As the leader of our sales force across Central Eastern Europe, I oversee a dedicated team spanning Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Countries of former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Our primary focus is on driving sales growth and market expansion within these regions with focus on Paint & Plastic Specialty Chemicals. In addition to managing our existing client base, I am deeply involved in cultivating relationships with new suppliers from Asia to address gaps in our product portfolio, ensuring we offer a comprehensive range of solutions to our customers. Furthermore, I provide crucial administrative support for our CRM platform, optimizing our internal processes and enhancing customer relationship management.

After returning to Europe, I had the pleasure of working as Global Sales Director at Völpker, a leading manufacturer of specialty waxes and leather additives. In this role, I was responsible for leading the global sales organization, focusing on developing and implementing sales strategies to drive sales growth and market penetration. My goal was to identify new business opportunities and strengthen existing customer relationships while working closely with the product development team to ensure our portfolio met the needs of the market.

As the head of one of Mexico's premier chemical distributors, I lead all aspects of profit and loss management. My role involved driving our commercial activities and growth initiatives, while also overseeing the implementation of Salesforce CRM across the organization. I closely monitored project pipelines for our suppliers, various business units, and sales territories, ensuring smooth operations and optimal performance.To enhance our organizational efficiency, I introduced Qlik Sense 3.0, a powerful business intelligence tool, allowing us to visualize key performance indicators (KPIs) across departments such as sales, purchasing, finance, and inventory management. This enabled informed decision-making at every level of the business.Among my notable achievements:Through a strategic overhaul of our commercial team and structure, I drove corporate revenue growth of over 15% in 2019, instilling a performance-driven culture within the organization.I successfully streamlined our inventory management processes, significantly reducing customer stockouts and inventory days by introducing bi-monthly Sales & Operations meetings and establishing a dedicated demand planning department.Through effective negotiation and collaboration, I secured new suppliers and representatives, expanding our network and market reach.I developed comprehensive growth strategies for new markets, resulting in the acquisition of strategic suppliers and the allocation of additional resources, driving over 20% revenue growth in 2019.I prioritized team-building initiatives and boosted employee morale by refining our hiring process, collaborating with Human Resources consulting firm Caliper to ensure we recruit individuals with the right skills and attributes for our team.I achieved and sustained a remarkable 85% customer satisfaction rate in 2019 through the implementation of a rigorous 9-step customer service process.

I oversaw the operational performance of our branch offices in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St. John’s, Newfoundland. Leading a team of 12 dedicated employees, I provided strategic direction and guidance. A key project I spearheaded involved establishing a new distribution hub in the Greater Halifax Area, complete with rail access and storage tanks, enhancing our logistical capabilities.My focus extended to driving process improvements within our salesforce and commercial strategy planning efforts, particularly in sectors such as oil and gas, water treatment, food, and plastics. Notable achievements include:Generating increased revenue through product sales to coal, gold, and fluorspar mines.Maximizing profitability by initiating new business partnerships with oil and gas service providers in Newfoundland.Transforming underperforming areas into high-performance segments by fostering a culture of creativity, implementing process enhancements, and prioritizing employee morale and engagement.

In my role as corporate legal representative, I made commercial management a central focus. I provided high-level leadership support to a diverse team of 33 members, ensuring synergy across functions and departments. Noteworthy achievements during my tenure include:Being acknowledged for driving commercial business growth across all business lines in 2014 and 2015.Spearheading annual corporate expansion efforts that resulted in over 20% revenue growth, particularly within the Agro and Food industries. This success was achieved through strategic investments, including the establishment of a new food warehouse and Agro facility, as well as the acquisition of reactor vessels for liquid fertilizer blends.

I effectively met budget targets for EBITDA, working capital, and free cash flow. My responsibilities included maintaining relationships with our current clients through direct communication with key accounts. To enhance revenue and profitability, I introduced customer stratification using the Texas A&M methodology, categorizing clients into core, opportunistic, service drain, and growth potential segments. Notable achievements during this period include:Being recognized for boosting gross margin points by 2%, achieved by increasing product sales to growth potential customers and reducing working capital by 8 days.Expanding our customer base by 9%, further contributing to our company's growth and success.