Yasmin Van Den Hoven

YASMIN VAN DEN HOVEN (NEE PAT EL) -- www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-van-den-hoven SUMMARY A business professional with over 20 years of expertise in the retail sector, specializing in customer relationship management (CRM), customer experience management (CEM), eCommerce, and operational process optimization. A Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), recognized for implementing structured customer experience frameworks and Voice of the Customer (VoC) programs that drive customer retention, acquisition, and sustainable growth. With a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in today’s dynamic marketplace, she has successfully developed and executed customer strategies across diverse industries. Highly skilled in leveraging customer insights to align with business strategies, enhancing organizational efficiency, profitability, and market competitiveness. Strengths include building and mentoring high -performing teams and fostering a collaborative environment defined by equal opportunities, transparency, and a shared sense of purpose. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Yasmin serves on the CXPA Africa Leadership Council, contributing to the advancement of customer experience practices. A strategic thinker with a hands -on approach, committed to delivering measurable business outcomes and driving meaningful change through leadership that inspires and empowers. KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES Customer experience management * Customer relationship management * Customer acquisition, retention & growth strategies * Voice of the customer (VOC) implementation * Process design and implementation * Customer master data management * Net Promoter Scores (NPS) * Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) * Marketing strategy * Loyalty programmes * Budget management * People management and development * Training and coaching * Stakeholder management and engagement * Business development * Sales * Lead generation *Operational efficiency EXPERIENCE Self Employed Business Consultant July 2023 - Current By leveraging extensive experience, this role assists clients implement effective customer experience strategies by conducting maturity assessments which involve establishing a baseline for customer sentiment and identifying gaps, providing recommendations and solutions. Key responsibilities: • • • • • • • • Performance of value-added maturity customer relationship assessments. Implementation of customer experience management frameworks. Facilitating of customer experience and sales training. Delivery of customer experience coaching and mentoring. Programme and project management. Business development and sales Lead generation Operational efficiency Massmart Holdings Ltd., Subsidiary of Walmart Inc. (20 years of experience) Customer Experience Manager: Builders and Massmart June 2021 to June 2023 The role reported into the Builders MD and Marketing Executive , managing a team of 5. Focus was on improving how the company understood and responded to customer sentiment by aligning customer insights with strategic goals to expand the customer base and increase satisfaction. Led market research and needs analysis, launched a Voice of the Customer (VoC) program that provided crucial data namely, net promoter scores (NPS) and customer satisfaction scores (CSAT). Introduced a customer experience management framework that guided the development of a customer experience strategy which was supported by a three-year rollout plan. Overall efforts supported B2B sales growth. Customer segmentation was used to assess the growth potential of commercial customers, and a sentiment analysis matrix was implemented to track and respond to customer feedback. Implemented VoC technology which automated sentiment data collection and analysis, streamlining processes whilst supporting customer acquisition, retention, and growth strategies. Departmental strategies were tailored to customer Page 1 of 3 personas and segmentation, addressing demographic shifts and economic factors, enabling targeted strategies for both B2B and B2C customers to improve personalized sales growth. Key responsibilities: • Managed the implementation of the voice of the customer (VOC) programme. • Led the touchpoint and root cause analysis impacting customer sentiment. • Managed data analysis to identify pain points, opportunities, and inefficiencie s hindering B2B sales growth. • Introduced metrics to monitor customer satisfaction. • Identified process enhancements by introducing VOC technology to automate the gathering and analysis of sentiment data. • Optimised key customer touchpoints thereby enabling customer acquisition, retention, and growth strategies • Key contributor to the development of customer personas and customer segments. Customer Relationship Manager: Builders April 2016 to May 2021 The role reported into the Builders MD, managing a team of 5. In this role, foundational CRM principles were established and integration of technology to enhance customer interactions. This resulted in the alignment with the interconnected retail, digitisation and business continuity strategies of integrating customer experiences in-store, online, in-person and in the contact center. Developed and rolled out a customer data strategy and governance framework, to increase the known customer database and create a unified 360-degree customer view by aggregating data from multiple platforms. Through the role in leading the optimization of the SAP CRM platform and introducing SAP C4C in key departments, automation, reduced manual processes, and lowered service costs were achieved. Additionally, played a key role in launching the Builders Card loyalty program, driving customer acquisition, retention, and growth. Efforts were instrumental in laying the foundation for the e -commerce platform and fostering collaborative CRM practices within the organization. Key responsibilities: • Led the digitisation of customer business processes through the implementation of a sales force automation system, SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C), across B2C and B2B segments. • Managed customer data integration in SAP ERP, SAP CRM, Hybris Commerce, Hybris Marketing and C4C. • Aggregated and reduced customer databases to create a single view of customers from approximately 35 000 known customers to over 1 million known customers over a 12-month period. • Defined the customer data governance processes to facilitate the effective and efficient use of data. • Conducted process reviews, audits and redesign. • Led the roll out of the Builders brand Loyalty Programme. eCommerce Development Manager: Makro January 2014 to March 2016 The role reported into the eCommerce Executive with collaboration across multiple departments. Key responsibilities: • Contributed to the launch of the eCommerce platform. • Managed online product data by enhancing product content and introduced new product information. eCommerce Project Manager: Builders May 2013 to December 2013 The role reported into the IT Director with collaboration across multiple departments. Key responsibilities: • Interim support position, assisting with the development of the eCommerce approach and market research. Various Roles Massmart Holdings Ltd: Massmart, Builders, Makro and Jumbo January 2001 to April 2013 • Africa Distribution Centre Manager: Managed the overall functioning of the distribution centre and implemented strategies to cost-effectively distribute products at the company’s first cross-border distribution centre. The role reported into the Supply Chain Director, managing a team of approximately 20. • Merchandise Manager: Oversaw the buying process, forecasting inventory demands and negotiating with suppliers to drive financial performance across categories. Developed and implemented category specific strategies. The role reported into the Builders MD, managing a team of 10. • Administration Manager: Led the consolidation of four data product files into one database on SAP and managed data purification processes. Managed the implementation of product data governance. The role reported into the Supply Chain Director, managing a team of approximately 15. • Merchandise Planner: Built product assortments in line with the overall sales plans , managed range improvements and monitored service levels. Page 2 of 3 • Merchandise Controller: Monitored and analysed stock levels, assisted with the procurement of local and imported products. Managed category performance, sales, margin and vendor performance. • Business Researcher: Conducted key category analysis identifying Group level category opportunities in the food division to ensure sustainable profitability growth and capture market share. • Graduate Trainee: Introduction into the corporate environment Edcon: November 2005 to May 2007 • Specialist Planner: Conducted range reviews to improve the return on sales and margin. Built product assortments and managed product range improvements. Monitored service levels, and corrected stock imbalances and built and maintained replenishment models. EDUCATION Qualifications: Certified NLP Diploma: Neuro-linguistic Programming Coaching, NLP World, 2024 Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP): Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), 2021 Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management: Business Management, University of Natal, 1999 Bachelor of Social Science: Marketing, Business Administration & Economics, University of Natal, 1998 Membership: CXPA Africa Leadership Council: Contributor to the consistent application of customer experience frameworks within the African continent. Page 3 of 3