Marketing Planning. Sales management. Opening new markets. Support in Organisational process.

Belcanto (www.belcanto-food.com) is a company which select and export specialties fruits and veg products from Sicily, mostly with destination in German market. Fruitec has also its own production of tropical fruits in Sicily. My role is focused on selecting products and suppliers and developing new projects.

Managing different projects in the agricultural and food industry in Sicily.Actually working on an innovation project aimed to produce and test ready-to-eat table grape innovative packaging in ATM.

PGI Tomato of Pachino Consortium, is a consortium of tomato producers and traders, born to defend and promote this specific PGI product. My role is to define marketing strategies, planning and organising marketing campaigns.

Managing of a start-up project for an Italian-Peruvian company based in the area of Piura, North Peru, that process and export table grape worldwide. In 2009's campaign has been set up a 400.000 $ business, up to 3 mln $ in 2010. The company now has a 200 has' property and 7 fixed employees.

In 2003 I founded Risorsa Cliente to offer Marketing and Communication consultancy and services to small and medium companies in Sicily. Job description: business plans; marketing and commercial plans; trade marketing activities planning and organisation; communications media planning; web marketing campaigns, telemarketing campaigns, direct-mailing campaigns; marketing research. Target clients industries: wine, pasta, fresh vegetables and food.Main clients: PGI Pachino Tomato Consortium, Fortunato srl, Quality 2004 srl, Puglisi srl, etc.

The project, coordinated by the local government, aimed to create a bulk of typical agricultural products to propose and promote to international market

Quality 2004 srl is a Rome-based company that markets fresh fruit and vegetables. Job description: planning and development of Qualex Project, a project aimed at positioning a selection of fruit and vegetable specialties, mostly with denomination of origin, in Italian supermarket chains. The key concept of the project is that the producer can show the quality of his products directly to the consumer. Qualex is a global brand that identifies different seasonal products during the whole year and as a part of the same concept. Five supermarket groups in Italy joined the project, which started in October 2007 with the creation of a special area inside the sales point and an in-store promotion campaign. A 50% sales increase in the Oct-Dec trimester was registered; a database of market and consumers' information was created; the trust of consumers towards the sales point together with the trust of producers to the project was increased. You can find details (in Italian) and pictures at: www.risorsacliente.it/CasoAzienda-PianoMarketing.asp.

Market research regarding market opportunities for the PGI Tomato of Pachino Consortium. The research included 2 steps: a Delphi Analysis including experts of the sector (buyers, retailers, wholesalers) and a Point of Purchase consumer test. Resulting in 23 reports for Delphi and 731 reports for consumer tests. The work produced a report aimed at strategically supporting the future marketing investments of the Consortium. The work has been published in local media (press/TV) and in national and international specialized papers. You can see the publication and the video interview (in Italian) at www.risorsacliente.it/vedinws.asp.

"Puglisi spa" is a firm producing pasta, based in Messina. Job description. Marketing Plan aimed at repositioning an old brand in the local market and operating with trade marketing activities in local retail groups.A weekly sales increase of 20% with the product at full price during sell-out periods has been registered and the brand has been repositioned in the local market area, retrieving information about the consumers. Link. You can find details (in Italian) and pictures at:www.risorsacliente.it/CasoAzienda-TradeMarketing.asp

is a firm producing pasta and based in Ragusa, which was close to bankruptcy. Job description. Elaboration and development of a plan of business cooperation between two Sicilian firms producing pasta, aimed at concentrating manufacturing in one factory. Results: the contract was signed two months later. Today the collaboration accounts for a 10-mln-euro turnover and the brand of my client is still on the market.

planning and implementation of Ortomì Project, fresh fruit and vegetables e-commerce project: elaboration and implementation of a business-to-consumer project, including planning a web-based platform and logistics and developing the communications media planning, including direct mail, web marketing and telemarketing. During the first year (2003,) Ortomi received 100 orders per week and acquired 70 new customers. Link: www.ortomi.it.

Fortunato srl is a company that produces, processes and sells fresh fruit and vegetables in Pachino. Job Description. As marketing and management consultant I defined a strategic plan aimed at shortening distances to reach the final consumer. Following this plan I implemented production contracts and quality control plans with small producer/suppliers; I trained the company for business relationships with big national and international retailers groups; I implemented an e-commerce project aimed at directly serving the final consumer. The company has acquired an entrepreneurial culture and structure and has become one of the leaders in the Pachino area. Link: www.fortunato-srl.it.

Job description. Distribution chain's planning and implementing for Cellaro Winery (5 million euros turnover). Sales goals have been achieved by 80%.

Business planning and internal organisation. Stock excess and financial deficit have been reset; productivity increased and sales goals have been achieved by 100%; a production plan for the next five years has been set down.

managing a project financed by the National Government, for the Ragusa area, including all the provinces of Southern Italy. The aim was to support local area firms in all kind of international activities (export, joint ventures, partnerships), to train a group of five young interns and to create a network of international service. A business plan for a new export services company for local industries has been implemented and four out of five trainees constituted a "cooperativa" with business connections to other related groups in the Southern area.

category manager of perishable food in a new multi-department store. Trained by a senior buyer for the first eight months, I improved my negotiation skills remarkably, closing 40% of the main contracts on my own. Good skills in people management, establishing priorities and taking responsibilities. My equable temperament strongly contributed to carry out the task of opening a new 5000 m2 sales point, although it seemed an impossible target at that time. After an eight-month training period, I could handle the perishable area on my own, managing relationships with suppliers, supervising the related departments, coordinating in-store promotions.

assistant manager in a Horticultural Nursery Plant based in Ragusa. Activities: personnel, production and maintenance management, purchasing management. A new Nursery Plant has been built with innovative technologies, in a joint venture with an Israeli company.

consumer surveys on the local cheese market (these surveys have been reported in scientific publications and exposed in various meetings); realisation of local marketing campaigns, including design of new packaging and brochures, meetings organisation, sales promotions; cooperation activities with farmers/cheese makers aimed at improving their market power.