SCHALK DE VILLIERS

Experience

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  De Villiers Boerdery/ Agricultural Farm

  Jan 1991 - now

  Director, Manager and Co-Owner

  ▪ Implement Precision Farming practices▪ Involved in all aspects of livestock farming e.g. Merino Sheep, Cattle, Pigs, Angora Goats, etc.▪ Involved in all aspects of Irrigation (Centre Pivot & Permaset) farming e.g. Maize, Lucerne and teff production under irrigation▪ Overall responsibility for Marketing and Sales, Financial Management and Strategic Planning▪ Agent negotiations (stock, packaging material, etc)▪ Crop production – onions (Full cycle: seedlings, planting, irrigation, fertilising, harvesting, packaging, marketing/sales & logistics)▪ HR and Labour RelationsKey Achievements▪ Qualified (Springbokkop) wool and Mow hair sorter▪ Qualified Merino and Dorper judge Show less

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  SAPS

  Jan 1994 - Dec 1997

  Crime Analyst
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  Sanlam Healthcare

  Jan 1997 - Dec 1999

  Marketing Analyst
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  Metropolitan

  Nov 1999 - Nov 2001

  Head: Broker Support
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  Old Mutual plc

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2005

  Senior Marketing Consultant
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  Bible Society of South Africa

  Feb 2005 - Feb 2013

  National Marketing and Sales Manager

  ▪ Establish & develop Marketing/Sales Department from scratch▪ Develop, implement and manage national marketing/sales strategy & plan▪ Oversee the development & implementation of regional strategies and marketing/sales plans▪ Develop and implement systems and procedures for the Marketing Department▪ Manage and form close relationships with key external stakeholders and other departments in order to ensure the integration of activities within the Bible Society▪ Scope & co-ordinate systems development▪ Negotiate with suppliers & retailers e.g. Shoprite, Score, PEP, Metro, Discom, Cum, Gospel Direct, etc. on National & International Basis (Africa)▪ Identify, develop and grow Key Accounts - Wilde Klawer, KaapAgri, BKB, Wesmark, etc.▪ Financial and fleet Management▪ Sales, Sales Targets & Distribution (On the Dot – Media 24)▪ Recruitment, development and management of staff▪ Product research, development (product & sales/marketing material) and launches▪ Manage marketing/sales plans and budgets▪ Advertising, Branding, develop & implement campaigns and monitor market trends▪ Competitor analysis, Market research & Product Strategy▪ Manage SLA with Distribution Agents (On the Dot – Media 24) Show less

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  West Dunes Properties (PTY)Ltd.

  Oct 2010 - now

  Director
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  Drovers Africa (PTY) Ltd

  Apr 2013 - Sept 2014

  Marketing, Sales and Business Development Manager

  Now owned by Allflex, Drovers had developed a portfolio of radio frequency and visual livestock identification products for cattle, sheep, game and other livestock. Reported to the Managing Director. Developed and implemented the marketing requirements for Drovers ID and Trading to meet sales objectives. Reviewed and communicated sales forecasts and minimum inventory levels to guide production and delivery. Collaborated with sales operations, business managers and the sales teams to set an appropriate pricing structure with flexibility for new and existing products, considering value pricing, direct marketing margin, demand, market conditions and the competitive environment to maximize profitability in line with overall Drovers targets.ACCOMPLISHMENTS Increased sales by 533% within 12 months.  Secured listings and strategic partnerships with Kaap Agri, BKB, OVK, Ketchum, etc. Built a stock forecasting and maintenance model to optimise stockholding and management. Show less

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  RFID Experts

  Oct 2014 - now

  Systems Business Development Manager & Deputy CEO

  Owned by BKB, RFID Experts is the leading Systems Integration Solution Provider in South Africa, specialising in the agricultural market. RFID Expert’s Precision/Smart Farming solutions use data, smart technologies and sensors to make farming simpler, more efficient and profitable.  Recruit, select, motivate and develop staff; manage nine direct reports. Control and manage a sales budget of R40 million. Gather data via RFID enabled devices and sensors e.g. indicators, feed bins, etc. Integrate devices and sensors with cloud-based solutions and 3rd party software. Create client value by analysing big data sets and preparing explanatory reports. Drive customer engagement through communications strategy, events optimisation and public relations. Develop social media campaigns: content plan, content generation, content marketing and storytelling. Consult with clients on the implementation of IoT devices, sensor and network technologies to increase efficiency. Conduct information scans of publications, registrations and regulations and generate competitive intelligence. Build relationships with key stakeholders, channel partners, technology companies and start-ups. Identify, evaluate and initiate discussions with potential local, regional and global partners. Suppliers include: Datamars Switzerland, Tru-Test New Zealand, Omnia Technologies India and Smartrac Germany. Show less