About

I am a results-driven professional with over 12 years of valuable experience optimizing sales, leading teams, conceptualizing and implementing revenue growth plans. My track record demonstrates continued success in negotiating with distributors favorable terms and establishing KPIs to assess sales goals. Clients and colleagues know me as an influential leader and collaborator who excels in overseeing sales execution, branding and promotional activities, educating and training staff on attaining maximum business returns, and ensuring client satisfaction by fulfilling their requirements. As an orthodox and modern thinker, I am instrumental in balancing tasks while working in expeditious environments.

Skills

  • Team Building and People Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Data Analysis
  • Performance Management
  • sales and marketing
  • Mentorship and Coaching
  • customer experience
  • Conducting market research & competitor analysis
  • Negotiation and listening skills
  • Leadership & Project Management
  • English
    10
  • Kiswahili
    10

Experience

Bernard Gitonga

Work experience
  • * Research, identify and develop new business opportunities beyond the existing, or new ways of reaching existing channel.
  • * Recruit parallel importers to purchase locally from the business through negotiated trade terms, that has seen a growth in National Sales Value (NSV) of 120% on the imported brands.
  • * Create advantaged Route to Consumer, focusing on Salesforce effectiveness, key strategic accounts management, advantaged trade terms, commercial plans, and demand forecasting
  • * Lead and develop people capability through coaching, training, and performance management, and create a great working environment. This has led to the growth of 1 team member within my first 5 months in charge.
  • * Create a suitable effective and efficient team structure including their roles within the wholesale channel, as well as the Recruitment, development and engagement of people.
  • * Motivate, direct and coach wholesalers’ sales teams to ensure adequate coverage, improved distribution and visibility, that grew the channels market share for beer by +1.8% and spirits +3.1% within the first 4 months

Bernard Gitonga

Work experience
  • * Integrated the Diageo way of world-class selling, while coaching individuals, resulting in promoting team capability and optimizing their ways of working.
  • * Achieving best performance nationally, as well as best team performance in quarter 3 that resulted in winning an all-paid trip to Scotland.
  • * Executed a plan in December 2021 that allowed my market to attain the highest ever Net Sales Value (NSV) in the business. The plan was then enforced nationally by Commercial Director.
  • * Played a vital role as a manager, by boosting the net sales value of my market to 365M from 185M by the end of the year 2021.
  • * Enhanced efficiency, reduced wastage and improved sales in multiple distributors, that increased gross profit by an average of 55% in the period up to October 2021.

Bernard Gitonga

Work experience
  • October, 2018 - October, 2019
  • Fulltime
  • Utilized stake holder management and communication skills while representing the company in private and public events, establishing new connections and generating more sales.
  • Negotiated the rates for HORECA in agreement with each party involved and decided pricing for the different types of customers, enhancing profit levels.
  • Planned and organized training sessions for team members and explained the business and regional plans in meetings to all departments which led to the unity of direction.
  • Developed viable plans for all channels as per needs and requirements, resulting in maximizing monthly wine sales in the hotels from 300 cases to 400 cases within 3 months

Bernard Gitonga

Work experience
  • Exceeded outlet growth by 8% to 20% every month, as well as handled customer concerns and ensured timely resolution, resulting in nurturing value-adding business relationships with clients.
  • Collected market intelligence, examined competition, and built efficient reports on market trends which contributed to executing result-driven decision-making process.
  • Raised distributor sales from an average of 2,500 cases/KES 12M monthly to an average of 5K cases/KES 25M monthly within three months.
  • Consistent top performance resulting in been given the responsibility of managing the largest distributor with a minimum average turnover of KES 100M monthly or KES 1.5B annually from the smallest distributor who had a turn over of KES 16M monthly.

Bernard Gitonga

Work experience
  • In charge of business growth in Mt. Kenya region and part of Nairobi and carried out robust actions, such as driving team performance, and improving their potential to achieve and exceed targets.
  •  Interpreted, analyzed, and executed marketing strategies/campaigns with success, resulting in promoting brand awareness.
  •  Created/enacted brand activation, establishing lasting relationships with the target market.
  •  Led the process of price negotiations so as to attain new/potential customers, as well as engaging distributors, stockists, and key accounts such as supermarkets and HORECA to attain set targets.

Bernard Gitonga

Work experience
  • January, 2010 - February, 2013
  • Fulltime
  • Supervised morning briefs on a routine basis, recommended suitable suggestions on performance, and organized duties for staff within the depot, uplifting efficiency.
  • Collected relevant information and presented exceptional ideas, optimizing marketing and depot sales, alongside interacting with the team positively that led to ensuring adherence to company policies and objectives.
  • Organized training sessions for new staff and offered robust guidance on company systems, resulting in enhancing the skills of new staff.
  • Developed and implemented plans for starting a depot in Karen that surpassed set sales targets consistently month on month.

Bernard Gitonga

Education
  • January, 2004 - December, 2008
  • Fulltime
  • Concentration in Marketing