Natasha Smith Email & Phone Number

Johannesburg, Gp, Za

South Africa

Overview:Marketing strategy, Innovation, Organisational competitiveness and Business optimisationFunctions & Responsibilities: Marketing strategy development, investment optimisation and idea generation, Innovation pipeline management, Consumer research, scenario planning for portfolio launch plans, Roi forecasting, pricing sensitivities, business case development, and stakeholder management.

Overview:Develop and execute an end to end brand strategy and launch plan for Carlsberg in South Africa aligned to global requirements. Functions & Responsibilities: Define brand positioning in SA alcohol landscape, Operations management including budgeting, procurement, supply and demand planning, building and maintaining an innovation pipeline for the Carlsberg portfolio, leading the communication strategy and content development (ATL, BTL, PR and digital), People management -managing a team of sales reps and brand ambassadors (particularly in the informal market), and spearhead the development of an appropriate performance management and reporting tool to be rolled out globally.Achievements:Development and implementation of new business performance tracking processLead the development, implementation and integration of the Ivy mobility tracking process for the business: a mobile application designed to enhance individual sales persons’ performance in trade by guiding sales calls, capturing business fundamentals (such as volume, availability, merchandising, pricing, promotions and space), identifying gaps at an outlet level and recommending next steps to raise the executional standard of every outlet. Results: Increase from 42 to 400+ outlets in the main market within the first 6 months.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

Build and maintain the annual brand strategies and design and manage innovation pipelines across the Global Brands portfolio Monitor and report results against the plan and make recommendations for course correction Own optimisation within the team, ensuring processes are aligned to the business challenges for best results, working with technical experts to design systems that ensure best in class tracking mechanisms that inform speedy, insightful and accurate decision making (iv) manage the capability and development of my direct team Achievements:Building a high performing team amidst a massive acquisition Keeping direct reports and indirect team motivated to support portfolio growth in both volume and profit throughout acquisition period. Running intentional and structured workshops around ways of working and team motivation to keep abreast on the internal and external challenges faced by the individuals on the team during a very emotional period of change and uncertainty within the organisation to ensure that we could support each other and triumph through the transition.Manage exiting brands which were sold to third party suppliers whilst simultaneously planning for launch of in-coming global brands under the new management structure of SABI held the critical responsibility of maintaining growth plans and execution on former SAB global brands Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni and Grolsch to ensure they would continue to grow and would not be sabotaged when sold to their new owners (Heineken, Asahi and Molson Coors) within the organisation at the time of transition of ownership from SAB to AB Inbev. Simultaneously I was responsible for the launch strategy of the three biggest new brands to enter South Africa’s International Premium beer market (Corona, Stella Artois and Budweiser).

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

Support the development and execution of the business strategy by delivering analysis and reports in a timely and accurate manner.Make recommendations for sustained business growth, produce and present business growth scenarios to senior leadership across the total business as well as discrete business divisions given different business challenges Act as an internal consultant to different functions within the business Support the teams in developing execution plans against approved business growth strategies.Achievements:Construction and sell-in of the 2014 ‘Strategy Refresh’ under the helm of a new Managing director One of my proudest career achievements- I played an instrumental role in the construction of the revised strategy given cross functional input at the most senior level servicing numerous stakeholders. My responsibilities included thorough analytics, scenario planning and opportunity quantification in partnership with lead global consulting firm Canback Dangel, the articulation of observations, insights and proposed future priorities, as well as the deployment and measurement of this refreshed organisational direction.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

Bring the brand to life by managing the creation and implementation of differentiated through-the-line programmes ensuring that business objectives are achieved.Achievements:Successful brand repositioning to return the brand to sustained growthConduct market research to develop a new and more relevant communication strategy and platform. Increased volume momentum from 3 years of stagnant growth (range -0.5% to +0.5% from 2008-2010) to double digit growth from 2012 for a sustained period (+7% 2011, +12% 2012, +11% 2013), moving the brand from 6th biggest beer brand in South Africa in volume share terms to 5th biggest.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

Act as the link between strategy and execution deciphering pure strategic objectives and translating them into actionsEffectively manage the brand budgets to ensure that objectives are met, with focus on optimising investment choices whilst delivering maximum impact Manage a team of touch point experts to optimally deliver against brand strategies.Achievements:Marketing mix investment optimisation tool developed and shared across CEEMEA as best in class Successful launch of Pampers Premium Care amidst world economic recession. Influencing global team to adapt marketing plans where usually plans are locked down 3 years prior to launch. Key change initiated and approved was to change launch pricing to effectively serve the country’s economic state which resulted in volume uplift beyond expectation at 159MSU volume vs target of 130MSU (22% exceed); Vol share +0.6% and Val share +1.5% in first 6 months, with corresponding profit achievement.Lead local marketing capability strategy and implementation in line with global designDesign and structure the local marketing capability calendar including must-have trainings as well as individual level training content. Establish and build the ABM New hire on-boarding process. Initiate the first participation for the South African MDO in the global Brand Building Awards (BBA 2009). Co-ordinate and roll-out the In-market Champions programme (developed globally and launched locally). Results: (i) 86% attendance of core trainings, (ii) MD approval of on-boarding process and implementation, (iii) 2 local brands entered into BBA2009 with Always Femcare brand winning in one of the categories of best local insight turned into action. (iv) 94% attendance of In-Market champions training with test results average of 77%.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

Haircare & Babycare

Master Of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Nexus Leadership Programme

Programme For Management Development

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc), Mathematics & Economics