RACHEL FORDHAM
St Ives,Cambridgeshire
Summary
Highly-motivated Sales Manager, with excellent communication, negotiation and persuasion skills for successful new business generation and retention. Monitors competitor and industry activity to remain ahead of trends and meet client needs. Passion with a wealth of knowledge in food ingredients. Collaborates with product and service teams to deliver critical path activity.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work history
Key Account Manager
Bell Flavors & Fragrances
Leipzig, Germany
2022.11 - 2023.04
- Very small current sales in the UK, around £250k
- Identified new prospects and executed cold calls to grow and develop pipeline.
- Reviewed established objectives and action plans on monthly basis to verify alignment with client needs.
2022.04 - 2022.11
- I took some time out to travel, to make up for lack of travel during covid.
UK Sales Manager
DIANA FOOD/Symrise
Renne, France
2018.10 - 2022.04
- Increased year-on-year sales by 11%, implementing strategic business growth and retention initiatives.
- Exceeded sales goals and improved profitability by developing sales strategies and business plans according to market trends.
- Forecasting key to crop planning, working with supply chain.
- Account 1 increased sales t/o £750k to £2 million. Successful new product launches £800k. Price increases negotiated at 12%. Margins on low products increased to 20%
- Account 2 increased sales t/o £1 million to 2.5 million. New product launches £1.1 million. Price increased negotiated at 9%. Two innovation days held per year with R & D.
UK Sales Manager
FRUTAROM (UK) LTDUK/IFF
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
2016.08 - 2018.09
- Exceeded sales goals and improved profitability by developing sales strategies and business plans according to market trends.
- Identified and qualified new sales prospects to continually meet targets.
- Increased profitability by developing pipelines using multiple marketing channels and sales strategies.
- New product launches adding to £1 million. Price increases negotiated at 10%. Cost engineering so we kept 800k in for products.
UK Sales Manager
CORNELIUS GROUP
Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
2013.04 - 2016.07
- Achieving turnover & profitability budgets
- Maintain existing customer sales and continue to grow the business.
- Bringing on new Principles, inclusive of Nielsen Massey Vanilla.
- Travel to IFT in the US, visit principles.
- Exhibiting at FIE and Food Matters Live
- Identify new customers.
- Worked on many new launches with M & S.
- Presented to the team of chefs at Waitrose.
UK Sales Manager
ELIXAROME
Paddock Wood, Kent
2011.09 - 2013.04
- A role focused on new business (approximately 80%), for a supplier of sweet and savoury flavourings, in both liquid and powder form
- Speciality area for the company is bakery and desserts; but client base extends to meat blenders, top-end beverage manufacturers, and everything in-between
Key Account Manager
FIT/Azelis
Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire
2007.04 - 2011.09
- A key marketing and sales focused role responsible for the management of Flavours, Tate & Lyle's products.
- Nielsen Massey Vanilla, margins of 60%.
- We represented Sensient flavours. Concentrated sales was savoury, the HVPs and yeast extracts.
- Driven 200% total growth in the flavour sales.
Purchasing/Co-ordinator Manager
PREMIER FOODS, BURY ST EDMUNDS
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
1994.07 - 2007.04
- Responsible for team of schedulers and co-ordinators
- Weekly checking the MRP system
- Liaised between suppliers and procurement department for accomplishing purchases and new contracts.
- Issued and evaluated tenders and procurement documentation to identify procurement risk.
Education
AAT -
Melbourn Village College
Skills
- B2B account management
- Brand positioning
- Negotiating skills
- Determined and passionate
- Approachable and likeable
- Flexible and organised
Interests
I love running, road cycling, going to the gym, bird watching and gardening
Languages
English
Native
English
Native
Timeline
Key Account Manager
Bell Flavors & Fragrances
2022.11 - 2023.04
2022.04 - 2022.11
UK Sales Manager
DIANA FOOD/Symrise
2018.10 - 2022.04
UK Sales Manager
FRUTAROM (UK) LTDUK/IFF
2016.08 - 2018.09
UK Sales Manager
CORNELIUS GROUP
2013.04 - 2016.07
UK Sales Manager
ELIXAROME
2011.09 - 2013.04
Key Account Manager
FIT/Azelis
2007.04 - 2011.09
Purchasing/Co-ordinator Manager
PREMIER FOODS, BURY ST EDMUNDS
1994.07 - 2007.04
AAT -
Melbourn Village College