Lorika Esterhuizen

Responsible for maintaining brand identity, driving sales, and presentation standards and delivering exceptionally high-end customer service.

• Assist the ASAEM with her duties and manage the area in her absence.
• Enhanced branch production rates by handling staff conflicts, evaluations, hiring and termination processes and coaching employees on company protocol and sales operations.
• Engage employees in business processes with positive motivational techniques, and develop the team to maximise the overall sales potential of the boutique.
• Accountable for achieving annual sales targets and KPIs, forecasts trends and recommending improvements based on financial risk analyses.
• Generate financial and operational reports to assist management with business strategy.
• Events planning and execution of events and activities within the business plan, including goal setting and team input.

Experienced commercial and customer focused sales manager who deputised for the store manager, drove sales, developed, and energised teams in a large fast paced retail store.

• Managed and developed more than 20 managers and supervisors, accountable for 80 staff members across four departmental teams.
• Developed strong working relationships with managers, teams and industry partners to agree on actions that drove and delivered results, and solutions and accomplished shared objectives.·
• Daily coordinated staff meetings to discuss developmental strategy, best practices and process improvements.
• Worked alongside the Store Manager and deputised in his absence. This included opening and closing the store, chairing the daily managerial meetings, attending area conference calls, and dealing with all store related duties.
• Maximised sales opportunities and increased profits by delivering excellent customer service through my teams. Increased units and average transaction values by promoting established guidelines and auditing sales reports.
• Maximised sales through stock management in line with marketing calendar and trends. Achieved 100% availability, focusing on the top 10 best sellers by brand, blockbusters, and new product launches.
• Effectively planned for and responded to business needs that drove performance e.g., staff, stock, process promotions, the marketing calendar, internal and external events.
• Understood the impact of costs on the cash profit of the business and worked to reduce this to benefit the store’s profit margin.

Key Achievements:

• One of the top performing stores in the region.
• Boost company growth by recruiting and hiring qualified employees. Coached and promoted high-achieving account managers to fill leadership positions.
• Promoted through all 3 management grades levels

Reason for leaving: Company dissolved.

II started hospitality business that catered predominantly to international guests.

• Conducted target market research to discover customer needs and analyse competitor trends.
• Put together realistic budgets based upon costs and fees for successfully operating the business.
• Increased turnover by maintaining high standards of customer service, target marketing and budget control.

Key Achievements:

• Built a thriving business that had 80% booked rate
• Maintained ‘Super Host’ hospitality status

Reason for leaving: Relocated back to UK

See October 2017 – April 2021 above for responsibilities.

Reason for leaving: Married and relocated to South Africa

I took on all responsibilities of a Sales Manager - see October 2017 – April 2021 above for responsibilities.

Key Achievements:

• Increased Health and Beauty turnover by providing excellent customer service and training staff to achieve the same
• Number of complaints reduced and level of repeat customers increased
• Developed a variety of leadership skills which lead to my promotion to Sales Manager

I was part of a team responsible for all aspects of merchandising across three floors of the store.

• Partnered with sales representatives and managers to coordinate delivery and merchandising schedules.
• Worked within applicable standards, policies and regulatory guidelines to promote a safe working environment.
• Worked to tight deadlines and was accustomed to pressure.
• The role required me to be a perfectionist with an eye for detail; being meticulous is second nature to me.

Key Achievements:

• My hard work and dedication within the store were noticed by the Store Manager which led to a promotion.

After my promotion to an Account Manager for consistently achieving above company standards and targets, I was headhunted to work as an Assistant Manager in the second largest airport in the UK.

• Trained new staff joining Travel Retail in the UK.
• Mentored team members to enhance professional development.
• All duty aspects of an assistant account manager.

Key Achievements:

• Only member within area to win award for consistently performing above expectations and achieving beyond targets.
• Invited to attend honorary event in London and introduced to founders of company.

Reason for leaving: More consistent working hours.

The role necessitated daily administrative tasks; completion of sales tracking, balancing figures and tracking KPIs, allocating the monthly staff planners, completing commission sheets and reporting to my Area Manager.

• Increased account’s performance above area targets and consistently met set company KPIs.
• Presented quarterly business reviews on account’s performance, team vision and strategic account development.

Key Achievements:

• Increased turnover of counter and consistently awarded top performer in ‘Increase to last year’ store status.
• Top performing brand for opening store accounts.

Reason for leaving: Headhunted to a bigger account.