Leveraging 36 years of overseas experience in 12 different countries, ready to speak or lecture to anyone interested in or preparing to work in a foreign environment. Cultural assimilation, understanding of international business principles, etc. all accented by experience and humorous anecdotes. With extensive experience managing Direct Sales & Distribution salesforces as well as sales through Distributors, also well versed in training and management of sales people at all levels. As experience is the best educator, ready to energize you and/or your organization leveraging the character building that amost four decades abroad living and working in five languages has done for me.

Ran a direct-distribution Sales Department of over 2,000 people to ensure maximized availability of our family of products. Included coordinating development & implementation of Trade Programs, internal training programs and managing succession planning. Continuous implementation of efficiencies, particularly with identification of new distribution models when DSD no longer sustainable. Coordinated with Marketing for implementation of legal-age-adult-consumer oriented programs. Extensive travel across nationwide sales network. Extensive motivational aspects to job over multi-level Sales organization.

In an Asia Regional role based out of the Malaysian affiliate, act as a consultant and project team member in various Distribution expansion and re-design projects. Current projects include distribution system rationalization, territorial expansion through wholesale-channel development, new-market distribution system definition and enhancement of the merged selling and retail engagement process from a single direct-to-retail sales force.

On temporary assignment from Switzerland worldwide HQ, provide tactical Distribution support to Latin American affiliates as needed while pursuing specific tactical-skill training more readily available in New York.

Coordinated comprehensive restructuring of distribution model and resulting impact on organizational structure, shifting from distributor operation to a mixed operation involving direct sales. Now maturing the model and optimizing Trade Engagement strategies to accelerate business development while simultaneously developing staff to strengthen succession depth and ensure future operations.

Responsible for all Sales activities and volume results over a force of 1,000 employees on Java Island.

Responsible for all Sales activities and volume results over a force of 1,500 employees in Central & East Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and all other islands east of Java in Indonesia.

Responsible for establishing the Key Accounts Department in HM Sampoerna after its acquisition by Philip Morris International. Involved extensive negotiations with major international and local convenience/mini-market chains and developing a strategy for the effective use of a limited budget to build HM Sampoerna/Philip Morris International's superior position in the Modern Trade in Indonesia.

Responsible for achieving sales volume targets through effective management of Distributor's Field Sales Force, implementation of Trade Marketing Programs to build retailer commitment and development of retail visibility/communications platforms to increase consumers' attraction to our brands.

Responsible for Asia Pacific Regional initiatives to maximize availability and effectiveness of information gathered from in-field Sales Systems to drive better performance. Also responsible for maximizing efficiencies in logistics and distribution structures to drive costs lower in this area for preferred spending in business building activities.

Manage Sales operations with all volume moving through a network of 25 distributors selling direct-to-retail. Accompanied by approximately 200 PM employees supervising distributor salesforces as well as performing Merchandising responsibilties. During period completely re-structured the network, reducing from over 50 distributors to 25 and streamlining the PM workforce. Volume and market share improved noticeably during my leadership of the Sales Department.

Manage two complex local distributors distributing PM product nationally, split by product portfolio. Given local cultural restrictions, consumer communication was executed primarily through a vast network of POSM requiring keen negotation skills with local managers of government-run "co-ops" as well as independent retailers. Effectively served as General Manager of the market, overseeing activiites ranging from HR, Corporate Affairs, Marketing as well as the regular interaction with local distributors.

Position at Regional HQ responsible for leveraging best practices in various areas of Sales and deploying/training across the various markets. Extensive travel and interfacing with local staff across multiple markets/cultures.

Develop Philip Morris business in multiple markets spanning a variety of models from local distributors to government monopolies. Included local manufacturing in Senegal which allowed exposure to principals in Operations and familiarity with the manufacturing process. At its largest, the territory included Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Extensive travel and widely-varying work environments and caliber of local partners.