Miguel Camalando
Regional Sales Manager
Johannesburg
Summary
A talented and highly skilled Sales & Business Development Manager and Brand Ambassador in the Power Utility/Solar OEM industry with a wealth of experience across a number of sectors in Sub-Saharan African countries — and a career spanning close to 20 years, of which 14 have been in Managerial positions. Miguel Camalando is an accomplished professional with a proven track record of identifying business opportunities and converting these into substantial revenue. He holds numerous relevant qualifications — the most recent of which being a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Leadership & Sustainability from the University of Cumbria / Robert Kennedy College. Miguel fulfils the current position of Regional Sales Manager at WEG Africa, where he coordinates all Management, Business Development and Sales activities in Southern Africa region, with the goal to achieve annual sales, revenue and growth targets, across all WEG products and services with the overall target to increase WEG market share across sub-Saharan Africa. Previously Miguel held the position of Business Development Manager at Schneider Electric, Midrand, where he boosted major accounts, driving training, mentorship and performance management of staff that service key accounts, and overseeing the development and implementation of sales budgets, strategies, and promotional programmes. He has coordinated projects that both met and exceeded client expectations in various segments across emerging markets in 10 Southern Africa countries under his direct responsibility. He has become notably experienced in negotiating Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) power contracts — speaking the following prominent languages used in business — English (fluent), Portuguese (fluent) and French (intermediate). Miguel attended Director Training Programme aimed at giving foundational knowledge to Directors, completed a Strategic Leadership Certificate from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) – University of Pretoria; a Practitioner Programme in Project Management, as well as a New Manager Programme at Wits Business School – solidifying his years’ worth of experience in the management and strategic leadership of people in sales environments across industries. He is a high-impact leader who possesses significant experience in successfully directing the execution of tactical operating plans, and is able to effectively manage highly functioning teams to perform at their optimum level on a global scale.
1. Currently eager to secure a suitable leadership opportunity, Miguel is keen to fulfil a targeted role of an Executive in leadership, a board member to assist with the expansion and growth of businesses in Africa. 2. As a co-founder member of a consulting and project development firm, Miguel has strong interest in processing and management of mining, and agriculture industries.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
8
8
Certifications
3
3
Language
Work History
Regional Manager - Sales and Business Development
WEG Africa
10.2023 - Current
- To coordinate all Management, Business Development and Sales activities in Southern Africa, with the goal to achieve annual sales, revenue and growth targets, across all WEG products and services with the overall target to increase WEG market share across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Responsible to plan, develop and execution of annual regional sales strategy considering the WEG product portfolio, across all sectors within the geographical area of responsibility.
- Responsible to engage with and develop mutually beneficial relationships with key End-Clients, OEMs, Distribution and Service Partners in the region.
- Responsible for the overall management of activities in terms of Strategy and Sales , End-Clients and OEMs ,Distribution Partners, Service Partners,Targets and budgets, Commercial Contracts ,Reports and Plans
- Developed and executed successful business plans that resulted in improved market share and profitability within the region.
- Boosted brand growth by devising strategic network and marketing tactics.
- Collaborated with executive leadership to establish long-term objectives, drive growth initiatives, and align regional efforts with corporate goals.
- Expanded regional presence by researching potential markets, developing strategic partnerships, and opening new locations.
- Led cross-functional teams to achieve project deliverables on time and within budget, resulting in improved overall performance.
- Implemented cost-cutting measures across the region that led to significant savings without compromising service quality or employee satisfaction.
- Managed 8 countries with over 20 key accounts and increased sales by 12% in 2024.
Business Development Manager
Schneider Electric, Midrand
01.2015 - 01.2023
- - Takes responsibility for all sales of Medium Voltage products and services to utility companies in Southern Africa (except South Africa, region includes 10 countries: Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Eastern DRC (Katanga Region)).
- - Successfully negotiates Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) power contracts, also handling all related commercial issues, and managing EPC projects.
- - Develops sales budgets, objectives, strategies, and promotional programs, and ensures their execution to achieve goals in target markets; meets sales goals related to revenue and profit targets.
- - Continually identifies and pursues growth opportunities for the company — setting up new distributors and developing / managing all new business.
- - Supports continuous process improvement initiatives by addressing departmental issues and utilizing opportunities.
- - Provides accurate and timeous reports on forecasts, budgets, sales, and distributor performance.
- - Performs expert customer needs analysis — providing suggestions for product application needs and possible benefits to customers.
- - Ensures the development of sales personnel and customer accounts, as well as provides assistance / co-management and training to the regional sales force.
- - Collaborates with product line managers in order to have knowledge of products and product lines, and the ability to represent the features and benefits to sell the products.
- - Commits to offering leadership — coaches and motivates sales staff, offering guidance on problems / concerns, and delegating tasks based on employee skillset and development needs.
- - Teaches staff to formulate effective sales messages and how to represent the features and benefits of the product best, also showing knowledge of competitor alternatives.
- - Attends to all account planning duties — including, evaluating the effectiveness of account plans; developing and implementing strategies to increase sales; strengthening the customer relationship, and teaching these skills and information to other personnel.
