Building Market Success with a Petrochemical Sales Executive in Uganda

Reviving a market requires expertise, strategy, and the right talent in place to drive results. When an international chemical distributor approached us to fill a challenging sales role in Uganda, we knew it would take a tailored approach to deliver the perfect candidate.

Overview

The company required a driven sales hunter to stabilize and grow its market presence in Uganda. The role was remote with partial travel and reported directly to the Managing Director in Kenya. The immediate priority was to revive the Ugandan market, with plans for long-term expansion into the Great Lakes region.

The client faced significant challenges: they needed a candidate with both sales expertise and knowledge of the chemical industry, who could work independently as an independent contractor. Time was critical, as the company was rapidly losing market share, and their previous recruitment effort with a generalist agency had failed to yield results after six months. Budget constraints further complicated the search, as the role had to justify its financial viability before being converted into a full-time position.

Strategic Approach

To tackle these complexities, we began with a detailed briefing to understand the role’s requirements and the client’s business goals. From there, we created a targeted candidate profile emphasizing niche expertise, self-motivation, and the ability to operate remotely.

Our multi-channel recruitment strategy combined headhunting, database searches, and referrals to identify top talent. Preliminary interviews were conducted to assess technical knowledge, sales acumen, and the ability to thrive in an independent contractor role. From this pool, we shortlisted three highly qualified candidates. The client conducted further interviews; both virtual with their Kenyan team and in-person in Uganda, to ensure alignment with their objectives.

Results and Impact

The position was filled within two months. The selected candidate quickly stabilized the Ugandan market and was confirmed in the role within three months due to their exceptional performance.

Impressed with the results, the client re-engaged us for another critical sales role for plastic raw materials. This position was successfully filled within just one month, strengthening our partnership and showcasing our ability to deliver results for even the most challenging roles.

Are you navigating recruitment challenges in your organization? We provide tailored solutions- including permanent, contract, RPO, and executive search services—backed by the strength of an international network.

Learn more: Antal International – Client Services