David Wong
Singapore
Summary
With over 16 years of experience in the retail industry and expertise in Category Management, Merchandising, Brand Activation and Assortment Planning, I offer a strong global perspective spanning local markets and regions in APAC, SEA, Singapore, and Malaysia. My 10 years of divisional leadership experience have further propelled and mastery my skills in merchandising planning, retail and e-commerce buying, category management and development as well as brand activations. I have a proven track record of elevating brand equity and market share and establishing myself as an industry leader in the country. As a hands-on leader, I adeptly motivate and coach high-performing teams to achieve excellent results.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, APAC Merchandising & Assortment Planning
adidas Singapore Pte Ltd
02.2021 - 12.2023
- Developed APAC DTC (Own Retail, Franchise, Ecom) Merchandising Strategies aligned with sales and brand KPIs. Engineered and improve in range efficiency including Overlap, Buy Efficiency, Take & compliance ratio and Sell Through.
- Spearheaded the team in creating product Assortments (by store) to diverse store clusters across APAC markets including Japan, South Korea, SEA and Pacific.
- Implemented targeted product/franchise segmentation strategies across online, brick and mortar channels.
- Curated Wholesale Ecom platform (Rakuzen, Zozotown, Amazon, Lazada etc) and Factory Outlet store assortment by increasing market share with detailed channel / account segmentation.
- Nurtured a high-performing team through mentorship and professional growth opportunities. Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
Director, APAC Wholesale CTC Lead
REEBOK adidas China Ltd
01.2020 - 01.2021
- Directed WHS Key Account relations within Reebok APAC, coordinating the product ranging and overall business needs with global and country teams.
- APAC led for Key Account communications, aligning seasonal strategies and managing commercial initiatives including business development.
- Facilitating product meetings and conducting successful business negotiations, demonstrated through a track record of achievements with APAC Key Accounts such as Japan's ABC Mart, South Korea's Musinsa, and Indonesia's MAP.
Director, APAC Category Management Lead
REEBOK adidas China Ltd
08.2018 - 01.2021
- Business unit team lead for Reebok Performance categories across APAC, primarily focusing on Product ranging and Local Creation, overseeing the GTM process, and managing category sales and brand performance.
- Developed and negotiated with APAC Key Account retailers to secure SMU range as additional sales revenue. E.g Walking shoes for ABC Mart, commercial footwear range for MAP.
- Increased channel sales and market share performance, detailed sales data analysis with optimum range plans to maximize the business potentials.
- Expert in enhancing range efficiency including forecasts, pricing, margin, channel segmentation and marketing campaigns.
- Create, present and negotiate with local Key Account retailers for key account SMU as additional sales opportunities
- Manage cross-functional working relationships effectively with country commercial teams on strategic objectives/ actions and financial targets
Senior manager, Brand Activation (Head of Marketing)
adidas Malaysia Sdn Bhd
06.2014 - 08.2018
- Marketing and Product lead for adidas Malaysia, mastermind in brand development and contributed to the year of year market share growth of adidas Malaysia as the industry leader in 2016-2018.
- Orchestrated cross-disciplinary collaboration as the team lead that managed different brand functions includng Category Management, Go-To-Market processes, Brand Communications, Sports Marketing and Visual Merchandising.
- Proven records in driving and executing 360 marketing activation inclusive of product and brand campaign launch, retailer trade shows, media buy, digital activations, local community , influencers management and team sponsorships.
- Developed and initiated Adidas Runners Malaysia, local women communities, , main sponsor for JDT team and other state teams in Malaysia between 2015-2018.
Manager, South East Asia Category Management
adidas Singapore Pte Ltd
03.2012 - 05.2014
- Leading Training/ Sportswear Men category merchandising and marketing plan across all SEA countries including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia
- Performed dual role as SEA regional category manager and Singapore Brand Activation manager that leads both Product and Brand Activation teams for adidas Singapore.
- Double digit year on year Net Sales growth by leading the category product and business performance across SEA.
