Firas Shaheen
Sales Manager
Kuwait City
Summary
Sales Manager with more than 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical sales and marketing in Kuwait plus 3 years’ experience in community pharmacy in North America.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
11
11
Certifications
2
2
Languages
Work History
Sales Manager
Lya International Co.
08.2024 - Current
- Team Leadership: Lead, motivate, and manage a team of pharmaceutical sales representatives
- Provide guidance, support, and coaching to ensure the team meets or exceeds sales targets
- Sales Strategy: Develop and implement effective sales strategies to achieve revenue goals
- Analyze market trends, competitor activities, and customer feedback to refine sales strategies
- Market Analysis: Conduct market research to identify new business opportunities and emerging trends
- Monitor and analyze sales performance metrics to adjust strategies as needed
- Training and Development: Implement training programs for sales representatives to enhance product knowledge, selling skills, and compliance with industry regulations
- Foster a continuous learning environment to keep the team informed about new products and industry developments
- Relationship Building: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key clients, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, such as marketing and medical affairs, to ensure a unified approach
- Budget Management: Develop and manage the sales department budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources
- Monitor expenses, analyze variances, and implement corrective actions as needed
- Compliance: Ensure that all sales activities comply with industry regulations, company policies, and ethical standards
- Stay informed about changes in regulations and update team members accordingly
- Performance Evaluation: Conduct regular performance evaluations for sales representatives, providing constructive feedback and setting development goals
- Recognize and reward top-performing team members
- Forecasting: Collaborate with other departments to develop accurate sales forecasts and contribute to overall business planning
- Monitor inventory levels and work with supply chain management to meet demand
- Reporting: Generate and analyze sales reports to evaluate team performance and identify areas for improvement
- Present regular updates and insights to senior management
Sales, Marketing & Registration manager
Al Wazzan Health Care Co.
10.2019 - 07.2024
- Achieve the agreed profit and loss (P&L) targets
- Enhance top-line growth by effectively leading, training, and allocating field force resources
- Attain sales and organizational goals through strong leadership and management of the OTC team
- Optimize resource utilization while ensuring expenses remain within the approved budget
- Oversee and maintain key partnerships with overseas principles essential for long-term success
- Develop a long-term strategy for the OTC product portfolio, aligning the organization with market and customer needs, while contributing to broader marketing strategies
- Formulate and implement modern sales strategies and tactics, incorporating competitive insights and organizational best practices
- Guide the sales and operational plan by identifying key success factors, implementing tracking and control mechanisms, and developing incentives
- Strengthen salesforce motivation in collaboration with HR, ensuring efficient sales recording and process enhancements
- Enhance salesforce capabilities by working closely with organizational training and development teams
- Supervise the execution of marketing plans, ensuring the effective implementation of product-level marketing strategies crucial for success
Pharmacist
Safeway - Shopper Drug Mart - Pharmasave - Rexall
12.2016 - 08.2019
- Successfully managed 1.2 million $ pharmacy budget and successfully achieved monthly and year to date targets
- Exceeded target for Immunizations by 55% including Flu, Pneumonia, Shingles, Hepatitis and HPV
- Decreased inventory by over 30% and reduced Days of Supply by 5 days by maintaining strict auto ordering
- Helped expanding the role of pharmacists by utilizing the scope of practice through adaptations and medication reviews
- Mentored and coached 3 new staff members through on-boarding, open communication, training and development opportunities and performance management processes
- Helped promote 2 staff members to obtain their Pharmacy Technician Certification Board license and achieving the highest level of expertise as Senior Technicians
- Developed and implemented new prescriptions pathway to accelerate dispensing and mitigate dispensing errors
- Constantly reviewing customer feedback, and then suggested ways to improve processes and customer service levels which led to increased satisfaction rate from 73% to 89%
- Ensure that walk in customers will grow into loyal customer base by providing better than standard service
Sales Manager
Novax Pharma
05.2013 - 09.2015
- Company Overview: NOVAX PHARMA is an innovative pharmaceutical company specialized in the formulation, manufacturing and marketing of ophthalmic products
- Established Novax Pharma presence in Kuwait - Navivision, Navitae and Luxclear
- Build accurate forecast for the coming months, quarters and year end, Build and modify distributor agreements
- Build and present sales budget to achieve within an agreed growth and cost reduction
- Supply chain management and export stocks to the country, secure the balance between sell in and sell out
- Liaising the market plan development and implementation with the Brand Managers (Based in Monaco, France) that include deciding on Business & Market plan (Market Feedback, Developing SWOT, Segmenting /Targeting, Selecting appropriate strategy, setting criteria for performance monitoring and monitoring the Day to Day implementation and feedback)
- Designing customized Detail aid and advertising campaigns
- NOVAX PHARMA is an innovative pharmaceutical company specialized in the formulation, manufacturing and marketing of ophthalmic products
Medical representative
Novartis Consumer Health
11.2010 - 04.2013
- Responsible for private Hospitals in Kuwait - Managing visibility and marketing activities - Build and manage KOL’s customers in the private market - Building new data for customers in the system and classifying them accordingly
- Organizing and running different conferences and campaigns (OTC conference, Stop smoking campaigns, Media campaign and many others)
- Running different activities with different ministries and companies, which give us high company profile position
- Responsible for developing and expanding sales for new Launched Products (NLP) Such as Voltaren Dispenser and Otrivin menthol and others
Healthcare executive
Johnson & Johnson Consumer healthcare
06.2008 - 10.2010
- Visiting Dentists, G.Ps, Orthopedics, Stop Smoking Clinics & Pharmacists - Doing presentations to doctors in private and governmental sector
- Researched market trends and customer needs to support launch of new products
- Doing stop smoking activities at retail pharmacies, malls, hospitals and universities
- Organizing conferences for key opinion leaders
Medical representative
Pfizer consumer healthcare
11.2006 - 05.2008
- Making monthly presentations to doctors in private and governmental sector
- Planning work, schedules and weekly and monthly timetables
- Doing weekly stop smoking activities at retail pharmacies and malls
- Organizing conferences for doctors and other medical staff
Product specialist - Medical and Scientific equipment division
Mohammad N. Al Hajery Co.
12.2003 - 10.2006
- Visiting doctors and decision makers on operation theater line
- Daily e-mail correspondence with more than 50 medical principles
- Handling enquiries, sending quotations and processing orders
Education
BSc - Pharmacy
Al Ahliyya Amman University
09.1999 - 08.2003
Skills
- Ability to Work Under Pressure
- Teamwork
- Negotiation
- Decision Making
- Emotional Intelligence
- Sales and marketing
- Time Management
- Self-motivation
- Conflict Resolution
- Leadership
Certification
BSc Pharmacy, Al Ahliyya Amman University, 09/01/99, 08/31/03
Personal Information
- Date of Birth: 03/22/81
- Nationality: Canadian
Timeline
Sales Manager
Lya International Co.
08.2024 - Current
Sales, Marketing & Registration manager
Al Wazzan Health Care Co.
10.2019 - 07.2024
Pharmacist
Safeway - Shopper Drug Mart - Pharmasave - Rexall
12.2016 - 08.2019
Sales Manager
Novax Pharma
05.2013 - 09.2015
Medical representative
Novartis Consumer Health
11.2010 - 04.2013
Healthcare executive
Johnson & Johnson Consumer healthcare
06.2008 - 10.2010
Medical representative
Pfizer consumer healthcare
11.2006 - 05.2008
Product specialist - Medical and Scientific equipment division
Mohammad N. Al Hajery Co.
12.2003 - 10.2006
BSc - Pharmacy
Al Ahliyya Amman University
09.1999 - 08.2003
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