Sam Gichiru

Key Deliverables  Spearhead sales activities and lead generation in the retail market across Kiambu, driving customer acquisition and managing engagement events.  Evaluate commercial and retail applications for Asset and Mortgage financing, ensuring viability and alignment with market needs.  Provide actionable insights to teams by analysing market trends and retail sales best practices.  Partner with marketing, finance, and sales operations teams to execute trade strategies aligned with overarching business goals.

Key Deliverables  Led end-to-end project operations from ideation to on-ground execution, overseeing cross-functional teams in Marketing, Commercial, and Supply Chain for Tusker Draught Beer and Gordon’s Premix over a 2-year period.  Managed commercial performance, resource allocation, and cross-functional coordination to ensure timely and efficient project delivery.  Managed project operations with an Agile approach, ensuring flexibility in handling market changes and delivering results in fast-paced environments.  Translated consumer insights into actionable strategies to drive commercialization and elevate execution standards.  Delivered key on-premise and digital campaign objectives, aligning with broader brand and business goals. Key Achievement  Successfully led to the relaunch of the Tusker Draught Campaign and led the end-to-end development and market introduction of two successful innovation brands Gordon’s & Tonic Ready to Drink Premixes, achieving high post-launch brand equity scores.

Key Achievements  Executed Route to Market strategies across three major distributors, while overseeing consumer-facing activations in 830 retail outlets across the Coast region. This effort directly contributed to achieving an annual turnover of KES 1.37B in FY 2019/2020.  Collected and analysed market intelligence through the Distributor Management System (DMS), identifying commercial opportunities and driving the successful onboarding of the system by the South Coast distributor, resulting in significant operational efficiency gains.  Conceptualized and rolled out tailored retail campaigns addressing specific business needs, leading to a 34% Return on Investment by end of FY 2021, despite economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Championed the professional development of four customer-facing salesforce staff through collaborated weekly coaching and performance tracking, improving the team’s performance index from 68% to 83% in just six months.  Supported career growth within the team, resulting in the promotion of two members within the same year through targeted development planning and performance support

Key Deliverables  Led the execution and driving of best-in-class Diageo Ways of Selling to achieve business objectives.  Developed and rolled out innovative processes aimed at improving consumer experience, including the introduction of new inventory management systems and anti-contraband measures for Premium Spirits Brands, particularly Johnnie Walker, which reduced product theft at outlets and ensured KBL's RTC on Focus Brands for FY18.  Fostered retail engagement and strengthened relationships with retailers, driving customer satisfaction and securing the trust needed to implement KBL’s growth objectives, benefiting all business stakeholders.