Executive with Business and Marketing Experience

Seasoned executive with 19 + years’ consumer marketing experience and track record of driving high double-digit market growth in Europe, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Proven abilities in P&L management, product and brand positioning, pricing, marketing, business development and media and client relations. Skilled relationship-builder with colleagues and clients and successfully negotiate across multi-cultural groups. Outperformed the market in sales, market share and gross margin each year since 1994. Has Passion for growing business, helping people and strong entrepreneurial spirit.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

J Wight Consulting, Sydney, Australia, established 2011 –  Business and Marketing Consultant

• Developed and Launched website www.jwightconsulting.com
• Marketing Guy for Hire | Business Manager for Hire – http://www.jwightconsulting/services
• Expertise in Email marketing (multiple technology platforms), Blogging, SEO, Google Analytics and Google Adwords, Master Class
• Process in generating traffic and growing online performance through content management
• Expertise in Business Strategy and Product and Marketing Planning
• Logo Development, Business and Marketing Plans, Business strategy, Investor relations, sponsorship marketing, not for profit, retail marketing, Public relations, website design, Import and export advice, process for
• Clients such as Event management software, Startups, Construction, Not for profit organizations, Cafes, Retail, Training and Learning outsourcing, Print consumable companies, Health Clinics, IT Companies

PHILIPS CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, Global Locations · 1996 – October 2010

$45B global leader in healthcare, lifestyle and technology products and services.

Senior Marketing Manager North America for Headphones, Headsets, PC accessories, Mobile phone accessories, Power accessories, Apple accessories (iPad, iPhone, iPod) for Philips and DLO brands – Charleston, SC USA Feb 2009 – Oct 2010

• Promoted to this role after being successful with Global consumer marketing product role
• Philips purchased DLO organization in May 2007 and I was given the task of helping integrate sales and marketing. This encompassed educating the DLO organization on processes of Philips and educating the Philips sales organization on the Apple retail and product marketing insights and ways of working
• Directed the local sales and marketing organization on key marketing campaigns and product launches. This also included being involved in major customer visits including Apple, Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart.
• Gave Market insights to the Global product development organization in Charleston, SC, USA and Hong Kong
  • Reestablished significant portfolio in 150 Apple stores in USA and stores globally for both speaker dock and headsets from 4 skus to 11 skus
  • Established position of 17 skus in Target stores of MP3 accessories and turned around declining headphone position
  • Maintained market leadership of 25% Market share in highly competitive Cases business and grew market share in Headphones from 6.5% to 8%.

Global Consumer Marketing Manager, Philips iPod Accessories Charleston, SC, Jan 2008 – Jan 2009

• Transferred to Charleston, SC from Atlanta Georgia after being successful as Director of Marketing in Flat TV role
• Philips purchased DLO organization in May 2007 and I was given the task of key Liaison for Philips Brand for Europe and Asia for total portfolio. This encompassed educating Philips about DLO Company and working with local marketing teams to identify key product and marketing opportunities since the acquisition in May 2007.
• Developed long-term product strategy of Speaker docks, Docking stations for Apple iPod, iPhone for B2C and B2B for Global markets. This involved working with project teams based in Hong Kong and prioritizing global launches.
  • Successfully launched Home Dock HD for Apple iPod. This included developing user interface and helping directly with placements in Best Buy. This was the first High Definition iPod Dock in the world.

Director of Marketing North America, Philips Flat TV, Atlanta, Georgia, Nov 2005- Dec 2007

• Promoted to this role and asked to transfer from Belgium to North America
• 4 Direct reports
• Responsible for Philips Brand Flat TV’s – P&L, Strategy, Branding and 4P’s.
• Working with Global product development teams in Singapore and Europe to develop differentiated products for North America market
• Invited key customers to Global development sites (Singapore and Brugge) to get early feedback and insights from consumers and buyers to better refine product development and establish relationships. This enabled higher % of products being selected by customers during buying process closer to launch.
• Developed a close relationship with Costco USA to implement unique proposition and packaging for Flat TV range resulting in a growth from $25M to $140M
• Developed POS displays to best demonstrate unique TV benefits and worked with Best Buy and other retailers to get executed in 1000 + stores – increasing sell through at POS significantly
  • Drove up sales by 64% in 2006 – from $432M to $708M and reduced inventory $8M (16%) below budgeted goals.
  • Increased revenue through YTD October 2007 by 16.5% (to $640M) and reduced inventory levels $5M (7%) below target, while managing to enhance margins in dynamic industry.
  • Rated 4.9 out of 5.0 for performance in development course for high-potential leaders and completed Octagon course.
  • Coached in young high potential course
  • Implemented new Business analyst role to drive better forecast accuracy – resulting in increase from 70% to 85% accuracy.

Global Business Planning Manager, Philips Upmarket Flat TV, Brugge, Belgium, Jan 2004 – Nov 2005

• Promoted to this new established role
• Responsibility of key liaison role with Europe, Asia, North America regional offices
• Work closely with global and regional marketing teams to identify key opportunities for growth and to improve financial performance globally
• Develop and implement business planning tools to help with making faster decisions and recommendations for supply and pricing of LCD and Plasma panels globally
  • Delivered year-end revenue of $2.17B – 30% above budget with gross margin at 70% above budget as a result of changing product mix.
  • Conceived and deployed a new business planning tool to ensure consistency across global regions.
  • Won Global Business Management award for Philips Consumer Electronics in June, 2005 and became lead advisor and coach for the global business planning community as a result of broad experience in brand marketing, product marketing and excellence in customer relationships.

