Valentin Popa
From Concept to Consumer | Creative Marketing | Project Management Enthusiast
Bucharest,Romania
Summary
I am a passionate, results oriented and highly driven professional with more than 20 years of extensive experience in Marketing and Business Development in FMCG and Pharma Industry.
I have an excellent background and proven achievements in Trade Marketing, Project Management, and Cross-functional Collaboration.
In my previous role, I have applied the outputs of the Brand, Channel, and Customer Plans to create and implement best in class in-store activation plans, that will meet the needs of Shoppers, deliver category value growth for Customers, as well as delivering against gross profit and market share objectives.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Channel Marketing Activation Executive Out Of Home
Coca-Cola HBC
01.2022 - 04.2025
- Manage executions plans from concept to in trade activation in line with Business, Customer and Brand Plans
- Develop best in class Point of Sale and digital activation suite
- Manage and lead cross-functional mobilisation teams
- Build and deliver key projects on time and in full, aligned with all stakeholders
- Set and monitor KBIs for all trade projects
- Lead the development and communication of all POSM for Field Sales Team
- Build strong links with Field Sales Team and Regional Sales Manager to ensure full understanding across the teams of all major campaigns and initiatives
- Manage Direct Marketing Expense Budgets
- Complete evaluations of all key projects with clear recommendations for continuous improvement
Business Developer
Coca-Cola HBC
06.2017 - 01.2022
- Promote, sell and activate CCH iconic global and local brands
- Achieve sales and distribution objectives and monthly KPIs
- Build successful partnerships and finding best solutions for customer business needs
- Collaborate and share best practice with colleagues and wider team
- Use customer and market insights to maximize sales
- Learn and develop on the job
- Best in class market activation
Sales Merchandiser
Unilever
01.2015 - 03.2015
- Build a Visibility Plan across Co Dublin in the Out Of Home Single-Serve IceCream sector
- Drive sales growth and impulse purchase in Symbols, Convenience and Leisure channels
- Create a best practice approach of merchandising by correctly and consistently apply the Ice-Cream's merchandising principles
- Customer and business development through merchandising, having a positive impact on the sell-out and sell-in levels
- Increase core range availability and NPD distribution by working closely with the concessionaire's representatives
Pharmacy Sales Representative
Farmexpert part of Alliance Boots
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Promote Company image and Retail Division's services to customers - pharmacies
- Meet established goals by delivering real value to customers through personalized offers
- Plan the sales strategy while operating within an assigned budget
- Achieve daily sales and promotional objectives by negotiating every acquisition
- Monitor local pharmaceutical market conditions for changes that impact business
- Utilize sales tools, resources and supporting analysis to plan daily activity
- Identify business opportunities and complete long-term contracts, securing the turnover and payments terms
- Maintain and develop professional relations with all medical representatives in the area
- Report and provide feedback to Sales Manager on market trends, challenges, competitors' actions and promotions
- Collaborate with Sales Manager to establish goals and implement plans to enhance current skill sets and sales results
- Perform company business in accordance with all regulations, company policy and procedures
Regional Sales Manager
PepsiCo
01.2009 - 01.2010
- Ensure distribution and availability of PepsiCo brands through sales team members
- Identify opportunities to increase market share, volume and profit
- Recruit strategically Merchandisers, Sales Representatives and Team Leaders
- Plan, organize and coordinate the sales team
- Achieve and exceed monthly and yearly sales and profitability objectives
- Forecast - estimate sales level across all market channels
- Provide support for team success by attending all important negotiations and providing solutions to customer challenges and complaints
- Monitor and improve the performance of employees
- Set and communicate clear responsibilities and performance objectives, expectations and tasks to team members
- Assess performance, provide constructive feedback, correctly and when needed
- Build and maintain positive relationships with key customers
- Monitor Trade Marketing promotions and market execution
Sales Team Leader
Coca-Cola HBC
01.2008 - 01.2009
- Organize and coordinate sales target achieving by brands and packages
- Lead and supervise the sales team by reporting, motivation, feedback and coaching
- Assess sales team members' skills and achievements
