Ankur Soni
Regional Director & Country Head- Thailand And Indochina
Watthana,10
Summary
Results-oriented achiever with proven ability to exceed targets and drive success in fast-paced environments. Combines strategic thinking with hands-on experience to deliver impactful solutions and enhance organizational performance. Dynamic and results-driven Regional Director with over 14 years of experience in sales, marketing, and business development across diverse markets in Asia. Proven track record of driving growth, managing large teams, and executing strategic initiatives that enhance market share and profitability. Expertise in B2B and B2C sectors, with a strong focus on SaaS and consumer goods.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
4
4
Languages
Work History
Regional Director & Country Head
Laris Global (Thailand) Co Ltd./ Asia Pulp & Paper
08.2023 - Current
- Leading the overall operations across Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia; managing the team of 150+ professionals and overseeing a manufacturing plant in Thailand.
- Responsible for top-line and bottom-line performance, achieving a 38% increase in value, 32% increase in volume, and 100% growth in EBITDA within one year.
- Projected to double market share within 18 months and quadruple it within 30 months of joining.
- Enhanced manufacturing plant utilization from under 30% to over 60% in one year.
- APP brands in Thailand recognized as the fastest-growing in their category as per Nielsen MAT (August 2024).
- Expanded distribution tenfold in modern trade and fivefold in general trade; successfully launched an e-commerce channel, ranking among the top 20 stores in Thailand for the household category.
- Grew B2B business by 18% through strategic expansion into major HORECA outlets, including Starbucks
- Fostered a culture of inclusivity and a growth mindset, resulting in attrition rates of less than 1%.
Regional Director- West
INDIAMART INTERMESH LIMITED
11.2022 - 08.2023
- Led the west markets in India for IndiaMart InterMesh Ltd, a publicly listed SaaS-based e-commerce organization in the B2B space with a 60% market share.
- Responsible for top line and bottom line performance of the region with a portfolio size of USD 34 million.
- Managed the biggest entity for IndiaMart in terms of business contribution (25%+), manpower (500+ professionals), clientele (24,000+), and profitability.
- Strategized the onboarding of Large Enterprises and MSME clients on the platform, ensuring their proper product service and upsell for value creation and retention.
- Administered strategies from the regional and national perspective to ensure ease-of-doing-business at the client level.
- Worked in sync with the R&D team to modify the platform as per the changing needs of businesses in terms of visibility at India/Overseas level.
- Responsible for building structure for the region, ensuring proper resource utilization, talent development, operational scalability, and the right connection with customers.
- Achieved 30% growth in JFM '23 over JFM '22.
Regional Sales Director- Asia
UPFIELD LIMITED/KKR & Co.
08.2021 - 09.2022
- Develop the sales strategy to capitalize on the business opportunities for the plantbased
food spread category - Manage the portfolio of more than Euro 30 million through the network of 16
distributors spanned across 12 countries - Develop and execute the right GTM/RTM strategy with key components- portfolio,
pricing, channel, and activation - Turnaround business in Southeast Asia within 3 months of joining leading to 101%
target achievement for FY 2021 - Strategized & executed the plan for FY 2022 set to deliver 28% growth over FY 2021
achieving all the 4 key parameters namely Sales, Gross Margin, Accounts Receivable
and EBIT target - Revived Hong Kong , Korea and Pacific Islands market & doubled their business
contribution over last year - Nominated for CEO Award for exceptional performance in 2021
Project Manager for Sales & Marketing
SPLASH CORPORATION/WIPRO ENTERPRISES
08.2019 - 07.2021
- Headed Marketing for the International business unit and Business Development for Skin Care for the domestic market.
- Strategized and executed ATL/BTL campaigns based on category trends and market intelligence report throughout the Philippines, Nigeria, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Indonesia.
- Led campaign conceptualization, execution, and monitoring on social media along with effective utilization of digital tools - PPC, affiliate marketing, and KOLs.
- Expanded Personal Care portfolio to 15+ new countries, including the Caribbean Islands, Middle East, and Indonesia.
- Launched premium skin care brand 'Bio-Essence' in the Philippines as the first 'Digital First' brand through E-commerce.
- Grew E-commerce by 300% and increased its contribution to 3% of the total business.