Global Senior Product Manager, Philips Flat TV, Brugge, Belgium, April 2003- Dec 2003

• Asked to transfer from Australia to Belgium
• 5 Direct reports
• Responsible for strategy and product development for Upmarket Philips Flat TVs
• Initially charged with bringing the organization from a focus of older CRT (tube) TVs to the new era of high paced sophisticated Flat TV’s – this involved changing perceptions locally at the development site to be regarded as inspiring, modern and sophisticated
• Initiated a process to get better feedback from market to improve differentiation of product offering globally – involved setting up of a consumer innovation and research centre and customer showroom. This brought the development and marketing community closer and created positive dialogue and understanding towards joint objectives
  • Exceeded sales budget by 22% in 2004 with accompanying overachievement in gross margin.
  • Leveraged significant product awards such as European Imaging and Sound Award (EISA) and Consumer Electronics Show (CES) awards as well as favorable press reviews.
  • Increased key customer visits to Brugge from 1 or 2 per year to more than 30 visits including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Comet, and Dixons – enabled by the implementation of customer showroom

National Marketing Manager, Sydney, Australia, Feb 1999- April 2003

• Asked to transfer from New Zealand to Sydney, Australia
• 7 Direct reports
• Responsible for Brand, Strategy, P&L for Philips Consumer Electronics categories in Australia – TV, Audio, DVD, Mobile Phone, LCD Monitors, Accessories
• Reestablished credibility of Philips Brand after a significant restructure
• Enabled a substantial shift in the thinking of internal stakeholders towards the Australian marketing team and business by setting achievable and realistic goals and achieving them consistently. This involved working closely with sales teams, marketing groups and key customers to reestablish trust.
• Reinvigorated the brand in Australia by undertaking some bold marketing activities (Youth campaign for audio business and Sponsorship marketing for Home entertainment products)
  • Reversed a declining business and more than tripled sales—from base of $41M in 1999 to $138M in 2003—averaging annual growth of 35%.
  • Doubled television market share from 3.3% to 6.6%. Grew market share for audio systems from 2.7% to 4.0% and DVDs from 4% to 5.7%.
  • Partnered with Harvey Norman to promote the Philips brand via the sponsorship of State of Origin rugby league competition and the Australian national rugby league team.

National Marketing Manager, Auckland, New Zealand, 1996-1999

• Promoted to this role after being successful as Group product manager
• 2 Direct reports
• Responsible for Brand, Strategy, P&L for Philips Consumer Electronics categories in Australia – TV, Audio, DVD, VCR
• Utilized strong trade marketing campaign and partnered with key customers during peak selling season to grow to $76M.
  • Doubled market share of television product line from 10% to 20%.
  • Co-developed trade partner program focusing on deepening relationships and growing business through key retail customers in peak selling season.
  • Won the Philips’ Global Max group award in 1998

REPCO MERCHANTS NEW ZEALAND, Auckland, New Zealand · 1994-1996

• Responsible for selection of large portfolio of 2500+ products for both retails stores and trade channel in New Zealand – $38M of durable items, including car care, oil and accessories.
  • Overachieved Sales Budget by 38% and gross margin by 37%

TELECOM DIRECTORIES LTD – National Senior Product Manager

• Responsible for Strategy and Marketing campaigns for Yellow Pages advertising
• Implemented new local directories for main centers – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch

Core Marketing Skills:

• Category management:
  • Senior Marketing Manager role – recommended category management approach to Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy USA using industry data. Before and after Plano grams were presented to the customer with fact based findings. This resulted in Target increased from 5 skus to 17 skus.

• Pricing:
  • Significant experience in setting up and recommending pricing for customers based on consumer retail price positioning
  • Simplifying and streamlining of pricing policies in my role of senior marketing manager and director of Flat TV.

• Place/Distribution:
  • Channel management has been a core part of my roles in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.  Distribution policies and managing of channel partners alongside the sales teams is a key deliverable.
  • Made recommendations on strategically important brands and products for key retail partners such as Best Buy USA, Costco in my different roles.

• Product:
  • Management of product development and selection of product portfolios.
  • Senior Marketing manager role – involved in managing a large portfolio of accessories (headsets, headphones, speaker docks, fashion cases, FM transmitters, power products). This role was responsible for selection, recommendation of products and portfolio management in conjunction with major customers (Best Buy, Apple, Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon), sales organization and global product groups based in Hong Kong and USA.
  • Director of Flat TV USA – responsibility for selecting and influencing products for North America and Canadian market. This included involving key customers early on in buying process with visits to global development sites based in Asia and Europe.

• Promotion:
  • Catalogue selection at Repco merchants
  • Tactical promotional campaigns in my USA roles
  • Awareness campaigns (Philips O’Neil partnership)
  • Full Brand Marketing (ATL and BTL)
  • Sponsorship marketing (Philips and Harvey Norman with State of Origin series in 2001 to 2003) and Kangaroos in 2002 and 2003.

Passion and Drive for excellence

• Passionate marketer and businessperson and I love to share my enthusiasm. My mantra is “Success is the only option.”
• Interests:
  • Sports – Rugby, Rugby league, AFL, Cricket, Tennis, Golf, Netball and most other sports
  • Hobbies – Movies, Photography

  EDUCATION

  Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Accounting

  University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand (1986 to 1990)