Greg Buitendag Email & Phone Number

South Africa

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

Determines customers' needs and desires by specifying the research needed to obtain market information.Recommends the nature and scope of present and future product lines by reviewing product specifications and requirements; appraising new product ideas and/or product or packaging changes.Assesses market competition by comparing the company's product to competitors' products.Provides source data for product line communications by defining product marketing communication objectives.Obtains product market share by working with sales director to develop product sales strategies.Assesses product market data by calling on customers with field salespeople and evaluating sales call results.Provides information for management by preparing short-term and long-term product sales forecasts and special reports and analyses; answering questions and requests.Facilitates inventory turnover and product availability by reviewing and adjusting inventory levels and production schedules.Brings new products to market by analyzing proposed product requirements and product development programs; preparing return-on-investment analyses; establishing time schedules with engineering and manufacturing.Introduces and markets new products by developing time-integrated plans with sales, advertising, and production.Determines product pricing by utilizing market research data; reviewing production and sales costs; anticipating volume; costing special and customized orders.Completes operational requirements by scheduling and assigning employees; following up on work results.Maintains product management staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees.Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

As an Executive Head I was responsible for the successful leadership and management of the organization according to the strategic direction set by the Board of Directors and Shareholders.Responsible for the product strategy, planning and management the assigned portfolio.This was inclusive of value prop identification, feature definition and prioritization, P/L forecasting, pricing strategy, general management of development, go-to-market strategies such as messaging and channel, and general evangelism. This was back-to-basics, concept-to-launch, product management.Focus the team towards achieving sales targets.Prepare budgets and approve budget expenditures.Review financial statements, sales and activity reports, and other performance data to measure productivity and goal achievement and to determine areas needing cost reduction and program improvement.Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.Determine price schedules and discount rates.Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.Confer with potential and current resellers regarding solution needs and advise potential and current resellers on types of solutions to purchase.Manage staff, preparing work schedules and assigning specific duties.Establish and implement policies, goals, objectives, and procedures, conferring with board members and staff members as necessary.Determine staffing requirements, and interview, hire and train new employees, or oversee those personnel processes.Plan and direct activities such as sales promotions, coordinating with other business unit heads as required.Develop or implement product-marketing strategies, including advertising campaigns or sales promotions.Oversee activities directly related to making products or providing services.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

As a Senior Product Manager, I was responsible for managing a suite of complementary products and Product Managers. My primary responsibility was to define, implement and manage product strategies to achieve defined revenue and GP targets.Define and implement revenue growth measures- Target markets, segments & customers- New products/services - Existing market penetration- New markets etc.Ensure product attributes remain relevant to market requirementsRegular market and competitor analysesManage product pricing Product bundling Market researchAttend conferences and other industry forums to remain abreast of key industry trendsInteract regularly with customers to understand their experiences and product wish listsNew product developmentIn conjunction with internal departments, manage the development of new products and the roll out internallyManage supplier relationships:Partner Status and discountsNew Products And Product EnhancementsProduct Changes,• Process Changes,• Pricing Changes,Support ChangesIn conjunction with sales, define and manage the product sales strategyDirect,Channel Partners,Training and developmentIn conjunction with marketing, define and implement product specific marketing plans:Internal, customer and external marketing planning and activitiesCampaign management Accountability for product collateral - Product Sheets,Battle card,Price lists ,Proposal templates,FAQ,White papers /Case Studies,Technical specification sheets,Training Manual,Sales Presentation/s,Training Presentation/s

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

We were handpicked to start a new business division within a very successful Telco and ISP in South Africa.My role was to create competitive solutions for more than fifteen thousand (15000) existing end customers, managing customers & relationships, train and lead two hundred and fifty (250) sales executives and accounts managers consistently.I had to fulfill many different roles being a young business, it was all hands-on deck, in this period I also fulfilled the role of a pre-sales / solutions architect for the largest division within the group. I was the go-to guy for all video conferencing and audio-visual solutions, presenting to the top Enterprise customers, assisting all 50 key channel managers nationally by travelling twice a week to assist, support, train and sell successfully.The hard work paid off as this division became the largest CAPEX contributors in the business in a very short period of time, and I was promoted to Senior Product Manager heading the division up entirely.

As a Senior Account Manager my role was to maintain and grow relationships with large customers, while achieving an assigned sales and profit growth target. Reporting to the Sales Manager, I was expected to retain existing business, while pursuing profitable growth opportunities in assigned customer accounts. I was responsible for selling and supporting the firm’s complete product and service offering to an assigned set of named accounts, Focusing on customers with high-value, strategic growth opportunity, my most important customer interactions were face-to-face meetings. Retains and profitably grows firm volume, sales, and profitability through proactive management of assigned large-customer relationships.Penetrates assigned accountsSells the firm’s complete offering of products and services.Leads all aspects of the sales process, calling upon others to assist in solution development and proposal delivery, as needed, or as directed by management.Develops customer account plans for all assigned customers by leading a joint company/customer planning process that identifies relevant customer needs, prioritizes initiatives and company investments, and establishes a clear action plan for success.Proactively manages customers’ satisfaction and service delivery by anticipating potential service problems, and monitoring satisfaction.Manages assigned customers’ transition from the Business Development group during customer implementationAchieves assigned sales quotaMeets assigned expectations for profitabilityEstablishes customer account plans that meet company standards in all assigned accounts.Maintains high customer satisfaction ratings that meet company standards Completes required training and development objectives within the assigned time frame.Enlists the support of sales specialists, implementation resources, service resources, and other sales and management resources as needed

My role entailed building and maintaining strong relationships with key accounts. As a National account manager, I was organized and able to analyze performance metrics, I had good negotiation skills and the ability to foster long term relationships with customers to achieve set business goals.• Network with key customers to identify and address specific needs• Develop and maintain relationships with customers to ensure long-term success• Act as the liaison between customers and internal teams ensuring clients’ requirements are met• Identify and attract prospective strategic customers• Ensure brand consistency• Negotiate contracts• Collect and analyze sales data and trends• Maintain high customer satisfaction ratings, according to company standards• Liaise with Sales and Marketing departments to set and implement strategies for new products• Stay up-to-date with internal and external developments and suggest new ways to increase sales

Master Of Business Administration - Mba

Diploma, Networks And Microsoft Server

Diploma, Network Technician

Education record