Sara Langhoff

Experience

• 

  Clas Ohlson

  Jan 2006 - Feb 2024

  Led cross-functional matrix teams of 5-20 team members across the sales, eCommerce, marketing, digital marketing, CRM and loyalty, visual merchandising, and purchasing functions. Was team member of Group Customer and Brand Leadership management team, and Group Sales, Pricing, and E-Commerce management team. Reported to the Group Director of Sales, eCommerce, and Pricing.Led and developed the commercial process which is one of the core processes at Clas Ohlson, including the business insights, campaign, sales and marketing plans for all channels.- Led the commercial process as a whole; set the desired market position direction and KPIs for each season, including five commercial seasons annually. Secured effective ways of working and a friction free workflow, and continuously developed new working methods. - Re-designed the structure of internal communication regarding campaigns and commercial activities. - Initiated and led the work towards a new simplified commercial year and a new commercial calendar.- As part of the E-Commerce management team, I supported in improving the team’s ways of working and implemented the e-commerce business into the commercial processes in the company. - Led the project of creating an eCommerce training for Leaders at Clas Ohlson.- Streamlined the business processes and initiated a new design of the organizational structure; which resulted in fading my job position. Show less I was Supervisor and Project Leader for cross-functional matrix teams of 5-10 people (sales, marketing, eCommerce, logistics, digital, finance, HR, purchase) and a team member of the Group Commercial Management team, the Group Commercial Board team and the Group Strategy and Planning Council team. As Nordic Business Development Manager I reported to the Group Head of Business Development.- Led new initiatives and business ideas for the whole Nordic market using agile work methods and service design. Challenged company leaders in finding internal areas to improve and optimize.- Supported other leaders & responsible business executives in long-term strategy planning.- Led a cross-functional team through the planning & launching of the service “Clas Rental” in all stores in the Nordics, a rental service for renting tools and equipment, resulted in a launch of an external rental website and a new tool rental concept in all the Nordic stores (approximately 250 stores). Planned the whole project. Coordinated the cooperation of the website development with the external IT partner. Secured the implementation of the new concept and business model. - Participated in continuous coaching sessions to develop leadership skills within agile working methods.- Led the project for the development of a three-year assortment strategy aimed at renewing the way of working with the category Consumables to achieve increase in sales.- Had accountability for the development of a three-year strategy for a “Scale up Christmas” to create an updated B2C Christmas seasonal campaign, to increase season sales.- Had accountability for the renewal of the group’s strategy process; for the project planning, structure, sequence, annual cycle, timetable, communication, and for optimizing business priorities.- Had several responsibilities at the same time, acted also as Group Business Strategy and Planning Manager, and for 1,5 years as Group Commercial Process Lead. Show less In this role as Strategic Project Manager I managed and piloted strategic development projects for new business development. I was Finnish Management team member and reported to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Clas Ohlson Finland. I had the responsibility for finding and testing new strategic business ideas for Clas Ohlson Finland. - Led a matrix team to plan and launch the pilot collaboration project with Wolt x Clas Ohlson and being the first-ever non-restaurant partner on the Wolt platform.- Planned a workshop series of B2B sales and business development concepts with service design methods, with an external partner, Vere.- Created a concept suggestion of expanding the service offering in Finland. - Negotiated a new B2B agreement for new customer acquisition. Show less As Commercial Manager I was Supervisor for a team of 16 team members from sales, marketing, eCommerce, pricing, logistics, visual merchandising, and store planning. I was Finnish Management team member and Chairman / Owner of Finnish Commercial Management team. I reported to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Clas Ohlson Finland. I was responsible for the commercial plans, forecasts, and results of Clas Ohlson Finland, including sales, marketing, e-commerce, pricing, logistics, visual merchandising, and store planning.- Developed and implemented new working models and methods and new tools for budgeting, forecasting, and sales planning. - Managed yearly HR planning, held regularly 1-to-1 discussions and quarterly motivational and development discussions. - Led my team to succeed in increasing the sales in all quarters; working together by having a common plan and an open communication culture. Show less I was a Supervisor of a team consisting of 5-7 team members, and of separate project leaders for each store project (rebuilds and new stores, one project leader and eight project members per store project). I was Country Management team member and during 2017, worked as Expat, as Merchandising & Store Planning Manager in Hamburg Germany, and was a German Management team member. I was also Finnish Commercial Management team member. In this role I reported to the Chief Executive Officer CEO, Clas Ohlson Finland (Country Managing Director).I was responsible for the store expansion in Finland, including the store planning-, construction- and opening processes, the store concepts, sales plans, and commercial activities. Also responsible for all the rebuilds of old stores.- Led my team in opening more than 30 new or relocated stores. - Led my team in successfully rebuilding all Finnish stores; sometimes several times due to changes in assortments or optimization of the store’s layouts.- Succeeded to half the budget of building a store. - Contributed to the development of Clas Ohlson’s store concept, store construction process, the commercial in-store excellence concept, and the store operations structure.- Managed the budgets for each store project.- Managed a project portfolio of 3-8 commercial business development projects parallelly; project duration from 2-10 weeks.- In 2017 in Hamburg Germany, I ensured the implementation of the store concept. Helped the German country organization to plan and implement the changes in the stores. Helped to localize campaigns for the German market. Conducted a review for the Group’s top management of the situation and needs in the German market.- Managed yearly HR planning, held regularly 1-to-1 discussions and quarterly motivational and development discussions. - Led the execution of several experimental business development projects, e.g. lab-stores, mini stores, bus-store, and pop-up store. Show less As a Head of Merchandising Finland I led a team of 1-4 direct reports and had a responsibility for 16-30 retail professionals in matrix. I was a management team member from 02/2009 and Country Commercial Management team member. In this role, I reported to the Country Marketing Manager (03/2007-02/2009) and to the Country Managing Director (03/2009-12/2014).Started as Deputy Head of Merchandising Finland (03/2007-12/2008). Implemented and developed store concepts in Finnish stores and planned & implemented commercial campaigns in Finnish stores. From 2011, I also had the responsibility for all store projects and new stores in Finland. I was accountable for the visual merchandising functions and Finland's annual strategy planning, execution, and implementation. - Localized Nordic store concepts into the Finnish market. - Created and produced merchandising, sales, and commercial training independently for the Finnish store’s staff (approximately five days of training/store/year, ~20 stores). - Planned campaigns for Finnish stores, including store windows, store displays, in-store materials, and made the pricing guidelines. - Contributed to creating Clas Ohlson’s new store concept for 2008.- Supported the local store management teams in store changes and store rebuildings. Also planned layouts and executed the project timelines. - Traveled 80-100 days annually to follow-up on the implementation of store concepts and campaigns, and to train store personnel and develop store commerciality and layouts.- Managed yearly HR planning, held regularly 1-to-1 discussions and quarterly motivational and development discussions. - As a Project Director, organized the company’s 10-year anniversary party for Clas Ohlson Finland, a corporate event for 500 persons. Show less As Visual Merchandiser my goal was to improve customer experience and develop the flow of the customer journey.Company Info: Clas Ohlson was founded in 1918 in Sweden. Today it is a retail company with customers in three markets: Sweden, Norway, and Finland. One of the strongest brands in retail in the Nordics with a mission to help people fix their homes with practical and sustainable solutions at attractive prices. Total of 224 stores with online sales; 5000+ employees, revenue 9MRD SEK. Share listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Show less

