Ray Miller
Frenchs Forest,Australia
Summary
Dynamic Account Manager with excellent client oversight, issue resolution and relationship-building expertise. Maximized repeat business opportunities and utilized proven prospecting techniques to expand client base. High-level sales cycle knowledge and strong collaborative skills leading to optimum outcomes.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Account Manager NSW and Distributor Manager ANZ Mining Solutions
BASF Australia Ltd
01.2016 - Current
- Promote and differentiate BASF as a value adding, technically excellent and professional customer focussed company in the manufacture and supply of solutions to the mining industry
- Act as the key commercial and technical contact managing relationships, service, product performance, and coordinate BASF support departments as required
- Introduce new product technologies to current and new customers
- Grow and maintain business through multiple tier customer relationships, technical and commercial whether on site or head office (users, influencers, gate keepers)
- Project manage plant trials and equipment installations
- Maintain accurate and current forecast/customer demand
- Daily communication with Customer Service, Supply Chain regarding customer orders and deliveries
- Monitor supply contract and tender activity, compile and submit tender responses
- Maintain customer interactions, opportunities and competitor activities in CRM
- Manage commercial relationship with ANZ Mining distributors, promote market penetration and track performance versus budget and KPI’s
- Promote cross business unit product ranges into the market
- Provide technical service including optimising dose equipment, batching plants and solid/liquids separation processes
- Products and Applications: Flocculants, coagulants, antiscalants, flotation reagents, antifoams, chemical batching and dosing equipment supplied to ANZ mining industry
- Achievements: After trial process secured two-year flocculant supply contract to the Bloomfield Group (option to extend), included leading the supply contract negotiations (effective October 2018, $640k/annum)
- Introduced new product line to NSW agent, additional sales YTD 2018 $160k/annum
- Regained product line lost to competition, ($200k/annum)
- Team collaboration helped secure supply contract extensions South32, Fourmile, Holcim
- Team collaboration secured product/plant trials (commercially pending in 2018) Yancoal flotation ($1.5 million), Bloomfield/Rixs Creek North flotation ($1.2 million), BHP flocculant and equipment, ($300k).
National Sales and Regional Key Account Manager Water Solutions
BASF Australia Ltd
11.2012 - 12.2015
- Implement and drive strategic business direction while increasing sales of products to existing customers and developing new business/customers
- Monitor market drivers and conditions in the individual states water markets and support Account Managers by adapting appropriate strategy to drive sales
- Maintain & develop top level communication channels within key customer base nationally
- Support and monitor Distributor Manager strategies to achieve KPI’s and sales targets
- Manage NSW customer accounts Degremont, Veolia, Integra, Nalco and Hydrochem through account operations, site visits and technical support
- Support and implement regional operational excellence programs (BRM) by effectively communicating with team and customer base
- Maintain forecast and provide accurate input for Sales Planning meetings to enable product forecasting and rapid identification of issues that require Regional attention
- Prepare manage and communicate relevant information to immediate superior regarding sales performance, internal and external activities, projects, competitors and general movement in the market to develop forward strategies
- Prepare quotations, tenders and trial proposals in accordance with sales and pricing policy
- As Regional Key Account Coordinator for Suez Degremont, work with Suez decision makers locally and APAC region including facilitation of regional workshops to strengthen the partnership, by identifying and communicating potential within the Water Solutions portfolio
- Hold bi-monthly telecoms with Suez Degremont Key Account Manager regarding strategy and activities
- Prepare and communicate monthly sales reports
- Products and Applications: Flocculants, coagulants, antiscalants, amines, biocides, antifoams supplied to municipal potable, waste and industrial waste treatment plants
- Achievements: Secured polydadmac supply contract to Suez Degremont, (>$1 million/annum) who operate and treats 70% of Sydney’s potable/drinking water
- Lead and project managed Sydney Water pre-tender plant trials, managed tender response and secured five-year supply contract (2013, $850k/annum).
Account Manager to coatings and construction chemicals sector
International Sales and Marketing Australia Pty Ltd
11.2010 - 11.2011
- Ensure sales targets (turnover/profitability) are met or exceeded for the defined sales area
- Identify and capture new business
- Manage and maintain supply of products to customers through accurate forecasting and communication with Supply Chain
- Identify customer contacts and decision makers, sustain and develop customer relationships
- Generate weekly customer call reports and communicate to line and senior managers
- Submit monthly reports to line and senior managers
- Products and Applications: Comprehensive range of resins, solvents and additives to coatings and ink markets and Lignosulphonates and amines to construction chemicals market.
