Sheetal Varia

Sheetal Jobanputra Varia Roles held: Head of Marketing I Marketing Deployment Manager I Brand Manager I Marketing Planning & Insights Manager Organizations: British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya Limited, Crown Paints Kenya PLC, Capwell Industries Ltd Cellphone: - Email address:- Executive Summary Results-driven marketing executive with over 17 years of diverse experience across FMCG, manufacturing, and multinational organizations. Proven leadership in driving brand growth, new product development, and multichannel marketing campaigns. Adept at leading cross-functional teams, launching high-impact innovations, and aligning marketing strategies with business goals. Now seeking to leverage this experience in the a highly competitive sector to lead integrated marketing efforts, drive demand, and lead cross-functional collaboration. Core competencies - Brand Management & Product Launches - Strategic Planning & Execution - Market Research & Competitive Analysis - Sales & Marketing Alignment - Budgeting, P&L & ROI Analysis - Digital Marketing & CRM - Team Leadership & Performance Coaching - Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Work Experience Capwell Industries Limited May 2024 to date Current Role: Group Head of Marketing, a team member of the Organization Executive Committee Capwell Industries is a leading manufacturer and distributor of fast moving consumer goods in East Africa, specializing in a diverse portfolio that includes food products, snacks, and beverages. Established with a commitment to quality and innovation, the company focuses on delivering value to its consumers through well-known brands such as Soko, Pearl, CIL, Ranee and Treatos. With a strong emphasis on sustainability and community engagement, Capwell Industries leverages advanced technology and market insights to drive growth and enhance brand presence across regional markets. Key Duties: ● Established a new marketing structure that improved efficiency and integrated a digital transformation strategy focused on AI-driven insights and content creation. ● Introduced Marketing Insights Tools and Methodologies to effectively monitor company performance versus competition and key market opportunities per region. This brought in an increase in market presence by 60% and growth in volume by 12% for specific brands. ● Established an always on permanent BTL framework that is highly competitive and cost effective. The tool has realized an increase in volume of key brands: Soko, Amaize and Treatos as well as increased market presence and brand trust by 10% versus 2023. ● Drove brand re-positioning strategies as well as established key brand opportunities to achieve business value and volume growth for key brans such as Soko – Achieved 5% growth in ND and WD in 6 months as well as a growth in volume share by 3% versus SPLY. Treatos achieved market penetration rate of 5% in 6 months with an increase in distribution by 30%. ● ● ● ● Led the first ever rice fortification launch in Kenya with key partners such as Technoserv and World Food Programme with the aim of positioning rice as a nutritional staple in Kenya. Successfully done through a well positioned PR launch with key media partners, government bodies and influencers. The brand grew by 10% in Q4 versus Q3 2024 as a result of key campaigns Proposed and worked on reviewing the current brand architecture across all the brands as well as the brand keys to redefine and create focus per brand towards a 24-36 month plan. Launched the first cookies, Treatos Cookies, within the Capwell Industries portfolio, achieving 100% distribution across modern trade outlets with an increase repurchase rate. Brand acceptance and purchase increased by 200% in Month 4 versus Month 1 and +15% versus launch target Currently embedding AI into the marketing way of working to cost ensure brand TOMA across the portfolio. Crown Paints Kenya Limited October 2022 to April 2024 Role Held: Group Marketing Manager (Head of Marketing), a team member of the Organization Executive Committee Crown Paints is a leading manufacturer of high-quality paints and coatings in East Africa, known for its innovative products and commitment to sustainability. Established in Kenya, the company has built a strong reputation for delivering durable and environmentally friendly paint solutions for both residential and commercial applications. Crown Paints focuses on customer satisfaction and product excellence, supported by extensive research and development. The brand is recognized for its pioneering initiatives in the paint industry, including the introduction of cutting-edge technologies and market expansion strategies, positioning itself as a key player in the region. Key Duties: ● Established a comprehensive marketing department to enhance efficiency and uphold the company’s vision as a leader in the paint manufacturing. ● Developed focused brand strategies and activations, significantly improving ROI. ● Revamped brand presence through impactful visibility campaigns and a full merchandising