Business Development Manager
WIPRO UNZA THAILAND/WIPRO ENTERPRISES
08.2016 - 07.2019
- Led the team of 70 S&M professionals, including Trade Marketing Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Sales Controller, and Beauty Advisors, for the Thailand business unit.
- Build the credibility of the skincare brand 'Bio-Essence' and leverage the relationship with Watsons, a leading pharmacy and beauty chain in Asia.
- Initiate and Nurture E-commerce with active participation on Lazada, Shopee, Konvy, and Beauticool.
- Revenue for the Skin Care brand, Bio-Essence, grew by 400% with Watsons.
- Overall contribution of Skin Care business in the portfolio grew by 300%, with exponential increase in market share.
- Managed National Distributor 'DKSH' and strengthened partnership with Key Accounts like Big C, Tops, Watsons, and The Mall, which helped the business to grow by 41% in 3 years with 12% CAGR.
- Revived flagship brand 'Enchanteur' by developing web-films and routing through online media - YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LINE TV to increase awareness amongst the young audiences prior to successful listing in 7-11.
Sales Development Manager
PT UNZA VITALIS/WIPRO ENTERPRISES
04.2014 - 07.2016
- Turnaround key accounts like Farmers and Diamond in the MT space with 60% growth in less than one year.
- Conceptualized project STAR - Secondary Sales Tracking and Reporting, to capture real-time Secondary Sales at Distributor point along with successful execution of Trade promos and Inventory Analysis.
- Optimized inventory levels at 57 days against the previous level of 90 days.
- Spearheaded development of the E-commerce channel for the Indonesia Business Unit.
- Formulated strategies for new launches based on market intelligence captured through Nielsen/Kantar.
Area Sales Manager, Rest of Karnataka & Goa
WIPRO ENTERPRISES
04.2012 - 03.2014
- Successfully handled 2 states as an ASM and became the fastest growing branch for Domestic Lighting Business unit with 28% and 50% growth in FY14 and FY13, respectively.
- Expanded Sales Territory exponentially from 40 to 75 distributors, resulting in 300% revenue growth within 2 years.
- Implemented aggressive market expansion plans through trade meetings and visibility drive, leading to 109% achievement of the projected business plan during the period of 2 years.
- Grew the business contribution of Goa Territory impressively from less than 2% to 20%.
- Strengthened the distribution of New Launches and became the fastest-growing branch for domestic appliances.
Management Trainee
WIPRO ENTERPRISES
05.2011 - 03.2012
- Proven record of excellence in specialized training projects leading to appointment as Area Sales Manager, 2 months in advance.
- Grew revenues by tenfold for a non-performing territory, making it the 2nd biggest territory for the branch within a 3-month period.
- Appointed prominent and quality distributors, and channel partners to assist in the growth of the distribution network.
Education
Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA) - General Management
Indian Institute of Management
Indore, India 04.2001 -
Bachelor of Technology - Information Technology
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology
Bhopal, India 04.2001 -
Skills
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Business Development
- Team Leadership & Talent Development
- Sales & Marketing Strategy
- E-commerce Optimization
- Market Analysis & Intelligence
Timeline
Regional Director & Country Head
Laris Global (Thailand) Co Ltd./ Asia Pulp & Paper
08.2023 - Current
Regional Director- West
INDIAMART INTERMESH LIMITED
11.2022 - 08.2023
Regional Sales Director- Asia
UPFIELD LIMITED/KKR & Co.
08.2021 - 09.2022
Project Manager for Sales & Marketing
SPLASH CORPORATION/WIPRO ENTERPRISES
08.2019 - 07.2021
Business Development Manager
WIPRO UNZA THAILAND/WIPRO ENTERPRISES
08.2016 - 07.2019
Sales Development Manager
PT UNZA VITALIS/WIPRO ENTERPRISES
04.2014 - 07.2016
Area Sales Manager, Rest of Karnataka & Goa
WIPRO ENTERPRISES
04.2012 - 03.2014
Management Trainee
WIPRO ENTERPRISES
05.2011 - 03.2012
Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA) - General Management
Indian Institute of Management
04.2001 -
Bachelor of Technology - Information Technology
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology
04.2001 -
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