YouJuice Inc., based in Monterrey, Mexico, sells ready-to-drink juices all over the world. It was originally a Mexican company, but it is now owned by a large US corporation.
【An international drinks company needs a dynamic new director to build its Latin American sales】
YouJuice is currently looking for a Sales and Marketing Director for its sales facilities in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. Recently, sales results have been poor. Overall, sales revenue was 35% below target. The reasons are:
• Sales staff are not highly motivated, and staff turnover is high.
• The Sales Managers say that the low sales are due to strong competition in this segment of the market.
• The previous director had no clear strategy for developing sales.
• Not enough market research has been done, and the customer database does not produce reliable results.
There are three candidates for the position of Sales and Marketing Director. They all work for YouJuice in either Mexico or one of the foreign subsidiaries. The new director will be based in São Paulo, Brazil. Here is an extract from the job description for the position.
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
• increasing sales and developing marketingstrategies
• coordinating the work of the sales teams so thatthey are more motivated and effective
• carrying out market research to improve customernumbers.
The successful candidate will be:
• a strong personality with leadership qualities
• energetic, dynamic, and enthusiastic.
He/She will have:
• a good academic background and relevant workexperience
• organizational and interpersonal skills
• numeracy skills and analytical ability
• good linguistic ability.The position will involve frequent travel in the three countries.
Juana Ramos
Mexican, aged 30
Married, two children (seven and nine years old)
Education
• University degree in Economics
• Studying for a Master’s degree in Marketing (distance learning)
Experience
• Has worked for YouJuice since leaving university.
• Worked in market research for one year, then in sales.
• Has a good knowledge of computing; numerate.
Achievements
Top sales representative in the last five years
Languages
Fluent Spanish and Italian; good standard of English; intermediate Portuguese
Interviewer’s comments
A strong, charismatic personality. Very competitive. Not afraid to speak her mind, even if it upsets colleagues. A good sense of humor. Wants to advance in her career as quickly as possible. Intelligence test (IQ): very high. Is she diplomatic? Interpersonal skills?
Chantal Lefevre
Swiss, aged 41
Divorced, one child (five years old)
Education
• University degree in Business Administration
• Diploma in Marketing
Experience
• Two years’ market research, then over 15 years’ sales and marketing in various companies, including one year in Spain and six years in Portugal.
• Joined YouJuice three years ago as sales representative in Switzerland. Very hard-working. Has done an excellent job and earned large bonuses each year.
Achievements
A good sales record in all her previous positions
Languages
Fluent Portuguese; intermediate Spanish; excellent English
Interviewer’s comments
A quiet, modest person, but very eager to progress in her career. Answered questions directly and honestly. A sociable person. She’s chief organizer of her local tennis club. Believes that the new director should involve staff in all decisions. Intelligence test (IQ): average. Leadership qualities? Decisive?
Jeff Sanderson
American, aged 54
Single
Education
• University degree in Sociology
• Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School
Experience
Joined YouJuice 20 years ago. Has always worked in sales. In the last five years, Sales Manager (France and Italy).
Achievements
Has increased sales by 8% in the five-year Period
Languages
Fluent English and Portuguese; Spanish: good reading skills, needs to improve his oral ability
Interviewer’s comments
A serious person. Respected by his staff. Has a strong sense of responsibility. ‘I am a company man.’ Not very creative. Believes new ideas should come from staff. Some staff say he’s a workaholic and difficult to get to know. Very interested in South American cultures. Intelligence test (IQ): above average. Why does he really want the job? Energetic enough?
Group Discussion
Work in groups. You are members of the interviewing team. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. Decide who to select for the vacant position. Note down the reasons for your choice.
Meet as one group. Discuss your choices. Decide who should fill the vacant position.
Case Study Commentary
WRITING
Complete this e-mail from the head of the interviewing team to Claudia López, Regional Director of YouJuice. Write about at least three strengths of the candidate you have chosen. Explain how these strengths relate to the job description.
