Client Sales Lead - Customer Insights

Our client is a customer analytics, retail and distribution improvement organisation operating globally. Its software and services help retailers, distributors and manufacturers improve their business performance.

Founded by the 2012 merger of two leading companies our client is a global leader in delivering benefits to retailers and manufacturers by utilising customer insights to drive retail execution.

By enabling a more engaged, relevant customer experience and optimized business operations, the company partners with leading retailers and manufacturers in over 70 countries delivering increased margins, profits and customer loyalty.

Its analytical solutions drive business decisions and execution in the areas of strategy and plan development, marketing, merchandise and purchasing operations, inventory management and supply chain productivity - all aligned to a unified omni-channel customer experience. 

The company had been selected by a division of one of the leading German supermarket retail chains to provide customer insights to better inform decision-making across the business.

Our task was to source a

Client Sales Lead - Customer Insights

for the company’s operation in Germany to lead the account on a day to day basis developing retail specific strategies and customer solutions to deliver the Account plan and goals for the financial year.

The Client Lead had the ability to develop relationships throughout the client’s organisation ranging from the C-level; Heads of Departments down to Manager level and be familiar with the application of customer analytics through tools and business processes.  

This position had the added responsibility of delivering account revenues and profit targets by translating business issues into customer powered solutions to be implemented and measured by the client and (by key CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) companies). 

Furthermore the Client Lead would provide leadership and guidance to a local strong company team of up to 25 people responsible for relationship building, consulting and development of customer solutions, customer analysis and insights delivery and implementation of software solutions. 

Standely Associates began the search firstly within the German market at the request of the client in May 2015.

The aim was to find a German/English speaking senior manager with extensive experience of Retail, working at senior (VP) level for either a grocery retailer, blue-chip CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) or relevant retail consulting companies coupled with customer insights experience.

Furthermore the Client Lead should have experience of working across Merchandising (Assortment, Pricing, Promotion, Placement), Marketing (Mass Media and Targeted Marketing), Regional Store Operations and be familiar with the application of customer insights in a retail and/or CPG environment through tools and consultancy.

Lastly, the candidate should be an experienced leader with the ability to motivate and manage effectively and consistently highly skilled consulting, business development and analytical teams.

It soon became clear that due to the number of requirements by the client that only a small number of candidates would fit the person profile and so it proved. The search was extended to cover all areas of the globe. After a very lengthy and long drawn out interview process over six months one of the first candidates interviewed took the job and started with the company in March 2016.