- - Formulates sales strategies; plans and conducts calls; persuades others, and negotiates terms — also committing to teaching these skills to staff.
- - Manages customer relationships by teaching staff to establish rapport, identify requirements, meet commitments, and build strong networking relationships with customers.
- - Attends to management of own calendar and associated travels, conducting remote meetings when necessary.
Business Development Manager (Export)
CBI-Electric: African Cable, Vereeniging
01.2012 - 01.2014
- - Managed key performance areas of junior staff and reported directly to the Export General Manager.
- - Took accountability for managing the financial aspects of the Export Division in line with the company’s annual budget.
- - Ensured the proactive identification and development of new export markets in Sub-Saharan Africa while maintaining the existing client base.
- - Collaborated with other divisions with regards to product technology — ensured regular reports on the activities of the Export Division were professionally compiled.
- - Provided strategic business planning input and contributed to goal-setting activities — actively contributed to the preparation of export tenders and quotations.
Export Area Manager
Schneider Electric, Midrand
01.2008 - 01.2012
- - Implemented and developed action plans to maintain the existing client base and to broaden to new clients across the SADC (Southern African Development Community) region.
- - Spearheaded the monthly monitoring of the business and initiated improvements as required.
- - Continually identified and pursued new and potential business opportunities.
- - Performed in-depth needs analyses of clients in order to proactively respond to their unique requirements.
- - Monitored account plans — determined its effectiveness and developed strategies to improve sales and strengthen customer relations.
- - Negotiated EPC power contracts, handled all the related commercial issues, and managed EPC projects.
- - Analyzed market trends across the SADC region — ensured business growth by liaising with business partners about annual sales targets.
- - Negotiated air and sea freight rates, managed forward cover and bill books, and liaised with clearing and forwarding agents.
- - Demonstrated and taught personnel selling and customer techniques.
- Managed over 15 strategic key accounts
Quality Controller / Technician
Fonseca Electrical T/A JF Electronics
01.2005 - 01.2007
Junior Engineer
East Rand Water Care Company
01.2003 - 01.2005
Education
Master of Business Administration - Leadership & Sustainability
01-2016
Advanced Diploma - Applied Electrical Engineering
01-2013
Diploma - Import Management
01-2007
National Diploma - Electrical (Power) Engineering
01-2006
National Senior Certificate / Matric - Electrical Engineering
01-1994
Skills
Experience in power utility and solar OEM sectors
Market and distribution analysis
Business growth
Client acquisition strategies
Solution-oriented sales approach
Contract negotiation for EPC power projects
Strategic account management
Client relationship management
Stakeholder engagement
Sales strategy execution
Team leadership
Coordination Of Cross-Functional & Multi-Cultural Teams on a Global Scale
Quality Assurance & Change Management
Management-Level / KPI Reporting
Sales Materials Development
Public Speaking / Presentations
Microsoft Office Suite (Word & Excel)
Google Docs Editors (Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, etc)
Project Management Software: ProjectLibre
Communication Software: MS Teams, Skype
Email Software: Outlook
Internet Browser Software: Firefox, Google Chrome & Internet Explorer
Presentation Software: PowerPoint
Effective interpersonal communication
Flexible, assertive & client-oriented
Proven collaborative leadership experience
Excellent written & spoken communication skills across all levels
Proven Deal Origination & Execution abilities
Developed commercial awareness
Strong people skills
Proactive problem-solver
Productive, resilient & adaptable under pressure
Tenacious & self-motivated
Deadline- & goal-orientated
Analytical with great planning & organisation skills
Affiliations
Directors Association of South Africa
SA Business Coach
COMENSA
Certification
Director Training Certificate aimed at giving foundational knowledge to Directors ; Duvera Institute of Learning, 2024
Interests
Reading, Social Activities
Timeline
Regional Manager - Sales and Business Development - WEG Africa
10.2023 - Current
Business Development Manager - Schneider Electric, Midrand
01.2015 - 01.2023
Business Development Manager (Export) - CBI-Electric: African Cable, Vereeniging
01.2012 - 01.2014
Export Area Manager - Schneider Electric, Midrand
01.2008 - 01.2012
Quality Controller / Technician - Fonseca Electrical T/A JF Electronics
01.2005 - 01.2007
Junior Engineer - East Rand Water Care Company
01.2003 - 01.2005
Engineering Institute of Technology - Advanced Diploma, Applied Electrical Engineering
Intec College - Diploma, Import Management
University of Cumbria / Robert Kennedy College - Master of Business Administration, Leadership & Sustainability
Johannesburg Technical College (JTC) - National Diploma, Electrical (Power) Engineering
Instituto Medio Industrial De Luanda - National Senior Certificate / Matric, Electrical Engineering
Reading and social community services
Avid reader of business and personal development books (6+ books per annum), focused on leadership, productivity, and communication skills.
Regular reader of industry -related articles to stay updated with market trends
Active member of Exclusive member " Fanatics" and online platform for managers, participating in discussions and critical analysis.
Volunteer at local community events, assisting in organizing and coordinating activities for Church leaders ( Elders and Youth).
Mentoring of Young people and training in basic leadership skills