Nikhita N
Pune
Summary
Dynamic Area Sales Manager with a track record of driving successful brand launches in the Indian alcohol beverage industry. Known for spearheading impactful marketing campaigns as a Brand Manager, resulting in increased market share and revenue growth. Possess over 2 years of experience in sales team management, leading a team of 4 on-roll and 10 off-roll members. Seeking challenging opportunities to leverage expertise in driving sales and brand visibility to new heights
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
40
40
years of post-secondary education
5
5
Languages
Work History
Area Sales Manager - Modern On-Trade
United Breweries- A Heineken Company
7 2022 - Current
- Managed a diverse brand portfolio (6 brands, 18 SKUs) in United Breweries' 2nd largest territory, driving ₹94Mn+ monthly turnover with 15% MoM growth in Super Premium Brands.
- Led the launch of Heineken Silver, Amstel Grande, KF Flavors & Queenfisher in the On-trade channel, securing premium placements and achieving 25% MoM growth.
- Managed a ₹12Cr+ annual budget for brand development and strategic sponsorships, executing marketing campaigns that boosted market share and high-volume retail sales.
- Led a high-performing sales team for over 2 years, managing 4 on-roll and 10 off-roll executives; one team member was promoted under my mentorship.
- Awarded Best Sales Team in the West Region for exceptional performance, achieving 150% of monthly sales targets in 10 out of 12 months( 2024)—the only team to do so.
- Spearheaded distributor onboarding and built a new sales team, establishing Sales Operating Mechanisms (SOM) and incentive structures for DSMs.
- Played a key role in transitioning and refreshing the Route-to-Market strategy, leading the replacement of legacy distributors during peak season for enhanced efficiency.
- Led the on-ground execution of the KF-IPL campaigns in Pune, achieving the highest number of trials and outlet activations. Effectively leveraged brand assets to drive engagement and boost off-premise sales.
- Implemented a high-impact manned promo strategy, successfully increasing brand visibility and consumer adoption in key retail spaces.
- Developed a keg tracking system with IT, optimizing reverse supply chain operations in Pune, India’s 2nd largest draught beer market.
Assistant Brand Manager
United Breweries- A Heineken Company
07.2022 - 06.2023
- Launched Heineken Silver brand across three key Indian markets in 2022, pioneering IP #Silververse with the marketing head, creating a dynamic brand destination blending physical and digital elements to resonate with Gen Z's interests in music, tech, and gaming.
- Key contributor to the highly successful launch of Heineken Silver in India, achieving an exceptional 78% awareness within 12 weeks, setting a new benchmark for disruptive beer category launches.
- Led Heineken's groundbreaking ingredient-centric campaign on OTT & Meta platforms, redefining brand activation and engagement in the digital realm, marking a significant milestone in beer product-based communication.
- Revolutionized Heineken Silver's communication strategy with the "Silververse: Smoothest Ticket to Istanbul" TTL campaign, driving a notable 200% increase in top-of-mind awareness and a 25% surge in sales volume and distribution across launch markets through comprehensive on-ground promotions, influencer collaborations, AR gamification, and ATL efforts. Additionally, introduced and executed the innovative "Silver Champions League" app, driving hyper-localized sales team engagement and sustained market growth.
Education
MBA - Marketing
Birla Institute Of Technology & Science Pilani
04.2001 - 05.2022
Bachelors Of Technology - Food Processing Engineering
National Institute Of Food Technology & Management
04.2001 - 05.2020
Skills
- Sales Team Supervision
- B2B Sales
- Microsoft Office
- Google Suit
- Sales Forecasting
- Customer Management System
- Influencer marketing
- Go-to-market strategy
- Campaign Management
Key Academic Projects
- Advertising and Sales Promotion project - Crafted an advertising and sales promotion strategy for Baby Dove, achieving success in a market with less than 2% share by overseeing creative campaign design, media budgeting, and comprehensive industry analysis.
- Marketing Research on customer retention post Covid for Myntra - Conducted quantitative and qualitative analysis, including focus group interviews, secondary research, hypothesis testing, to uncover insights on factors impacting first-time and regular users.
Personal Information
Certifications And Workshops
- Advanced Excel - Institute for advance Excel and VBA Macros (November 2023)
- Lean six sigma certification - Green Belt, KPMG (January 2021)
- Design Thinking, Dr. Pavan Soni/ Inflexion (October 2020)
Awards & Recognition
- Led Pune team to deliver exceptional results for Kingfisher Ultra Max, garnering widespread acclaim and publication in Heineken's global newsletter.
- Drove successful launch of Heineken Silver in draught and bottled beer channels, securing victory in regional sales competition at United Breweries.
- Selected for BITS Pilani's Teaching Assistantship program, reserved for the top 5 students of the batch.
Timeline
Assistant Brand Manager
United Breweries- A Heineken Company
07.2022 - 06.2023
MBA - Marketing
Birla Institute Of Technology & Science Pilani
04.2001 - 05.2022
Bachelors Of Technology - Food Processing Engineering
National Institute Of Food Technology & Management
04.2001 - 05.2020
Area Sales Manager - Modern On-Trade
United Breweries- A Heineken Company
7 2022 - Current
Similar Profiles
Kapil BatraKapil Batra
State Head at United Breweries Ltd. (A HEINEKEN Company)State Head at United Breweries Ltd. (A HEINEKEN Company)
Kushalappa CGKushalappa CG
Finance and Accounts Manager at United Breweries Ltd – A Heineken CoFinance and Accounts Manager at United Breweries Ltd – A Heineken Co
Harshal Waman GadreHarshal Waman Gadre
Territory Sales Executive at United Breweries Ltd. (Heineken Co.)Territory Sales Executive at United Breweries Ltd. (Heineken Co.)