Sales and Industry Manager Chemicals & Account Manager- Organic Intermediates
BASF South Africa (PTY) Ltd
02.2007 - 10.2010
- Growth of business aided by development of business and customer relationships according to Strategic Business Unit strategies in South Africa and Sub Sahara Africa with of one of BASF’s largest product portfolios, Organic Intermediates
- Align and implement marketing and sales growth strategies and technical service, direct to Tier 1/2/3 customers or via Sub Saharan distributors
- Compile and monitor sales budget, taking corrective action where required
- Accurate on time monthly reporting of sales, forecasts, working capital and customer payments vs
- Budget, to BASF HQ Ludwigshafen Germany
- Meet operational and financial objectives in accordance with EUM regional target objectives-adherence to defined KPI’s
- Ensure on-going market intelligence and manage relationships within BASF’s head office (Germany) and suppliers
- Initiate projects that are sustainable and in line with BASF strategy
- Implement best practice exchange and networking within the BASF group including regular communications with European Head Office Technical, Marketing supply chain and logistics as well as communications with local transport providers and bulk tank terminals
- Operational guidance and support of internal Customer Service Officer
- Products: Organic Intermediates- raw material building blocks applied in synthesis and reaction chemical process industries
- Range- Specialty and commodity Amines, Polyalcohols, Carboxylic Acids and Diols
- Applications: Gas Purification technologies for petrochemical synthesis and Natural Gas, LNG and crude oil refinery tail gas units
- Solvent extraction solvents and catalyst activators for OXO/ Alpha Olefin production
- Specialty amines for Polyurethane, Epoxy and Coatings industry
- Specialty amines for fuel additives, construction chemicals, agro chemical and mineral processing/mining
- Carboxylic Acids for Coatings, PVC catalysts, Leather, Feed additive/preservatives, textile, water treatment and paper industries
- Diols for Inks, Coatings, adhesives and Pharmaceutical
- Polyalcohols and Vinyl Ethers for powder coatings, PE/PU Resin manufacture, Foundry and Inks
- Achievements: Secured two-year solvent extraction supply contract to global, strategic customer by providing detailed commercial and technical proposal and immediate feedback during negotiations
- Gained major share of business at agrochem producer against local manufacturer
- Similarly, I created and negotiated a comprehensive supply chain and commercial proposal that secured supply and ring-fenced from competition
- Despite several aggressive attempts from competition I have successfully maintained bulk supply of gas treating solvent at global strategic customer despite higher prices
- This has been achieved through close cooperation in technical and commercial issues and providing a consistent and reliable supply chain
- After serving only two years with BASF I was promoted to head the Chemical and Care Chemical divisions in a temporary capacity, while the Regional Sales Manager recovered from ill health.
Business Manager- Industrial Formulators
CH Chemicals (PTY) Ltd, (DOW Chemical distributor)
06.2002 - 01.2007
- Manage the Industrial Formulators business unit nationally covering Household, Industrial & Institutional, petrochemical, lubricant and general industrial market
- Six Sales Representatives and five Customer Services Officers including Product Manager reported directly to me, an additional four Sales Representatives indirectly
- Reporting directly to company CFO responsibilities included; Financial performance of the business unit including budget, stock levels and working capital, PBT, aged stock, GP
- Based on a monthly income statement, issue monthly reports detailing business unit performance
- Driving existing sales platform in the various industries and development of new business
- Development of marketing plans for both CH Chemicals and principle DOW Chemical
- Price negotiations with principles and key customers, contracts and payment terms
- Provide formulating/ technical service
- Sourcing of new products from various suppliers globally to complement existing range
- Products: Polyalkylene Glycols, Chlorinated Solvents, Cellulose Ethers, Commodity Amines and Surfactants, Specialty Surfactants, Heat Transfer Fluids, Soda Ash light and dense, Glycols and other inorganic commodities
- Coordinating regular training sessions for internal staff
- Achievements: From 2002 until Jan 2007 grew the Industrial Formulators turnover >70%
- Together with a Product Manager colleague developed the product portfolio to offer a complete solutions package to the Industrial Formulators and Household Care market.
Sales Area Manager
W. R. Grace (PTY) Ltd (Grace Davison)
04.1998 - 05.2002
- Managing the sales and marketing of Grace Davison specialty chemicals and silicas within the Southern African market
- Service and grow client base, identifying and acquiring new customers and markets within specialty silicas industry
- Supply chain and inventory management for ex-stock, direct delivery, direct indent and consignment stock supply
- Monthly forecasting and ordering all raw materials ex German production site
- Customer needs identification, troubleshooting customer’s process system, conducting plant trials, submitting quotations and supplying optimum product
- Operate SAP R3 management system to manage monthly sales progress, stock forecast, growth opportunity analysis
- Communicating with local and regional German head office logistics departments, overseeing shipping and local distribution of product
- Enhance company and brand awareness by partaking in industry conventions, and conferences, organising promotional activities
- Daily communication with Grace Davison’s Technical Service and R&D personnel to service the following markets; Products and Customer Base: Chemical/Petrochemicals: Sasol Synfuels, Sasol Polymers, DOW, BOC, Merck, Impala Platinum Mines, NATREF (Total/Sasol jv crude oil refinery)
- Products: Zeolite molecular sieves, chromatographic gels, and silicas
- Plastics: Sasol Polymers, DOW
- Products: Anti-blocking additives for polymer films and polyolefin catalysts
- Coatings, Decorative, Industrial, Marine, Coil, Automotive
- Plascon, Dulux, BASF, Beckers
- Products: matting agents, anti-corrosive pigments and moisture scavengers
- Edible Oil: Unilever, Epic Group
- Product: Clarifying agent impurity removal
- Consumer: Food, Pharma, Cosmetic
- Johnson & Johnson, Aspen, Unifoods
- Products: tableting aid, free flowing agent, moisture scavenger, thickening agent, abrasive
- Beverage: SAB PLC, SAB Intl, Namibian Breweries
- Product: Clarifying agent for removal of haze forming proteins
- Achievements: In 2000 broke opposition dominance on molecular sieves at major petrochemicals producer
- The 100mt (Euro150k) order was the first Grace Davison had secured at this customer in ten years
- Detailed technical applications data and information in the submission was instrumental in growing the trust of the customer
- After two years of technical analysis and trials commercialised combination plastic additives to the country’s largest LLDPE film producer.