rollout in June 2023. ● Introduced robust relationship building strategies to ensure the corporate brand and company products are ToM. E.g. painters, counter staff and dealer nyama chomas and counter staff loyalty programmes that grew the brand at point of sale presence by 8% in the first month. This in return has led to an increase in sales by 15% across the months and also improved brand health indicators and product usage as per the qualitative study research done. ● Introduced a key painter promotion in Q4 2022 and this led to Crown Paints being recognized as the fastest growing brand in- in Kenya by Brand Finance, registering a 70% growth with a value of KE 2.1 billion. ● Introduced initiatives in the market to push brand presence, effective education and awareness and increased distribution e.g. introduction of sales promoters in the market to increase distribution, introduction of tambulika na crown, an on the spot instant reward campaign for all purchasers of paint at PoS. This increased the sales in the month of August by 20% versus previous month ● Drove the increase on corporate visibility and company representation at key events with prominent individuals such as BORAQs, KABCEC, What women want, BuildHer forum, KENHA conferences, and several other events and exhibitions where I represented the organization to strengthen corporate presence. ● Introduced a painter and counter staff long term engagement platform that led to long term brand loyalty and increased Q1 2024 revenues for key outlets by 15% and shelf presence increase by 8% ● Created the lead into the Somali market to increase market presence and long term relationship. This led to increase in sales revenue by an additional 200million kenya shillings per month. ● Introduced a Digital strategy, digital playbook and e-commerce strategy to drive presence in the market ● Established business partnership plans across the different industries to drive business growth and follow the consumer / customer path through increased brand visibility with consumer federation of Kenya, Kenya medical association. ● Introduced market expansion opportunities and framework through a regional mapping strategy and remote market expansion strategy to maximize presence and increase sales in the North Eastern segment of the country with a projected growth of 20% in the area v olumes. ● Initiated a website revamp initiative that includes the first ever in built colour visualizer, a first in kind innovation in the African markets and an uplift towards digital transformation. British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya Limited October 2008 to June 2022 Roles Held: Marketing Deployment Manager I Above Weighted Average Brand Manager I Brand Manager I Marketing Planning and Insights Manager I Brand Executive I Management Trainee British American Tobacco is a leading multinational company in the tobacco industry, with a rich heritage dating back over 100 years. Headquartered in London, BAT operates in more than 180 countries and is known for its diverse portfolio of brands, including renowned names like Dunhill, Lucky Strike, and Pall Mall. The company is committed to delivering innovative products, including reduced-risk alternatives such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, as part of its strategy to create a sustainable future. BAT prioritizes corporate social responsibility, focusing on environmental sustainability, ethical practices, and community engagement while navigating the evolving landscape of the global tobacco market. Key Duties: Marketing Deployment Manager, January 2020 to June 2022 ● Selected to lead the re entry into the Djibouti market, a challenging market with high communication restrictions. Adopted a strategy with the consumer in mind by beginning with a soft launch in 120 outlets which was positively received by consumers and scaling thereafter. This was a great success and led to an addition to the cluster volume ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Successfully launched Dunhill Switch Tube filter in Kenya. This was the first ever successful launch of a tube filter in ESAA. This was supported by several mini consumer events at strategic bars in Kenya as well as major successful trade events to get buy in and trader alignment. The outcome of this was 100% consumer retention, 8% growth in brand volumes and no exceptional costs. An innovative and new approach was also introduced during the launch of Dunhill Switch tube, that is, the introduction of a consumer immersion forums which resulted in invaluable insights and increased consumer loyalty Accelerated the growth of Dunhill Switch tube. Since the tobacco industry is highly regulated, subliminal branding and indirect execution was introduced through the launch of ‘Discover Refinement’ concept which involved the use of augmented reality by Brand Ambassadors to show case the brand experience to target consumers. This led to increased brand loyalty and market share growth of 8% Successfully re-launched two key brands in South Sudan, a