Nokia names new lower Gulf manager

by Stuart Wilson, Wednesday 7 March 2012

Nokia has appointed Vithesh Reddy as its new general manager for the lower Gulf region

During the last year Samsung (green line) has consistently increased its retailer satisfaction rates, moving up from just 6% in February 2011 to 44% by January 2012

Mobile device vendor Nokia has appointed Vithesh Reddy as its new general manager for the lower Gulf region. Reddy will assume responsibility for the development of Nokia’s business operations in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. Prior to his new appointment Reddy served as head of sales for Nokia in the lower Gulf region.

“These are very exciting times for Nokia in the region, and indeed the mobile communications sector as a whole," said Reddy. "As a brand, Nokia has entered a new chapter in its evolution, one that is defined by an ongoing commitment to innovation. As such it’s an exciting time to be appointed general manager and to be part of driving the brand on to even bigger and better achievements across the lower Gulf."

Reddy began his career in sales and channel management for MTN in South Africa and later in Nigeria. Reddy has more than ten years’ experience in the consumer and business technology market.

Retailer satisfaction

2012 is a vital year for Nokia as it attempts to rebuild its reputation, regain lost market share and reinvigorate its product line-up as its partnership with Microsoft gathers momentum. The graph accompanying this article is extracted from the Middle East Retail Academy (MERA) retailer satisfaction data for the mobile device category during the last 12 months.

Each month, 30 top ICT and consumer electronics (CE) retailers across the region are invited by MERA to name the best performing vendors across a range of product categories. Their decision, which they supply each month, is based on a combination of factors including pricing, marketing, sales out, merchandising support, promotions and the overall strength of the relationship with each vendor.

During the last year Samsung (green line) has consistently increased its retailer satisfaction rates, moving up from just 6% in February 2011 to 44% by January 2012. Put simply, this means that 44% of retailers questioned indicated that Samsung was their preferred mobile device brand during working month January 2012. In comparison, Nokia (blue line) has seen a steady decline in its retailer satisfaction rates from a high of 40% in March 2011 to 6% in January 2012.

Blackberry (red line) has also seen its retailer satisfaction levels decline in the last year. The vendor held a leadership position in the mobile device category from April to July 2011 with its retailer satisfaction level peaking at 45%. Last August, the vendor became embroiled in a dispute with the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, which announced that it would suspend Blackberry’s messenger service. The negative impact on Blackberry’s retailer satisfaction levels from this dispute was immediate.

The MERA is an organisation made up of the Middle East’s leading ICT and consumer electronics retailers, distributors and vendors. This high-level organisation was established in conjunction with DISTREE Middle East, the premier annual conference for the region’s retail channel organised by DISTREE Events. Please visit www.distree-me.com for more details.

For more information on the MERA or to request a copy of the monthly report it produces, please contact fhemraj@distree.com

DISTREE Middle East 2012

DISTREE Middle East is the ultimate professional networking event for senior executives from the consumer electronics, digital device and ICT products retail channel in the MEA region. DISTREE Middle East is a focused event for retail executives based on the successful concept of bringing high-level buyers from emerging markets into productive contact with vendors.

More than 60 vendors met over 170 retail executives at DISTREE Middle East 2011. The total delegate base exceeded 500 and more than 1,100 pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings took place during the event. DISTREE Middle East regularly attracts hundreds of senior executives from the region’s consumer electronics, digital device and ICT products retail channel. These include the powerful buyers and decision makers responsible for product selection for the retailers they represent.

Not only is DISTREE Middle East a powerful business platform, it is also an annual networking function allowing vendors to meet face-to-face with both existing and potential new retail partners from across the region.

For retail executives, attending DISTREE Middle East is time well spent. In just three days you can hold dozens of face-to-face meetings with existing and potential new vendors, meet with your peers from across the region, find out more about the latest industry trends and market data. All this at one exclusive event: DISTREE Middle East - the ‘must-attend’ event for vendors and retailers associated with the region’s consumer electronics, digital device and ICT products channel. www.distree-me.com

Vendors, retailers and distributors wishing to participate at DISTREE Middle East 2012, which takes place from 15-17th May, should contact fhemraj@distree.com quoting code DME12 for full details.

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