DARREN SEWARD
Experience Sales And Go-to-Market Leader
Summary
A versatile, resilient and motivated professional within the IT and Consumer Electronics Channel with a proven track record of driving and delivering results in Retail, B2B and E-Commerce. Experience working across a wide breadth of functions including sales, commercial, marketing, purchasing and operations, as well as category and vendor management. Excellent commercial acumen managing a multi-million-pound business with a keen eye on data analysis to drive decision-making. Excelling in managing senior stakeholders and key partner alliances. Able to work both strategically and tactically in existing and within new market areas - driving market share growth and delivering against targeted sales revenue and profitability numbers. Proven leadership and change management skills; leading large teams through change to achieve personal growth and deliver against company sales and profit targets.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
4
4
Certifications
Work History
Head of Distribution, Open Market and AIOT Sales
Xiaomi Technology UK
Reading
06.2021 - Current
- Responsible for UK and Ireland Distribution Partners – Westcoast, Exertis, , Fonua (and downstream Key Accounts – Currys, Argos, Very, AO
- Responsible for achieving monthly and quarterly sell-in targets / sell-out targets and driving sell out into reseller channel - Achieved Number 3 Smartphone Shipments Canalys Q2 2022
- Responsible for managing Grocer channel – Tesco, Asda, Harvey Norman Ireland, Halfords, Decathlon
- UK and Ireland sales lead for aIOT product portfolio across all Key Retailer Accounts – Scooters, TV, SDA, Wearbles, TWS, Pet Products, Robot Vacuum Cleaners
- Management of Xiaomi Stores Franchise partners
- Day to day Relationship stakeholder management – from C-Suite to internal salespeople
- Strategic planning and execution against joint business and co-marketing plans – Promotional planning and budgeting
- Partner CPFR Management and Stock forecasting
- Sales Pipeline management and forecasting - daily analysis of sales results and profitability
Open Market Account Director
Xiaomi Technology UK Limited
06.2020 - 06.2021
- Responsible for E-Commerce business - primarily managing Amazon account
- Successful delivered Amazon Advertising campaigns - CPC - Sponsored Brands, Products, Display - drive maximum AOAS
- Developed Xiaomi Brand Store on Amazon Platform
- Worked with marketing on social media marketing campaigns to drive traffic to Amazon platform
- Alignment of partner forecasts and internal supply chain and product lifecycle
- Bought on new partners to Xiaomi including Very, Laptops Direct, Asda, Currys
Commercial and Sales Manager
Westcoast Limited
01.2014 - 01.2020
- Responsible for setting strategy and leading Westcoast’s push into the mobile market and developing our mobile solutions go to our market proposition
- Responsible for category P&L management – inventory, sales out, profitability, stock management, rebates and SOAs, pricing, marketing, process improvement
- Launched new Apple iPhone franchise and grew to number one market share position with over 50% Share
- Set up relationships and negotiated contracts and SLAs with supporting service providers – leasing, recycling, insurance, Mobile Device Management (SOTI), Google AER, Zero Touch
- Managed sales team looking after Telco reseller account base (around 200 accounts) i.e A1 Comms, KTM Online, Olive, Onecom, Apple Authorised Resellers
- Pitched for and secured new distribution contracts with Huawei, Xiaomi and CAT and SOTI
- Developed second-source device business for brands where Westcoast do not have direct contracts
- Promotion of cloud SAAS proposition to Telco customer base – Office 365, Teams, Security
- Company spokesman in press on mobile in publications such as Mobile News and CRN
- Secured Best Device Distributor over 100 employees – Mobile News Awards 2020
Business Manager - Client Devices
Westcoast Limited
01.2009 - 01.2014
- Accountable for developing non-HP notebook and peripheral business within Westcoast group
- Ownership of key vendor relationships – including Toshiba, Samsung, Acer, Targus
- Turned around and achieved Number one market share for Toshiba
- Accountable for vendor sales revenue and profitability, group stock management, rebate management, pricing, bid management, marketing and sales programmes to drive AUP and attach, top customer relationships
- Management of product sales team.
Head of Category Software and Mobile
Ingram Micro Limited
01.2002 - 01.2009
- Part of the senior management team at Ingram Micro UK with accountable for leading and managing the Software and Mobility business units made up of over 25 employees - Product Sales Specialists’ (internal) team, Business Management, Operations / Purchasing Management (over 7000 orders per month) with Post-Sales Support, Dealer commission’s team
- Owned relationships with strategic vendors and worked with key reseller partners
- Software: Microsoft, Symantec, McAfee, CA, Trend Micro, Adobe, Nuance, Business Objects, Citrix Mobility/Operator: T-Mobile, Vodafone, Blackberry, Nokia, Microsoft
- Reseller : i.e
- Dell, SoftCat, Trustmarque Solutions, Computacenter, DSGi, Amazon, Insight, Misco
Education
BA Honours - Business Studies, Marketing
Leicester University
06.1990 - 06.1994
Skills
Sales Leadership
Certification
INSEAD Business Strategy and Financial Acumen
Accomplishments
- Xiaomi – Gained Best Seller in Smartphone Categories on Amazon achieving number 2 vendor during Black Friday and Christmas sales periods – going from nothing to over 26k units in peak.
- Xiaomi – Drove Open Market Retail share to 40% of overall business from standing start bring on new retailers.
- Xiaomi – Instrumental in growing Xiaomi Sell in share to Number 3 in UK during Q2 2022
- Xiaomi – Developed UK Channel Strategy – including Go to market plan, commercials and introduced new fit for purpose processes.
- Westcoast - Launched Apple iPhone business - getting to market share to over 50% giving us number one position in twelve months. Also established Westcoast Mobile Solutions Go-to-market proposition, signing new vendors and value add services
- Westcoast – focused on taking poor performing brands to then exceeding expectations and market share growth
Timeline
Head of Distribution, Open Market and AIOT Sales
Xiaomi Technology UK
06.2021 - Current
Open Market Account Director
Xiaomi Technology UK Limited
06.2020 - 06.2021
Commercial and Sales Manager
Westcoast Limited
01.2014 - 01.2020
Business Manager - Client Devices
Westcoast Limited
01.2009 - 01.2014
Head of Category Software and Mobile
Ingram Micro Limited
01.2002 - 01.2009
BA Honours - Business Studies, Marketing
Leicester University
06.1990 - 06.1994
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