very difficult market with multiple counterfeits and minimal regulation to counteract the same. Achieved this through: Organization strategic launch events with 250 retailers and 5,000 consumers to ensure awareness and hype at launch. The success was supported by incentive schemes for retailers, deployment of a motivated field team actively engaging consumers, aggressive branding strategies and dissemination of merchandise. This led to an increase of approximately 100mn sticks additional volume Strategy Development and In Market Execution of brand migrations of key strategic brands in Kenya and Mauritius to Global Dri ve Brands. A recent example being the migration of Embassy to Dunhill in Kenya with 104% volume achievement, 16% increase in distribution and improvement in overall brand image. Project lead for all Premium and a few values for money regulatory projects in the cluster. Key projects include: Graphical Health warning rollout that was successfully done with 100% retail understanding and acceptance of the change and no decline in volume or share Led an aggressive communication campaign to counteract illicit and counterfeit invasions of the market in Somaliland, including engagements with retailers and consumers using massive consumer events that targeted approximately 500 retailers and 1000 consumers as well as frequent road shows to drive awareness on identifying genuine BAT products Developed winning marketing execution strategies for brands for example, proposed a new flavor on the low segment for consumers who cannot afford premium brands and yet seek innovation. Effectively managed brand support expenditure of approximately £2 Million Above Weighted Average Brand Manager (East and Central Africa Area), November 2018 – December 2019 ● Successfully launched the national pride brand in Mauritius, Matinee 100mm format cigarette in the value for money segment, leading to the brand being top of mind for the consumer and the business gaining market share of 1% in 3 months ● Led the launch of Dunhill zest, a citrus flavored cigarette targeted at rejuvenating the premium segment. The launch which was designed with the aim of creating top of mind awareness and differentiation for Dunhill versus the brands in the value for money segment. The launch led to growth in market share and enhanced consumer awareness ● Gained a deep understanding of the global international focus brands manifestos and guidelines and led the translation and localisation of the same based on unique market requirements ● Tracked product and volume performance versus targets and initiated corrective actions, supervised consumer product testing t o ensure consistency of product treatment, quality output of studies and robust interpretation of findings ● Transitioned Embassy brand to Dunhill effectively despite strong brand awareness of Embassy by carrying out a test market launch and actioning feedback from the consumer on most effective communication strategies. This led to retention of market share plus 1% growth ● Drove consumer centric decision making across the business by monitoring the digital space to track consumer feedback and designing digital action plans in response to the same ● Initiated opportunities for brand launch and market entries with strong activation campaigns in the different markets within East & Central Africa Area in line with the Global objectives. ● Conducted a quarterly financial and performance review of current brands to ensure both volume and value objectives are met by ensuring strong execution and quickly changing course and adapting to new strategies where necessary Brand Manager, June 2015 - February 2017 ● Led the first ever plain packaging roll out in Africa in a market past of the Indian Ocean Islands, La Reunion, with the main objective of maintaining the market share of 49% and competitiveness while complying with set regulations. The target was surpassed with market share growing by 2 share points as a result of excellent retail engagement and strong team collaboration, with market share ● Rationalized the portfolio with the consumer in mind, leading to a reduction in the available brands from 26 to 15, and still achieved through the elimination of SKU’s not legally permitted growth in market share through retail and consumer support activities ● Strategic foresight enabled proper planning and excellent execution that led to the securing of 7% market share through innovation of a flavored option. This was despite delisting of capsules and transition to plain packaging ● Implemented seamless stock management, a bar code system and unique stickers to track depletions and support the retailers in differentiating between products which was a difficult task with the roll out of plain packaging in the market. This led to growth in market share to 53% by outsmarting competition in retailer and consumer navigation ● Successfully managed an above market team in Western Europe, South Africa and Reunion to ensure project objectives were exceeded and team members were coached and up