Elina Virchenko Email & Phone Number

Dubai, Ae

● Gathered steel market information regularly, interpreting and reporting on breaking news, market reports, commentaries, and pricing information.● Conducted research and analysis on steel market trends, pricing, and customer behaviour to generate compelling stories with actionable insights. ● Produced engaging and accurate stories that adhered to journalistic standards of accuracy, impartiality, and accountability. ● Attended steel industry events and conferences, networking with industry leaders, market participants, and analysts to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments. ● Cultivated and maintained relationships with industry experts, opinion leaders, and key market participants to regularly obtain valuable insights and information. ● Worked closely with editors to ensure optimal presentation of stories, which involved verifying facts, selecting compelling narratives, and refining tone and style. Collaborated with fellow journalists and analysts to enhance the depth and perspective of stories.

Jebel Ali, Dubai, Uae

I was responsible for ensuring the timely and cost-effective procurement of materials required for the company's operations. Responsibilities: • Reviewed supplier agreements to ensure that contractual payment and delivery terms, pricing methods, premiums, surcharges, and extras were aligned with the company's goals and minimized risks.• Led the purchasing process by coordinating with production and planning teams, selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts, processing purchase orders in SAP, and arranging delivery and customs formalities. I also interacted with financial and documentation teams to schedule payments and LCs.• Managed contract execution by following up with suppliers to ensure that raw materials were delivered according to agreed PO terms, particularly in terms of LDS, quality, and quantity requirements. I also handled quality and quantity claims, if any.• Monitored and analyzed inventory levels of raw materials and consumables to maintain optimum stock and assortment.• Conducted regular supplier assessments and re-evaluations to ensure quality and assortment, timely delivery compliance, and cost efficiency of transactions.• Maintained purchase volumes, product mix, and buying price by considering pricing trends and cycles, key economic and market indicators, supplier sales strategies, competitors' buying activity, and supply and demand to achieve the best price for raw materials.• Represented the procurement department during third-party product quality audits and QMS, EHS, and sustainability certifications.• Worked out and successfully implemented the purchase cycle model based on price dynamics and market trends to reduce raw material costs.• Implemented and followed the ABC stock analysis concept to maintain optimum assortment range and inventory level.• Developed and structured supplier ratings based on product quality, size and grades assortment, financial costs involved in transactions, delivery time, overall supplier performance.

Dubai, Uae

OLVEL Middle East is a UAE based company working in steel and construction sector (steel and lumber (wood).Responsibilities:Steel billet trading, including sourcing, led the steel billet sales to the UAE customers.Recommended and developed sales and trading strategies and tactics for the region and actively participated in the planning process of annual business plan.Identified and developed new customers and target markets, managed customers’ engagements by proposing solutions and estimated resources required.Developed and maintained relationships with steel mills, stockiest, fabricators and end-users to generate sales in UAE and GCC.Provided marketing and consultancy services.Achievements: Established myself as an independent entrepreneur and facilitated the complete commercial cycle, including sales and procurement.Introduced and implemented new steel trade flows into the UAE & GCC markets. Developed new customers and achieved 100000 mt of sales volumes in a very short term (3-6 months).Increased market share of existing suppliers from China and Oman to the UAE & GCC region.In order to support the company's objective to increase market share in UAE, I reviewed pre-qualification documents and presented them to existing and new customers, analyzed and significantly improved the level of customer relationship management, identified and fixed sales flow blocks with immediate effect of 3,5 times growth in sales volumes archived in 3 months. Conducted a PR campaign on occasion of receiving Sustainability certification by CARES to boost the company's image internationally. Successfully handled product approvals and vendor registrations: consultants, contractors, governmental authorities

Dubai, Uae

Responsibilities:Participated in the start of the commercial production of Rebar mill and brand launch. Drove early engagement customer meetings to develop an understanding of customer’s needs. Converted leads into key accounts. Ensured customer satisfaction and SLAs were met.Local and international rebar sales and key accounts relationship management. Managed marketing, brand recognition activities & events, made press releases, handled PR campaigns to increase customers’ loyalty and brand awareness locally and internationally.Initiated creation of PQ document, handled vendor registration and approval procedures by governmental authorities, consultants, contractors.Guided and supported key traders in the brand approval process by contractors and consultants. Attended relevant meetings together with traders and independently.Coordinated company’s purchasing activity and represented procurement department during third party product quality and QMS audits by DCL, CARES, etc.Achievements:Coordinated development of rebar clientele from “zero” by introducing a new brand in a highly competitive & post 2008 crisis environment. Boosted the company image by implementing PR and marketing initiatives, representing it during the meetings and at the local and international events (conferences, exhibitions, etc.).Coordinated the creation of the profound portfolio of project approvals leading to increase in new brand material consumption.Developed new billet and HRC suppliers’ database and achieved target payment terms

Responsibilities:Conducted interviews to collect data, analyzed and verified commercial information (quotations, deals, production volumes, export sales etc.Produced daily and weekly market analysis reports and price assessments: flat and long steel markets of Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Iraq), CIS (Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Moldova). Attended relevant international industry conferences.Monitored the key steel market indicators and price drivers, sentiments impacting price direction.Proactively shared knowledge and best practices with the team.Achievements:Established long term and trustful cooperation with data providers.Improved the quality of articles.Expanded territory and depth of coverage and developed GCC market from Zero.Built an effective network of insights sharing & connectivity within the international steel market department.