Assem Issayeva

Plan and allocate annual sales and trade marketing budgets across Modern Trade channels and customers; align with P&G senior management. Lead a Trade Marketing team of 5 (covering 8 product categories); train Sales Team members (NKAM, KAM) in Category Management, Negotiation, and Fund Management. Develop and execute shopper marketing campaigns in MT clients; manage budgets for multibrand corporate programs to grow in-store category performance. Lead projects to enhance shopper experience in retail stores. Oversee national and corporate promo executions, POSM strategy, and brand presence standards. Coordinate development, execution, and performance tracking of trade marketing activities. Build and control budgets for trade and consumer promotions to ensure efficient use of funds. Overachieved FY sales targets in MT due to effective fund utilization and risk mitigation across MT and TT during a volatile period.

Launched 13 new stores across 4 cities; developed tailored assortments and planograms based on regional specifics, resulting in increased customer traffic. Contributed to the development of the “Toimart” brand and introduced the FOOD category to the market, addressing key consumer needs. Signed over 50 highly profitable import contracts with suppliers from Russia, Turkey, Europe, and Kazakhstan, increasing the share of import contracts from 2% to 5% of total company turnover. Streamlined procurement, inventory, storage, and distribution processes for imported products, including the introduction of freezer infrastructure for frozen goods. Secured over $2 million in preferential financing to supply socially important goods at affordable prices. Achieved a 3.2x increase in DRY FOOD category sales and a 2.5x growth in profitability through efficient assortment management, renegotiation of supplier terms, and pricing strategy implementation. Improved on-shelf availability by ~20% through enhanced supply control and expiration date monitoring. Implemented penalty clauses for contract non-compliance, which improved supplier service quality and trade marketing execution. Optimized shelf space allocation: reduced fixed supplier shares from 70% to 40%, expanded product variety based on customer demand, and doubled supplier investment in the chain. Developed and implemented a “smart pricing” strategy for retail and wholesale channels using competitor analysis and Nielsen data. Oversaw trade marketing budgets, doubling supplier investment levels.

Led commercial divisions for key food categories (grocery, canned foods, confectionery, baby food, tea/coffee), accounting for 25% of company revenue. Managed long-term (6–12 month) sales forecasting and purchasing budgets; handled budget defense processes. Managed tenders and procurement for catering clients (e.g., CAC, TCO), ensuring long-term supply. Participated in product sourcing trips to Moscow and Düsseldorf trade fairs; negotiated volumes and delivery terms. Built and implemented strategies to optimize the assortment matrix, leading to company breakeven during tenure. Key Projects: Food2Go: Developed ready-to-go food solutions including equipment, lease terms, recipes, and ingredients. Supplier School: Co-organized training for 50+ suppliers with National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (Atameken). Re-Engineering Manager: Developed strategies based on market/ABC analysis to drive sales growth and profitability.

Managed the assortment for Household Chemicals and Cosmetics categories, including pricing, product rotation, and scouting for new items. Built and optimized the assortment matrix by introducing new SKUs and phasing out underperforming products. Conducted quarterly and annual negotiations with suppliers to agree on commercial terms (promotions, discounts, marketing bonuses). Reviewed and signed supplier agreements (supply, assignment, service contracts), including resolving dispute protocols. Planned and executed promotional activities aimed at increasing sales and profitability. Monitored settlements and ensured timely payments between the company and suppliers. Successfully launched private label brands in the category (e.g., tissue products, wet wipes), increasing the share of locally sourced products in overall sales.