skilled. This constantly led to strong business results and high levels of motivation within the team ● Established and maintained strong relationships with agency leading to robust communication, even in heavily regulated markets and a strong understanding of consumer preferences ● Led the seamless planning of activities and excellent delivery of communication campaigns in the region translating to the achievement of full year stretch volume and value targets across all markets Marketing Planning and Insights Manager, February 2014 – May 2015 ● Effectively provided strategic information through carrying out and evaluating research and transforming data into useful insights for decision making ● Coordinated cycle activities across 14 countries with excellence leading to standard rhythms of work including periodical meetings for exchange of information and best practices across the markets. This led to better planning, exchange of useful insights and enhanced learning opportunities across the different markets ● Drove implementation of mission meetings and aligned content of the same in conjunction with diverse senior stakeholders within the business ● Led the brainstorming sessions across the markets culminating in the development of a transformational area product strategy, leading to the definition of 3 consumer segments including premium, value for money and low value segments. The area product strategy provided a strong framework and contributed to efficiencies in speed to market execution at minimal cost ● Developed a marketing planning dashboard to drive excellent execution from intent to launch, with milestone tracking being embedded in the function’s culture as a standard agenda in all meetings. This led to elimination of missed market dates and achievement of 95% of launches executed on time and in full, in the year of implementation ● Effectively monitored a £505 million budget by driving effective roll out of all brand initiatives and closely tracking return on investment ● Developed strong defense strategies against competition by closely monitoring consumer data and leveraging on intelligence pr ovided by the team in trade ● Planned and hosted the company AGM with fellow team members that included approximately 2,500 shareholders and took the lead on the overall event Brand Manager (Authentic and Premium Brands), November 2012 – January 2014 ● Selected to manage Premium Brands due to my deep understanding of the consumer and innovative thought process targeting the premium consumer ● Identified an opportunity and developed a business case for executive management approval to rejuvenate the Dunhill brand, following a 5year period of dormancy and slow growth, by launching a new and elegant pack with bevel edges. ● Managed resistance of the launch of new Dunhill pack with various stakeholders by driving education forums and brand love ses sions to obtain buy in and excellent execution and collaboration from the team. This was successful and the launch was flawlessly executed, leading to a growth in market share from 0.2% to 2.4% within a 3-month period ● Deep understanding of the consumer led to my proposal to introduce a lighter with a leather case, bundling it with Dunhill at a premium price. This innovation was rolled out successfully and contributed to market share growth of Dunhill to 2.4% ● Involved in segment analysis to understand the opportunity of Dunhill across the area and launched Dunhill Switch in Kenya and Uganda in a span of 5 months from concept analysis to launch. The launch of Dunhill Switch, an innovation in both markets led to the brand growth in 2013 of 10% in Kenya and 6% in Uganda versus 2012. This also improved the brand health indicators significantly and repositio ned the brand in the eyes of the consumer. This was supported by a high scale consumer event in Uganda and Trade Event in Kenya to ensure education and buy in ● Led the launch of various strategic brands including B&H Bevel Edge Pack in Somalia and Djibouti, Jensen pack of B&H in Tanzania ● Instrumental in strengthening the premium portfolio and uplift the positioning of Dunhill in Kenya & Uganda to an innovative and modern brand. This was achieved through meticulous portfolio management, efficient transition & in-depth market analysis to understand the target consumer ● Developed a winning ECAA Product Strategy to determine the necessary innovations and future of the brands. The strategy unlocked the growth of multiple brands by setting an innovation pipeline that allowed exploration of flavours and format in the area for example Dunhill double capsule in Mauritius and in Kenya as well as other stick innovations such as tube filters. ● Selected by the executive management team to be the lead Marketing Representative in the 2014 BAT AGM, to represent the company to the shareholders. Brand Executive, October 2010 – October 2012 ● Launched the first ever capsule in La Reunion, a difficult market to penetrate due to language barrier and cultural norms. The launch was executed with excellence and