TED Community » Jorge Buendia

About Me

OBJECTIVE
My career objective is to become a World Class Marketing Professional, which delivers profitable growth to the business and superior satisfaction to the consumer, while enjoying the process and building high performance teams.
PERSONAL PROFILE
Marketing Professional with 15 years of experience in brand management with proven success in Brand Innovation, Brand Communication, Brand Activation and Trade Marketing Strategies.
Strength in Generating New Ideas and building Organizational support to make them happen.
Enthusiastic Leader with coaching capability to develop young managers and generate winning passion within the team.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Young Marketing
Partner
January2007 – Today

Experiential Marketing Agency focused on GenY brands. Start up of a new strategic agency concept in Colombia for brands that need to bond with young people and have understood that traditional marketing approach is not enough. Accountability for brand strategy definition and client relationship.

Leo Burnett Colombia
Chief Marketing Officer
March 2006 – July 2006

Ranked number one agency in Colombia with sales over 8 million Euros.
Accountability for “Client Marketing Thinking” inside the agency.
Working closely with 10 Account Directors to develop creative and effective communication strategies based on one Big Idea that can be implemented with a 360º scope.

Alianza Team
Category Manager- New Business
March 2004 – February 2006

Market Leader in edible oil category in Colombia, sales over 150 million Euros.
Accountability for Innovation, Communication, Activation and Trade plans for Home Care in Colombia.
Feasibility Analysis of new business, mergers and acquisitions for the business unit.

Major Achievements:
• Re-launch of Oro Laundry Bar, stopping negative share trend.
• 50% margin improvement for Home Care category based on a Value Analysis.
• Design and Implement the New Product Development process for the business unit based on a Stage-Gate model.
• Design and Implement a Corporate Communication Strategy introducing new corporate brand identity.
• New market opportunities analysis, defining target categories, countries and possible acquisitions for the business unit.

UOSS Action Entertainment Colombia
Partner
April 2003 – March 2004

Start up of Andean Region office for UOSS Action Entertainment Group, a Brazil based organization with more than 10 years of experience in the action entertainment business.

Unilever
Regional Brand Manager
February 2001 – March 2003

Accountability for Innovation, Communication and Activation plans for Laundry Bars in Andina; Sales over 68 million Euros, more than 30% of Latam bars business.
Until October 2001 managed both regional and previous local position, reporting to Latam Marketing Director and Andina Marketing Director.

Major Achievements:
• Re-launch of Puro Laundry Bar, stopping negative share trend.
• Design and Implement a Brand Activation platform for Puro, based on UNICEF Friendly School alliance.
• Re-launch of Barrigon and Elefante Laundry Bars, beginning a convergence strategy and improving gross margin from 12% to 21%.

Unilever
Senior Brand Manager
January 2000 – February 2001

Accountability for Innovation, Communication and Activation plans for HC in Colombia; Sales over 40 million Euros. Reporting to Colombia HC Marketing Director

Major Achievements:
• Design and Implementation of Home Care strategy, after Varela acquisition.
• Definition of Brand positioning for Leading brands.
• Lead the Reconnect with Consumers web page project.

Varela S.A.
Senior Brand Manager
September 1996 – January 2000

Accountability for Innovation, Communication, Activation and Trade plans for Puro in Colombia; Sales over 20 million Euros. Reporting to HC Marketing Manager.

Major Achievements:
• Launch of Puro Avance achieving the defined objectives.
• Re-Launch of Puro, recovering share loss.
• Design and Implement “Varegol Francia 98” trade promotion, taking 80 winner customers to France.
• Design and Implement “Sueños Varela 98” incentive program for the sales force.
• Design and Implement “Billeton Varela” and “Si el mercado esta duro suavicelo con Puro” trade promotions.

EDUCATION
ICESI. Cali, Colombia.
Degree in Marketing Specialist.
December 1999.

ICESI. Cali, Colombia.
Degree in Business Administration
June 1994.