IOC Anabtawi
Building IOC Anabtawi's Takis sales operation — Scotland and London Sales Managers plus the field van sales beneath.
Client Overview
IOC Anabtawi is a specialist FMCG distributor that secured the UK distribution rights for Takis, the international spicy snack brand. The opportunity was significant. Takis carries strong brand recognition with younger consumers and a clear route to market through the symbol-group convenience channel, corner-shop independents and the wider food wholesaler trade. Successfully taking Takis to market required a properly built commercial operation able to operate both at the wholesaler-account level and on the ground inside thousands of independent retail outlets.
The Brief
Once IOC had secured the Takis distribution rights, the priority was to build a field sales team capable of taking the brand to market across symbol groups, corner-shop convenience and the major food wholesalers across the UK. The brief called for two senior FMCG Sales Managers, one based in Scotland and one in London, who would manage the major wholesaler relationships and lead the field van sales team that would sell directly into the symbol-group store base and independent convenience trade.
The Challenge
IOC needed experienced FMCG sales people who could operate across both the major wholesale channel and the on-the-ground van sales channel into independent retail. Two regional teams had to be built in parallel, in Scotland and in London, with two senior sales managers and a credible van sales operation underneath each. The pace was fast and the launch window for a brand-distribution rollout does not stretch.
What Sales Recruit UK Did
Sales Recruit UK ran parallel searches in Scotland and London for FMCG Sales Managers with credible track records into both the wholesaler channel and the symbol-group convenience trade. The SRUK Fit Score process prioritised candidates who had operated across both channels and who had the leadership credibility to build and run a van sales team underneath them. Sales Recruit UK then supported IOC in recruiting into the van sales team itself, applying the same fit-led methodology to candidates who would be selling directly into independent retail outlets.
The Outcome
Sales Recruit UK successfully placed both senior Sales Managers, one in Scotland and one in London, and worked with both to build out the field van sales team underneath. The two Sales Managers managed their respective regional teams and the major food wholesaler relationships, while the van sales operation sold directly into symbol-group stores and the independent convenience trade. The combined operation gave IOC the channel coverage needed to launch Takis credibly in the UK market.