Product Technologist
Chemserve Colloids (PTY) Ltd, (Ciba agent)
11.1995 - 05.1998
- Technical service, supply of chemicals and dosing equipment to the industrial effluent, (waste & potable water plants), pollution control and mineral processing industry, (Gold, Platinum, Diamonds, surface and underground separation, clarification and water recovery)
- Research and development of water soluble polymers to introduce innovative products to suit customer needs
- Communications and negotiations from plant management to procurement to plant operators, coordinating and conducting laboratory and plant trials, (flocculants, coagulants dispersing agents) to expand market
- Administration functions included budgets, forecasts, market activity presentations, competitor analysis and plant specific technical reports
- Products: High, medium & low molecular weight Polyacrylates- flocculants, coagulants, dispersants, anti-scalants, biocides.
Chemical Engineering Technician
National Chemical Products (PTY) Ltd
06.1998 - 12.1991
- Process optimisation, troubleshooting, design and plant modifications; plant operating, plant production, Hazop study, Capex study, process equipment design and installation
- Plants: Pentaerythritol, Acetaldehyde, Formaldehyde, Crotonaldehyde, Acetic Acid, Ethyl Acetate and Formic Acid
- Chemical Engineering Technologist, (1991- 1992): Assigned to technical and production projects throughout the site reporting to sites Senior Process Engineer
- Projects completed: Phthalic Anhydride Steam System: Upgrade steam and condensate distribution system
- Phthalates Cooling Tower Optimisation: Decanter disturbance as a result of high cooling water temperatures resulted in alcohol losses
- Investigation into cooling water tower operation resulted in redesign and replacement of tower internals lowering heat exchanger temperatures and improved efficiencies
- Ion Exchange Acid Effluent: Optimisation of Pentaerythritol plant ion exchange system
- High Sulphuric Acid losses to effluent during cation regeneration resulted in modifications to control value and PLC system
- Other projects: Design and installation of Acetic Acid catalyst tank steam coil
- Redesign of reactor agitator seal water system
- Daily analysis of production yields, component balances, effluent balances, including formaldehyde and acetalydehyde scrubber stack emissions.
Education
Diploma - Human Nutrition
Torrens University Australia
Adelaide, SA2020
Diploma - Marketing
Institute of Marketing Management
Johannesburg1999
Higher Diploma - Chemical Engineering
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg1992
Diploma - Chemical Engineering
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg1991
Skills
- Planning/Forecasting
- Business Development
- Order & Inventory Management
- Distributor Management
- Customer Relations
- Plant Trials/Project Management
Timeline
Senior Account Manager NSW and Distributor Manager ANZ Mining Solutions
BASF Australia Ltd
01.2016 - Current
National Sales and Regional Key Account Manager Water Solutions
BASF Australia Ltd
11.2012 - 12.2015
Account Manager to coatings and construction chemicals sector
International Sales and Marketing Australia Pty Ltd
11.2010 - 11.2011
Sales and Industry Manager Chemicals & Account Manager- Organic Intermediates
BASF South Africa (PTY) Ltd
02.2007 - 10.2010
Business Manager- Industrial Formulators
CH Chemicals (PTY) Ltd, (DOW Chemical distributor)
06.2002 - 01.2007
Chemical Engineering Technician
National Chemical Products (PTY) Ltd
06.1998 - 12.1991
Sales Area Manager
W. R. Grace (PTY) Ltd (Grace Davison)
04.1998 - 05.2002
Product Technologist
Chemserve Colloids (PTY) Ltd, (Ciba agent)
11.1995 - 05.1998
Diploma - Human Nutrition
Torrens University Australia
Diploma - Marketing
Institute of Marketing Management
Higher Diploma - Chemical Engineering
University of Johannesburg
Diploma - Chemical Engineering
University of Johannesburg
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