Willem Wessels Email and Phone Number

I have been growing my existing sales volume over the last six years by constantly nurturing customer relations and grasping each opportunity for new business and sales within my existing client base. I also grew the business by converting customer leads into loyal customers and building those relationships through professional service, excellent business communication skills and a personal touch. Our clients range from enterprise-sized global food producers to retail preparation facilities to airline caterers My budgeting and forecasting submissions have enabled our finance department to plan capex outlay effectively, drive tactical decisions, outlay anticipated expenses and present our P&L forecast accurately to our board of Directors monthly. I form part of the management team that formulates strategy, which is executed through my Sales role. Negotiating pricing with customers forms part of my responsibility. This is done through thorough market analysis, by being familiar with the competitor’s pricing and understanding the input costs and relevant cost drivers of the product sold. My role as Sales Manager also led me to work closely with our Operations, Quality and Finance team, where I have gained valuable experience in understanding these business aspects on a deeper level. Problem-solving and finding solutions for daily work issues also form part of my role, and I ensure that the quality of service and product does not fall by the wayside. Continued learning is part of my work ethic. I have successfully completed courses in Financial Analysis and Operations Management to further contribute to the organisation outside of my current Sales Role.

As my first entry into Sales, I was tasked with managing key accounts in Gauteng, Free State and Botswana to sell the protein packaging solutions of the international company Sealed Air. My customers were the leading suppliers in Wholesale and Retail for the Beef, Cheese, and Processed Meat sector, with many of the products being produced for export to Europe, the Middle East and China. Managing and coordinating packaging projects with new and existing customers formed part of my responsibilities. My complete understanding of my customer’s business, extracting their specific needs, and supplying a solution contributed to my success in this role. I was included in Sealed Air’s EMEA 2014 Winning Performers Recognition Program. This award ceremony in Indonesia Bali recognised the best performers in Sealed Air’s EMEA Sales Force for 2013. I also attended Sales boosting sessions in Europe and attended sessions at Sealed Air facilities in Paris, Milan and Lucerne.

After completing my BCom Degree, I worked on a short-term contract for I.D.E., constructing Business Plans for emerging small businesses and assisting the Administration Department with U.I.F, Bank Recons and Payroll.

I completed an AVID software course in post-production digital tv editing and worked as an assistant television editor at The Refinery Johannesburg, being responsible for the first edit of each episode of Danie Odendaal’s TV Production “7de Laan”. Additionally, I was involved in the postproduction of many local and international television adverts edited at the Refinery. This allowed me to build a valuable network within the advertising agency space. Learning to work under pressure towards deadlines and guiding customers through the process of the work commissioned were some of the skills learned that I still use in my current role as Sales Manager.

After completing my three-year National Diploma in Jazz, I started working for the television production house African Pictures. I gained valuable experience working as the project manager/producer of many television and music video productions. This included arranging location shoots, hiring equipment, managing logistics, post-production, and final handover. Furthermore, I was part of the project management team that founded a record company under African Pictures. I managed and coordinated the recording, album packaging design, press junkets and promotional tours of four album releases. “WOEMA MUSIC” was nominated for a SAMA award in 2000 for best album packaging for the album of the acapella group “AFRIKA MAMAS”. The “Best Of” compilation album produced for Dutch singer Stef Bos was also well received and distributed by EMI record label. Also, during this time, I did part-time work as a stage manager for the Casper De Vries stage production “Wetter”.