Consumer products manufacturing
The Challenge
An international consumer products manufacturer needed a National Account Manager with significant Walmart experience and the ability to work effectively with Asia-based product-development and manufacturing teams.
The individual would be responsible for leading the Walmart business while coordinating with overseas partners on product development, sourcing, pricing, forecasting, production timelines, and retail execution.
What Made This Search Different
The successful candidate needed to operate effectively in two very different business environments.
The person had to understand Walmart’s expectations for speed, analytics, communication, and execution. At the same time, the candidate needed experience navigating the product-development, sourcing, cultural, communication, and lead-time considerations associated with an Asia-based manufacturer.
Strong Walmart account-management experience alone was not enough. The individual also needed direct product-development and new-item experience, along with the ability to translate Walmart’s needs into effective action across international teams and time zones.
Match Point Recruiting focused on the relatively small group of sales professionals who could bridge the gap between Walmart’s expectations and the operational realities of Asia-based manufacturing.
The Results
The client hired a National Account Manager who combined Walmart account expertise with direct experience working with China-based product-development and manufacturing teams.
The hire significantly reduced the learning curve and gave the company someone capable of leading the Walmart relationship while communicating effectively with overseas partners.
The National Account Manager was able to contribute immediately and subsequently secured additional shelf space in a highly competitive category.