Dean Robertson

01 February 2018 to 2024 August 2024

Totalsports (SG) - SPORTSCENE (AS) – Archive – (CS)

The role of a Strategic Account Director at Nike involves a range of responsibilities centered on managing key relationships and driving business growth with strategic retail partners and internal stakeholders. In the past six years, I have managed a team of four people and also worked with cross-functional leadership teams to bring to life the Nike strategies within the Marketplace and develop and execute channel strategies.

I have led and worked with the cross-functional team to deliver exceptional account results for all three banners over the past six years, with strong net revenue growth, low IWOH, and a healthy marketplace to drive a pull market, acting as a true ambassador of the brand and our consumers.

Here are the primary responsibilities typically associated with this role

Team Management through Leadership Defined

• Managing and leading my team and cross-functional team through the core value system of leadership defined.
• Understanding the differences in roles, between leading Yourself – apply & share knowledge, lead through others - Gide as a coach, mentor or idea leader, leading the enterprise – shape organization direction.
• Knowing to apply, Growing Yourself - Instilling Trust, Acting with courage, Demonstrating self-awareness, and embracing and leading change. Grow Together – by fostering effective teamwork, developing others, valuing differences, and communicating vision and purpose. Grow the Business – thinking strategically, cultivating innovative ideas for growth, drive clarity in all aspects of the business and ensure accountability.

Account Management:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with strategic retail partners with strong positive feedback over the past 6 years.
• Develop and execute account strategies to achieve sales and profitability targets with the marketplace director, overcoming challenging times in the marketplace.
• Monitor and analyze account performance, making adjustments as needed to meet goals as a cross-functional team and mentored the agility of the team to react to drive out strategic intent.

Business Planning:

• Collaborate with retail partners to develop joint business plans that align with Nike’s strategic objectives across SG – AS - CS.
• Manage the account’s sales budget and inventory levels with the cross-functional team to continue to drive a healthy marketplace and remain the NO 1 brand.
• Identify new business opportunities and develop strategies to capitalize on them but continue to be relevant across channels.

Sales and Revenue Growth:

• Drive sales growth through effective account management and execution of sales strategies with positive net revenue growth in all three banners for the past 6 years.
• Lead new brand strategy and develop and implement promotional and marketing plans to increase brand presence and sales with limited resources.
• Lead functional teams to work closely with internal teams (e.g., marketing, product, supply chain) to ensure seamless execution of plans.

Market Analysis and Insights:

• Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive landscape to inform account strategies.
• Provide insights and recommendations to internal teams to optimize product offerings and marketing efforts.

Collaboration and Communication:

• Serve as the primary point of contact between Nike and the strategic account and the cross functional teams.
• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration between internal teams and the retail partner.
• Ensure alignment of goals and strategies across all stakeholders.

Performance Management:

• Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of account strategies.
• Conduct regular business reviews with retail partners to assess performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Implement corrective actions as needed to address any performance issues.

Contract Negotiation and Compliance:

• Negotiate terms and conditions of sales agreements with retail partners.
• Ensure compliance with contractual agreements and company policies.
• Manage any disputes or issues that arise in the course of the business relationship.

Innovation and Process Improvement:

• Identify opportunities for innovation and process improvement within the account management function.
• Implement best practices and leverage technology to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and incorporate relevant innovations into account strategies.

By focusing on these areas, a Strategic Account Director at Nike aims to maximize the value of strategic retail partnerships, driving growth and ensuring that Nike’s products reach consumers effectively.

• Cross-functional and Account Data Integration: Led the integration of international account systems with Nike systems, ensuring seamless data flow and integration.
• Data Onboarding and Reporting: Developed and maintained integrated Tableau reports for account and management teams, providing weekly updates to support data-driven decision-making.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Worked with international stakeholders to align data integration efforts and ensure accurate and timely reporting.
• Team Leadership and Mentorship: Managed and mentored a direct report, guiding them in navigating and updating account data records across three systems to ensure comprehensive reporting.
• Business Decision Support: Utilized integrated data to inform crucial business decisions related to sales data management, marketplace inventory, and trend analysis.
• Inventory and Sales Management: Collaboratively worked with accounts to manage inventory, react to marketplace trends, and identify opportunities to optimize sales performance.

Category Merchandising Systems & Process People Management Forecasting & Planning Merchandising & Sales Integration Marketing Integration Summary

• Project Management: Ensure timely delivery of work to Nike Africa and international stakeholders, adhering to business timelines using robust project management disciplines.
• Product Strategy: Lead the evaluation and refinement of current and future footwear (FTW) assortments and product strategies, focusing on sustainable profitable growth.
• KPI Management: Contribute to the planning and management of key performance indicators (KPIs) to maximize productivity.
• Growth Opportunities: Drive activities that identify and leverage new business opportunities and growth accelerators.
• Budget Management: Plan and manage budgets related to in-line business activities.
• Stakeholder Communication: Establish and maintain regular communication with key stakeholders both domestically and internationally, representing Nike Africa positively internally and externally.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Drive the integration of calendar events and deliverables across functional and business unit (BU) boundaries.
• Team Leadership: Promote a culture that values diversity, participation, contribution, accountability.
• Team Development: Manage, coach, evaluate, and develop the team to maximize performance and retain talent.
• Forecast Review: Review seasonal import buy forecasts with the business analyst/sales manager to ensure accuracy.
• Stakeholder Reviews: Conduct regular reviews with internal stakeholders on product planning, availability, bookings, and delivery.
• Market Insight: Establish and maintain close relationships with the sales team to ensure effective marketplace insight, BU strategy communication, assortment planning, and line construct analysis.
• Information Resource: Serve as a resource for information on strategy, product pricing.
• Project Management: Manage the creation and execution of sell-in tools and activities with samples.
• Retail Interaction: Plan and participate in retail visits to engage with retailers.
• Sell-In Events: Promote involvement in key sell-in events.
• Consumer Understanding: Develop an understanding of the core consumer and integrate this knowledge with retailer and product segmentation strategies.

This comprehensive role in Category Management & Merchandising at Nike Africa involves leading and managing various facets of the business to ensure sustainable growth and effective market integration. From product strategy to people management and cross-functional integration, this role requires a blend of strategic vision, operational excellence, and collaborative leadership. The successful execution of these responsibilities will contributed significantly to the overall success of Nike business objectives.

• Transition and Handover: Successfully transitioned from the merchandising role to the marketplace intelligence role, while concurrently standing in as the Africa Distributors Account Manager.
• Market Coverage: Managed and oversaw the accounts for Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Malta.
• International Account Relationships: Developed and maintained strong relationships with international accounts, ensuring effective integration and management.
• Sales Function Management: Oversaw the complex sales functions for both Nike-only stores and multi-brand accounts, ensuring compliance with country-specific requirements and minimums.
• Target Achievement: Consistently met and exceeded seasonal targets and growth objectives through strategic assortment planning and execution.
• Strategy Development: Played a key role in building an iconic and franchise strategy, focusing on elevated assortments to drive brand growth and market penetration.