion in this key market. Key Responsibilities • Lead OQEMA Inc.'s Flavour & Fragrance sales team, setting strategy and managing daily operations • Oversee supplier partnerships, procurement, and supply chain to ensure continuity and best value • Execute North American business development in line with global goals and local market demands Key Achievements • Successfully transitioned business from OQEMA Limited to OQEMA Inc., relocating operations from the UK and establishing a foundation for exponential US growth • Recruited and developed a high-performing US-based sales team, enhancing capability and fostering a customer-focused culture • Implemented onboarding and operational processes to support efficiency, scalability, and long-term sustainable growth

Following wider integration within the OQEMA Group (one of Europe's leading chemical distributors), my new role encompasses the same responsibilities as previously, whilst also collaborating more closely with our other business units. My aim is to expand our footprint as a whole in North America, managing the supply chain, contracts, overseeing our US team and growing relationships with third-parties. I lead our flavour and fragrance operations in North America, and am in charge of our annual sales budget. Key Responsibilities: • Manage the sales team for North America, setting clear goals and providing support • Lead on sourcing initiatives to maintain a stable supply of F&F products • Help to create and develop sales strategies for the company, exploring alternate markets, accounts and territories Key Achievements: • Risk mitigation, finding alternative sources in differing countries of origin • Expanded our USA operations, by onboarding two additional third party warehouse providers • Hit a record fiscal year for both turnover and margin

On January 1st 2018, Lansdowne Chemicals Plc changed its name to OQEMA Ltd: www.oqema.com I was delighted to become promoted to Commercial & Purchasing Manager, after more than 3 years experience as Lead Buyer. Due to increased sales and exposure in the North American market, I became responsible for the overall procurement to North America, whilst also determining the sales strategy for our flavour and fragrance ingredients. This has enabled me to work even closer with other global entities, both internally and externally, including bidding on global RFQs and e-sourcing events for our multinational clients. Emerged in the role, I have aided product development and taken on the sourcing responsibility for a wider range of raw materials, including natural aroma chemicals, and essential oils. Key Responsibilities: • Conduct visits at manufacturing sites, to gain knowledge of the processes first-hand • Anticipate when product supply may be limited at source, and act upon it quickly • Grow existing customer spends, and develop the sales product portfolio Key Achievements: • Produced quality market reports, for distribution to customers and internal global sales staff • Established new business with key accounts in North America, in multiple states • Sourced new primaries to provide cost saving, and safeguard supply of critical products

In December 2014, I joined our North American Sales Manger - Dean Matienzo - visiting U.S. customers in person. After many years of building up a close relationship over emails, it was great to put "a face to the name" with so many contacts, and to also learn aside Dean, who has a wide experience in this industry. Myself and Dean arranged regular customer meetings within the U.S. With my knowledge of the Asian markets, and information from our own suppliers, I added diversity to sales visits, by communicating any forthcoming issues or updates about raw materials and ingredients, directly to our clients. Key Responsibilities: • Keep a tight control on stock levels, for all aroma ingredients • Anticipate when product supply may be limited at source, and act upon it quickly • Provide accurate information to our suppliers, about the direct needs of our customers Key Achievements: • Launched several new products in our U.S. portfolio, to increase revenue • Reconnected with former sources, and strengthened relationships with current vendors • Monitored market trends, and made crucial decisions of the timing in which materials are purchased, to ensure we remained competitive to our customer base

After thoroughly getting my teeth stuck into the purchasing side of business, I was promoted to Lead Buyer, for flavour and fragrance ingredients. Additionally, I continued to issue sales quotes, manage several customer accounts, and work alongside other members of the buying team, such as those responsible for essential oils and mint derivatives. Key Responsibilities: • Assist with I.T. training, leading any purchasing training within the company • Manage regular shipment consolidation from Asia, to optimise container space and costs • Regularly liaise with our European office, to gain a larger overview of the whole market, and to take advantage of some global deals (by occasionally combining our group volumes) Key Achievements: • Negotiated 6 and 12 month supply agreements, at advantageous prices • Successfully planned my first business trip to China in April 2014, meeting with over 20 suppliers • Established a freight forwarder in India, where LCL shipments were becoming so frequent, it made perfect sense to utilise FCL's instead, and therefore made significant savings on the landed costs

Following nearly 2 full years within customer service, my role changed slightly, still undertaking sales duties, with extra focus on purchasing. Working in both sales and purchasing, I gained a mental record of customer's ordering patterns, which really helped from a stock-management perspective. Key Responsibilities: • Spot trends in sales, and suggest stock positions for key items • Strategically plan the logistics and purchasing of chemicals and ingredients Key Achievements: • Increased sales within the UK market, following up on customer leads and enquiries • Helped deploy a new ERP system for the company (IFS) – where there was only a small team of employees handpicked for the task. This involved liaising with both consultants and employees, to help speed up day-to-day processes, as well as including tailor-made reports to optimise stock planning, and traceability of purchases and sales, which were ready for the go-live date.

With no prior chemical background, joining this industry was a big learning curve for me, but an exciting challenge as well. I have always had a thirst for knowledge, and a new world was opened up to me here! As well as adjusting to all the trade terminology, nomenclature, and product synonyms, I quickly established contact with many existing customers, and built up a rapport with them. I also took on additional duties, such as sending out samples, arranging courier shipments, and on the odd occasion, helped warehouse staff with a re-pack, if a customer was in dire need of a material. Key Responsibilities: • Provide back-office support, such as inputting sales orders, in a busy environment • Build relationships with existing customers, and promptly answer any queries, via phone or email Key Achievements: • Communicated professionally with a number of high profile clients, resolving any non-conformances and complaints, ensuring customer satisfaction was strongly maintained • Created prospects for the sales team, and attended customer visits in the UK with other staff members, generating in further business

Recently started a course in nutritional therapy