- Developed category range and channel strategy by providing concrete guidelines for the markets on product availability accross all distribution channels
- Equipped all markets with detailed and innovative sell-in tools and support on their go-to-market process.
- Team lead as product and brand communication functions for adidas Singapore that reports directly to the country GM.
Assistant Manager, Trade Marketing/ Category Planner
adidas Malaysia Sdn Bhd
05.2009 - 03.2012
- Managed the country range and delivered the category financial targets for Originals and Training categories.
- Developed the local category range and distribution channel strategy.
- Managed sell-in and key account pre-line meetings and support sales team to achieve channel net sales target.
- Leading range development and worked closely with brand communication to execute 360 packages.
Entrepreneur
D' Fashion Café
01.2007 - 06.2010
- Own and develop business plan, daily operations across 2 stand alone stores in Kuala lumpur.
- Built strong brand recognition and customer loyalty by delivering high-quality products and services consistently over time.
- Sourcing new product lines successfully through comprehensive planning, and direct networking with China Suppliers.
International Marketing Executive
Padini Holdings Bhd
08.2005 - 02.2007
- Managing International Franchisee in Middle east countries primarily Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
- Merchandising planning and business development lead to the franchise partners.
Promotion and Entertainment Executive
Genting Highland Resorts World Berhad
01.2004 - 01.2005
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Business Management - Marketing
University of Queensland
Brisbane, Australia01.2003
Diploma in Business Administration & Finance - Finance
Prime College / Tunku Abdul Rahman College
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia01.2001
Skills
- Highly committed to collaboration and teamwork
- Inspire and cultivate productive working relationships with coworkers across functions, customers and retailers
- Demonstrated strong leadership acumen
- Critical business thinking and problem solving
- Results-oriented and willing to make the extra effort to ensure quality work is done and deadlines are met
- Diverse market landscapes experience and insight
Accomplishments
- Leadership in Sports industry Brand Share in Malaysia from 2016 to 2018 and drove significant gap in Net Promoter Scores compared to Nike.
- Recognized with the Malaysia Best Sport Retail Brands awarded by The BrandLaureate in 2016/17.
- Key contributor as the leading brand in terms of Net Sales and brand shares across all Malaysia Wholesale accounts , including Al-Ikhsan, Sports Direct, JD sports , RSH and etc in the year of 2017-2018.
- Act as adidas team lead to pioneer the first JD sports store setup in South East Asia , including Malaysia and Singapore.
Languages
English
Proficient
C2
Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese)
Proficient
C2
Bahasa Malaysia
Upper intermediate
B2
Personal Information
- Title: Director, APAC Merchandising Assortment Planning
- Gender: Male
- Nationality: Malaysian
Hobbies and Interests
- Scuba diving
- Running
- Strength Training
- Badminton
- Stock investment
Timeline
Director, APAC Merchandising & Assortment Planning
adidas Singapore Pte Ltd
02.2021 - 12.2023
Director, APAC Wholesale CTC Lead
REEBOK adidas China Ltd
01.2020 - 01.2021
Director, APAC Category Management Lead
REEBOK adidas China Ltd
08.2018 - 01.2021
Senior manager, Brand Activation (Head of Marketing)
adidas Malaysia Sdn Bhd
06.2014 - 08.2018
Manager, South East Asia Category Management
adidas Singapore Pte Ltd
03.2012 - 05.2014
Assistant Manager, Trade Marketing/ Category Planner
adidas Malaysia Sdn Bhd
05.2009 - 03.2012
Entrepreneur
D' Fashion Café
01.2007 - 06.2010
International Marketing Executive
Padini Holdings Bhd
08.2005 - 02.2007
Promotion and Entertainment Executive
Genting Highland Resorts World Berhad
01.2004 - 01.2005
Bachelor's Degree in Business Management - Marketing
University of Queensland
Diploma in Business Administration & Finance - Finance
Prime College / Tunku Abdul Rahman College
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