efficiency, giving BAT the first mover advantage in the market. Flawless execution and an outstanding activation plan led to growth of the value segment by 4% in market share despite the challenging environment ● Developed a strong understanding of the consumer by analysing data and uncovering insights that drove higher consumption for example, launching the Gladstone 25 sticks pack in Reunion Market targeting value for market consumers who were previously purchasing 2 packs of 12 sticks. The launch was highly successful and led to increased brand awareness and market share ● Leveraged on consumer insights and launched Vogue Frisson in La Reunion, a sleek and elegant stick targeting the female consumer led to 0.8% growth in market share within a 3-month period ● Led the launch of Sportsman in Uganda and successfully increased brand awareness as reflected in the general consumer survey, despite the market being highly regulated, prohibiting the exploitation of different avenues of communication ● Led the successful launch of Dunhill Reloc in Mauritius by understanding the consumer, driving team collaboration and guiding the implementation of excellent in store execution. This led to growth in market share by 10% ● Re-launched and repositioned Dunhill in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda in October 2012 through an innovative pack upgrade and this in return led to the brand growth in 2012 of 10% in Kenya and 6% in Uganda and 2.2% in Rwanda versus 2011. This also improved the brand health indicators significantly and was a successful reposition of the brand as a dynamic and modern brand. ● Drove effective Consumer Engagement by introducing an engagement and activation platform for BAT through Brand Ambassador Activations and Serving Rituals in HoReCa’s and Key Accounts within the heavily regulated environment. ● Led one of the first ever brand migrations in the area, Intore to Pall Mall in Rwanda. A strategic brad that accounts for approximately 20% volume and 55% value share in the market Management Trainee, Marketing (Sub Sahara Africa), October 2008 – September 2010 ● Headhunted to join BAT’s prestigious and highly competitive global Management Trainee programme. Only 11 candidates were selected from a pool of 50,000 applicants, and finally only the top 2 were retained in the business ● Identified as top talent and assigned to marketing department following demonstration of strong competencies in problem solving, with high creativity and commercial acumen ● Developed a highly structured system for trade marketing including an operational planning dashboard to efficiently track cycle planning activities and drive effectiveness in execution. This innovation was highly impactful driving a high return on cycle activities with a reduction in turnaround time from 12 months to 6 months ● Championed the change management and inspired adoption of the operational planning dashboard innovation despite receiving resistance at the initial stages. This was achieved by engaging stakeholders, driving transparent communication and educating all on the technicalities of the same, resulting in full adoption of the innovation ● High success of the operational planning dashboard in Kenya led to a request by top management to cascade the same to other countries including Somalia, Djibouti and DRC. This entailed learning of basic French within a short span of time to successfully train and cascade the dashboard to French speaking markets ● Identified innovative ways of tracking and improving distribution in the trade marketing function which resulted in higher revenue for the business ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Academic and Professional Qualifications Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration (Finance and Marketing) United States International University (USIU), 2008 Part 2, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Oshwal College, 2012 Other Trainings and Certifications Prince II Project Management Certificate Holder Business Continuity Management Workshop Women in Leadership course & Live to Lead (John Maxwell) training. Scottwork Accredited Negotiation Skills Course. Alliance Francaise Basic French Certification. Certificate in presentation skills workshop. BAT Product Knowledge Workshop. Finance for Non-Finance Managers Course. Mentorship and Coaching training IMAcademy Forex Training Academy Up Your Service, Customer Service uplift training ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Awards Top student in Professional Ethics Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Nominated for Most Efficient and Agile Launch (Lucky Strike Capsule Launch), La Reunion Golden Leaf Awards, British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya Limited Nominated for Most Efficient and Agile Launch (Dunhill Switch), Kenya Golden Leaf Awards, British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya Limited ____________________________________________________________________________________________ References To be submitted upon request