Zirk Andrew Smith

Provide national sales, commercial and operational leadership across major retail, wholesale and independent channels, with accountability for revenue growth, volume, distribution, availability, profitability and execution against strategic business objectives. Develop and execute national commercial strategies while aligning Sales, Marketing, Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Production and Operations to drive sustainable growth and operational excellence.

• Own national budgeting, forecasting, commercial spend and performance management, using data and market insights to optimise revenue, margin and resource allocation.
• Lead national retailer negotiations covering trading terms, pricing, promotional investment, ranging and commercial agreements, while building strategic long-term customer partnerships.
• Drive national range, distribution, promotional and operational execution, including product availability, merchandising agencies, new product commercialisation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead high-performing teams and external partners through clear KPIs, coaching and accountability, while providing senior leadership with commercial insights, forecasts and strategic recommendations.

Managed regional sales and operational performance across retail, wholesale and independent channels, with accountability for sales, volume, distribution, availability and execution targets. Drove regional growth through strong customer relationships, disciplined in-store execution and data-led identification of performance gaps and commercial opportunities.

• Managed regional performance against targets, identifying underperforming customers, stores and categories and implementing corrective actions to improve sales, ranging, distribution and availability.
• Partnered with retail management, distribution centres, demand planning and supply chain teams to align stock requirements, promotional activity and customer demand.
• Led external sales and merchandising agencies and regional teams, driving store coverage, execution standards, KPI achievement, coaching and performance accountability.
• Supported regional budgeting, forecasting and resource planning while collaborating cross-functionally to resolve operational challenges, improve execution and deliver profitable sales growth.

Supported the development and execution of commercial strategies focused on sales growth, profitability and category performance. Managed key elements of the product lifecycle, including international sourcing, supplier engagement, stock planning, promotional execution and new product introductions across major retail customers.

• Sourced products internationally, identifying and evaluating suppliers, negotiating commercial terms and FOB pricing, and assessing landed costs and product viability.
• Managed DC stock, allocations and promotional requirements, working closely with buyers, demand planners and supply chain teams to align forecasts, stock flow and customer demand.
• Supported product ranging, pricing, promotional planning and new product introductions while ensuring imported products met regulatory, governance and product compliance requirements.
• Managed supplier and retailer relationships and coordinated cross-functional projects across Sales, Supply Chain, Marketing and Finance to deliver commercial initiatives and identify new business opportunities.

Managed sales and operational performance across the assigned territory, with accountability for sales, volume, distribution, availability and growth targets. Drove territory development through new business acquisition, customer relationship management and disciplined field execution.

• Identified potential new business opportunities in product ranging and distribution within target markets.
• opportunities, increasing product listings, shelf presence and market penetration across existing and prospective customers.
• Managed field sales and merchandising execution, driving product availability, promotional compliance, store coverage and resolution of distribution and operational issues.
• Analysed customer, store and category performance, sales trends and competitor activity to identify growth opportunities and implement corrective actions.
• Led and coached sales representatives and merchandising teams while managing customer relationships, forecasting and reporting to drive accountability and territory performance.

Progressed from Sales Representative to Inland Sales Manager, assuming responsibility for the inland field sales operation and leading a team of sales representatives across FMCG, pharmacy and retail channels. Managed execution across key customers including Clicks and Dis-Chem, with a strong focus on sales growth, distribution, availability and promotional compliance.

• Led, coached and developed the inland sales team, managing targets, KPIs, field execution and performance while translating commercial objectives into clear sales priorities.
• Drove in-store execution through regular trade visits, addressing distribution gaps, out-of-stocks, ranging opportunities and promotional compliance while strengthening retailer relationships.
• Implemented and optimised field-selling technology, including PDA systems, improving sales-force productivity, compliance, data quality and visibility of in-trade activity.
• Analysed performance through SAP, Pick n Pay supplier systems, InfoView and QlikView, providing sales reporting, market intelligence and actionable insights to support management decision-making.