  • Commercial Process Lead, Nordic ⏩ International Business, Organizational Development, Leadership

    Jan 2021 - Feb 2024

  • Business Development Manager, Nordic ⏩ International Business Development, Operations, Sales

    May 2020 - Aug 2022

  • Strategic Project Manager ⏩ Development Projects, New Business, Leadership and Partnerships

    Oct 2019 - Apr 2020

  • Commercial Manager ⏩ Business Development, HR & Talent Management, Operational Excellence

    Dec 2018 - Oct 2019

  • Merchandising and Store Planning Manager ⏩ CX and Business Development, International Operations

    Jan 2015 - Sept 2019

  • Head of Merchandising Finland ⏩ Business and Concept Development, Coaching, Commercial Operations

    Mar 2007 - Dec 2014

  • Visual Merchandiser ⏩ Customer Experience CX, Customer Journey and Sales Support

    Jan 2006 - Feb 2007
• 

  Amiedu

  Jan 2016 - Feb 2017

  Lecturer: Visual Merchandising ⏩ Customer Experience CX, Sales and Marketing, Business Operations
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  M. Broman Ab Oy

  Jan 2020 - now

  I am advising and consulting M. Broman Ab Oy e.g. on the projectization, new business development, and concept development with the aim to develop and optimize the existing business and create new.- Supporting the marketing and other business development related matters. - Gathering data for the optimization of business and store operations. - Providing support in personnel development structure and yearly planning.- Providing my expertise on customer insights, on both B2C and B2B relationship building. - Advising the strategy work and the planning of the 3 year strategy by forecasting and analyzing the existing data.- Consulting on new business ideas and helping to start-up a new store.Company Info: Bromans was founded in 1905 and is now in the fourth generation of the same family. It operates with gold, watches, jewelry, and optometry. Turnover ~1M €, employees 8. Now two, soon three stores. Show less

  • Business Consultant ⏩ Advising, Development, Go-to-Market, Strategy and Change Management

    Mar 2024 - now

  • Chairman of the Board

    Jan 2020 - now
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  Independent Consultant

  Jan 2024 - now

  Independent Business Consultant ⏩ New Business Development, Innovation, Business Planning

  I am advising and consulting different businesses e.g. on the projectization, new business development and concept development, with the aim to develop and optimize the existing businesses and create new.- Supporting the marketing and other business development related matters. - Providing my expertise on customer insights, on both B2C and B2B relationship building. - Advising the strategy work and the planning of the 3 year strategy.- Consulting on new business ideas and helping to start-up a new business. - Innovating new business concepts and business operations. Show less