LOISE WANJIKU
ASSISTANT CATEGORY MANAGER
Nairobi
Summary
Strategic Assistant Category Manager with over 6 years of experience working at retail, wholesaler and distributor levels. Creates and executes brand/category and marketing plans, revises sales trade strategies, and forecasts production and sales. Recognized for increasing market share and improving sales performance by 15%. Implements strategic and tactical marketing campaigns to drive engagement and sales. Bringing solid history of success in boosting program operations efficiency, conversion rates and performance. Well-versed in both online and traditional marketing approaches.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Assistant Category Manager
Hotpoint Appliances
01.2019 - Current
- Mitigated business risk and improved customer lead times through thoughtful supplier network design.
- Reduced business risk by improving contract coverage for suppliers in spend category.
- Fostered positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating collaboratively with internal and external customers.
- Maximized category turnover through proactive management strategies.
- Partnered with buyers to develop category-appropriate order frequency for spend under management.
- Incorporated suggested changes to layouts and promotions to drive sales.
- Developed and executed spend category to support business objectives.
- Identified and reported key performance indicators to define successful category management.
- Increased profit margins by 15% through maximizing new product introductions.
- Directed marketing projects through conceptual planning, schedule management and final implementation.
- Built and strengthened strategic relationships with vendors, agencies and leading [Industry] partners.
- Achieved profitability goals by developing and implementing commercial activities.
- Evaluated consumer preferences and behaviors, combined with market trends and historical data, to adjust and enhance campaigns.
- Produced annual product & brand strategies and positioning for selected category within the scope.
- Managed the existing product portfolio ensuring that financial criteria are met.
- Keeping abreast and well updated on all competitor and market information Key Achievements/ Highlights.
- Getting to and retaining First position in Modern Trade outlets via sell out report and shelf share for the category.
- Considered business demands and customer preferences when developing pricing structures and marketing plans.
- Studied technical aspects of managed category to identify key quality attributes and cost containment levels.
Brand and Trade Marketing Snr. Executive
Airtel Kenya
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Consumer Insight- Developing and maintaining an expert level of customer insight for the given segment, across preferences, lifestyle, needs and purchasing criteria, both current and emerging.
- Maximizing Market value by delivering compelling value propositions supported by a detailed customer journey.
- Understanding the objectives for the section, including brand affinity, customer satisfaction, customer volumes and net adds, revenues and margins.
- Ensuring a close business performance monitoring of the segment, including satisfaction levels, usage, service adoption, churn, ARPU, revenues and margins.
- Preparing regular reports on campaign effectiveness and section performance vs.
- Targets.
- Compilation and Analysis of Business Performance reports for various products within the market.
- Working with other departments involved in the delivery of all campaigns, offers, service delivery and customer experience.
- Optimum Utilization of Marketing Budget.
- Trade Branding.
- Manage trade Promotion activities.
- Liaising with the Agency and Advertising partners.
- Development of new and locally relevant initiatives Key Achievements/ Highlights.
- Successful Launch of “20 bob ni mob” campaign growing mass market segment by 30%.
- Recruitment and branding of 100 new Airtel outlets in 4months both inside and outside Nairobi leading to brand visibility & increased distribution channels.
- Launch of Student specific Post-paid program for on boarding university students in India's top Tertiary institutions with an aim of graduating them to higher ARPU/ customer segment.
- Created trade marketing strategies to communicate strategies to a 20 member team.
- Devised product pricing strategies and trade marketing investments to support growth.
- Collaborated with merchandising team on creating differentiated in-store experiences through unique merchandising and collateral opportunities.
- Measured marketing program effectiveness via regular monitoring of KPIs.
- Drove brand awareness across various categories and products through digital campaigns.
- Developed strategies to improve and maximize trade investment ROI by completing promotional analysis and validating against expected results.
- Leveraged industry trends and competitive analysis to improve customer relationship building.
- Met deadlines, exceeding expectations and effectively rolling out 20 bob no Mob and the Unliminet campaign.
- Recruited and hired experienced contractors to complete projects on time and within budget requirements.
- Increased profit margins by 20% through maximizing new product introductions.
- Aligned activities with corporate objectives by coordinating marketing, sales and IT processes.
- Enhanced profitability to achieve marketing objectives and drive productivity and growth from concept to implementation.
- Conducted trials and tests of marketing channels such as paid acquisition, social media and fresh content creation.
- Created printed marketing materials designed to drive campaigns.
- Captured new customers by optimizing business strategies and launching products to diversify offerings.
- Mentored local personnel on best practices and protocols to maximize productivity.
- Continually maintained and improved company's reputation and positive image in markets served.
Project Manager-Growth of Postpaid Segment
Bharti Airtel India
New Dheli, Gurgoun
06.2016 - 08.2016
- Work with and through management to develop and implement actions that protect company assets and Profitability by identifying trends and recommending proactive or remedial action to manage business situations.
- Reined in project costs while meeting key milestones.
- Headed project teams specializing in design and launch activities.
- Updated operational methods, oversaw accounting procedures, tracked information and compiled data to improve efficiency.
- Developed and initiated projects, managed costs, and monitored performance.
- Identified, reviewed and applied policies and procedures.
- Modified and directed project plans to meet organizational needs.
- Boosted revenues by coordinating and executing projects and growing customer base.
Usage & Retention Marketing Analyst
Airtel Kenya
01.2015 - 05.2016
- Assisted established management staff with operational oversight, business development and process improvement strategies.
- Established and administered annual budget with controls to prevent overages, minimize burn rate and support sustainability objectives.
- Devised processes to boost long-term business success and increase profit levels.
- Forecasted business needs and scheduled employees to meet expected demands.
- Collaborated in professional team to solve workflow issues.
- Established open and professional relationships with team members which facilitated communication, quickly resolving issues and conflicts.
- Planned and implemented team projects to accomplish objectives.
- Devised new promotional approaches to boost customer numbers and market penetration while enhancing engagement and driving growth.
- Excelled in every store position and regularly backed up front-line staff.
- Resolved escalated concerns using professionalism and understanding of facets of issue.
- Regulated service delivery to keep operations productive and in line with budget requirements.
- Evaluated performance, adjusted strategies and maintained agile, sustainable operations.
- Stayed up to date on changing product and service options to provide top-notch support to customers and employees.
- Assessed supplier quality to maintain tight cost controls and maximize business operational performance.
Education
International Business Administration- Management
United States International University (USIU)
01.2012 - 01.2015
ACCA- Accounting and Finance - undefined
Strathmore University
01.2010 - 01.2012
St. Georges Secondary School
01.2005 - 01.2008
Skills
Asset Management Performance
Supplier Contracts
Category development
Strategic Sourcing
Risk mitigation
Budgeting
Product development
Market Positioning
Strategic planning
Market Analysis
Timeline
Assistant Category Manager
Hotpoint Appliances
01.2019 - Current
Project Manager-Growth of Postpaid Segment
Bharti Airtel India
06.2016 - 08.2016
Brand and Trade Marketing Snr. Executive
Airtel Kenya
01.2016 - 01.2018
Usage & Retention Marketing Analyst
Airtel Kenya
01.2015 - 05.2016
International Business Administration- Management
United States International University (USIU)
01.2012 - 01.2015
ACCA- Accounting and Finance - undefined
Strathmore University
01.2010 - 01.2012
St. Georges Secondary School
01.2005 - 01.2008