Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Experienced National Key Account Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer goods industry. Strong sales professional skilled in Marketing Management, Business Planning, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Pricing Strategy, and Market Research.
Full Operational Oversight: Managing the end-to-end operations of two high-traffic Q8 highway service stations within the family business. Retail & Market Management: Overseeing the on-site convenience stores (food, beverages, and car accessories). Responsible for inventory management, merchandising, supplier relations, and optimizing the "non-oil" product mix to maximize profitability. Human Resources & Leadership: Directly leading and coordinating a workforce of 20+ employees, overseeing complex shift scheduling, recruitment, and professional development. Administration & Supply Chain: Managing fuel procurement cycles, administrative procedures, and financial reporting, ensuring seamless logistics and inventory control. Strategic Partnership with Q8: Serving as the primary point of contact for Q8 (Kuwait Petroleum Italia) to ensure brand alignment, implementation of commercial campaigns, and strict adherence to international quality standards. Compliance & Quality Assurance: Monitoring service excellence and ensuring full compliance with health, safety (HSE), and environmental regulations specific to highway environments.
Spearhead the monthly Commercial Planning cycle, utilizing (Commercial Target Management) and TPM (Trade Promotion Management) tools to identify key risks and opportunities, supporting sales teams in achieving commercial targets. Active member of the development and execution of the BU annual Integrated Commercial Plan (ICP), providing critical data insights that influenced the strategic direction for the sales team. Managed the end-to-end Joint Business Planning (JBP) process on major retailers, with the cooperation of Senior Key Account Managers, ensuring active plan execution and commercial alignment for the fiscal year. Collaborate with internal partners to ensure all are prepared to achieve strategic priorities, engaged with deployments, and maintaining high data quality in planning tools for effective analysis. Drive in the Sales Assumption Review (SAR) meeting to promote commercially aligned monthly planning between several departments, as Operations, Finance, Marketing, and Sales. Support the creation of Commercial Selling-In Materials and develop Italian-specific presentation decks to improve engagement with retailers. Promote local initiatives to ensure Sales teams utilize tools consistently, working closely with Super Users and relevant Product teams. Handle Customer Pulse and Confidentiality to address internal and external needs as well as other ad-hoc commercial deployments. Assist in the execution of key RCD (Regional Customer Development) priorities in partnership with Revenue Management, Portfolio, and Category teams.
Pelikan (German Brand - Global Leader in Writing and Stationery) Managed the national mass retail channel for Pelikan's local business unit, focusing on modern trade, online platforms (e.g., Amazon), and new business development. Drove revenue growth within existing accounts while actively prospecting and securing new customers across physical and digital channels. Prioritized margin protection and adherence to company strategies. Identified and developed high-potential customers, with a specific focus on expanding distribution within physical retail and establishing partnerships with key digital players. Led and mentored a team of 2 reports. Served as the primary commercial liaison with internal functions, including marketing, trade marketing, operations, and credit.
Varta Consumer Batteries (former Spectrum Brands) Managed national sales for Varta Consumer Batteries across modern trade, online platforms (including Amazon), and new business development. Focused on expanding distribution within traditional retail channels while driving growth with key digital players. Led and managed sales agencies in Northern Italy to maximize business growth across all key sales channels. Managed a portfolio of additional brands including Rayovac (hearing aid batteries), ArmorAll (auto care products), and Stanley (consumer padlocks).