- Responsible for interviewing and selecting candidates for the Business Developer role
- Develop the sales strategy by distribution channels
- Manage sales team's tasks and activities regarding company credit policy and KPIs
- Hold regular sales meetings to analyze and increase team performance
- Monitor execution and impact of all marketing activities like local and national promotions and display building
- Maintain and improve the business relations with key customers in the area
Business Developer
Coca-Cola HBC
01.2004 - 01.2008
- Work with customers to identify opportunities for increased sales by products category and to find solutions for their overall business growth
- Ensure relevant and accurate information from the market on execution by using asset surveys (i.e
- For refrigerators)
- Negotiate the placement of fixed assets like refrigerators and display shelves to maximize availability, complying with the rules and regulations of the Company
- Compliance with trade policy related to credit, promotions, assortment matrix, cross-channel discounts, assets and with services for every type of customer
- Achieve performance indicators - KPIs: volume and value sales, customer development, invoices collection and credits recovery from the market, generating sales orders, merchandising
- Continuous customer development through relationships, promotional activities and service packages, ensuring execution and shop communication, new ideas implementation at the customer level according to Company standards - Picture of Success -
- Maximize all sales opportunities and activate every prospective new customer
- Team support with ongoing Sales Department specific projects
- Good knowledge and correct applying of sales tools and commercial concepts for selling and customer development like order profitability, selling stories, end consumer's needs, packaging role and outlet activation
- Effective implementation and communication of major commercial strategy changes
- Build sustainable business relations with customers through attitude and professionalism
Sales Representative
Puratos
01.2003 - 01.2004
- Establish and maintain close business contacts with every customer within a specific territory
- Develop business opportunities
- Track and meet monthly objectives
- Report activities on a weekly basis and participating actively in monthly sales meetings
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Law
"Vasile Goldis" Western University
Arad, Romania07.2003
High School Diploma -
"I.C.Dragusanu" High School
Victoria, Romania06.1999
Skills
Trade Marketing
Brand Activation
Project Management
Cross-functional Collaboration
Budget Management
Languages
Romanian
Native language
English
Proficient
C2
Certification
- Building your customer relationship - CrossKnowledge
- Active listening - CrossKnowledge
- Plans and Aligns - CrossKnowledge
- Persuades - CrossKnowledge
- The Essential Negotiator - The Gap Partnership
Courses
- Sales Training Marketing Plus - Bucharest, Romania
- Dimensions of Professional Selling - Sinaia, Romania
- Situational Leadership by Ken Blanchard Companies - Deva, Romania
- Management Module Leadership Academy - Bucharest, Romania
- Pharmacy and Financial Management - Predeal, Romania
- Pharmaceutical Sales - Predeal, Romania
- Communicating With Impact - Dublin, Ireland
- Effective Presentation Skills - Dublin, Ireland
- Project Management - Dublin, Ireland
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Accomplishments
Business Developer Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company
- Nominated and selected for the 2020 Fast Forward Talent Programme where I had the opportunity to lead and manage a cross functional yearlong business improvement project
- 2019 Christmas Display Competition: 2ndplace in the country with 330% Achieved vs Target
Pharmacy Sales Representative Farmexpert part of Alliance Boots
- In three months from employment, increased the territory sales with 100%
Regional Sales Manager PepsiCo
- September 2010: Brasov Branch won the first place in the country among 37 branches regarding sales volume: +17% vs PY
Sales Team Leader Coca-Cola HBC
- December 2008: +20% sales vs. last year, achieving for the first time the branch’s sales objective
Business Developer Coca-Cola HBC
- April 2008 BD Horeca: 1st place in the branch +20% volume sales vs. objective and +35% vs. last
Interests
FMCG
Marketing
Timeline
Channel Marketing Activation Executive Out Of Home
Coca-Cola HBC
01.2022 - 04.2025
Business Developer
Coca-Cola HBC
06.2017 - 01.2022
Sales Merchandiser
Unilever
01.2015 - 03.2015
Pharmacy Sales Representative
Farmexpert part of Alliance Boots
01.2013 - 01.2014
Regional Sales Manager
PepsiCo
01.2009 - 01.2010
Sales Team Leader
Coca-Cola HBC
01.2008 - 01.2009
Business Developer
Coca-Cola HBC
01.2004 - 01.2008
Sales Representative
Puratos
01.2003 - 01.2004
Bachelor of Arts - Law
"Vasile Goldis" Western University
High School Diploma -
"I.C.Dragusanu" High School
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