General Manager: Pricing and Revenue Management

Core purpose of the role

The General Manager: Pricing and Revenue Management is primarily accountable for developing and implementing the group's comprehensive pricing strategy to sustain competitive advantage and achieve financial objectives. This role is pivotal in generating actionable business insights and intelligence by meticulously analyzing and interpreting critical data, encompassing past, present, and projected trends of both existing and prospective customers and markets. Additionally, the incumbent is responsible for the rigorous assessment and management of fleet capital investment risks, ensuring minimal financial losses and securing the targeted return on investments. Through strategic leadership, this position supports the group's mission by fostering innovative pricing solutions and informed decision-making, thereby driving business growth and profitability.

Key deliverables and outputs

Strategic Financial Management

• Review the annual strategy and ensure that business plans are in place to support the business strategy. Facilitate and monitor implementation
• Oversee the Maintenance Fund management, quarterly actuarial valuations and results analysis
• Conceptualise and design appropriate strategic solutions for customers by reviewing current solutions / offerings and / or repackage products for customer retention and growth. Oversee the implementation of such solutions
• Oversee that customer requests, trends and opportunities that drive the development of new products and services, are effectively monitored and tracked. Integrate relevant insights into the strategic design of solutions
• Keep abreast of market and legislative developments (locally and internationally) for the positioning of appropriate business responses to remain competitive and grow market share
• Conduct market research to understand competitor tactics and devise appropriate counter strategies
• Build and maintain pricing model/s to enable effective and competitive pricing decisions based on a thorough understanding of value drivers. Oversee the pricing models devised by direct reports
• Consolidate and review sales forecasts for the public sector, corporates and regional country segments. Determine if the demand generates sufficient growth and revenue and present findings and recommendations to the Demand Review Meeting (DRM)
• Prepare annual and quarterly budgets and forecast in line with revenue and growth targets and ensure the proactive maximisation of profits
• Develop cost containment measures and monitor the implementation thereof
• Negotiate with and influence internal stakeholders to encourage the adoption and testing of new pricing structures and strategies
• Make recommendations to senior leadership regarding pricing strategies based on customer profiles, risks, technology and historic usage analysis.

Operational Pricing and Revenue Management

• Collaborate and support the Sales fraternity (i.e. analysis of customer needs, solution design, pricing, etc.) in order to deliver more customer-centric solutions
• Oversee that accurate and complete analysis and interpretation of various data sets, concepts and / or ideas (related and unrelated) are provided and converted into business intelligence to guide decision making
• Oversee that regular sales and profitability reports for deviations management are created and maintained
• Proactively communicate issues, risks or exposures to relevant stakeholders
• Develop and maintain internal controls over pricing activities in order to ensure compliance
• Develop policies and procedures, create awareness and address deviations as required
• Develop and present feasible pricing proposals and monitor the timeous implementation thereof
• Facilitate the identification of new product opportunities in collaboration with the Sales team
• Provide feasibility study insights to facilitate decision making
• Align overall product strategy with pricing and contractual strategies at customer level
• Research, identify and implement pricing tools to enhance efficiency
• Conduct competitor analysis on an ad hoc basis
• Complete, submit and present monthly Board reports within the agreed timeframes
• Propose yielding strategies to the Executive team
• Oversee that revenue management tools and processes are developed and maintained
• Chair the monthly Demand Review meeting, ensuring that accurate minutes are taken and timeously distributed
• Attend and present insights regarding the overall financial impact of pricing and revenue strategies to major regions at quarterly Operations, Customer Experience and Commercial team meetings.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders (Customer Solutions Hub, Sales, Finance, Operations) for operational efficiency
• Liaise with the Divisional Strategy team for the effective coordination of input
• Collaborate with Sales and OEM's and ensure that value propositions are well articulated to meet external customer needs
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with the Avis Budget Global Revenue Management teams
• Liaise with internal / external auditors, internal tender submission teams and respective credit bureaus
• Develop and maintain positive working relationship with the Avis Budget Rent Lease Operations, Commercial and Customer Experience teams
• Liaise with business functions to develop and deploy operational best practices in all business units including regional countries.

People Management

• Provide clear direction and decisive leadership to direct reports, ensuring all are aligned to the goals and have a clear purpose
• Set clearly defined performance standards/targets for direct reports, holding them accountable to achieve these and providing support and guidance where needed
• Create and maintain a constructive atmosphere within the team, engaging and motivating direct reports to always give their best, while respecting any areas of diversity (whether areas of expertise, cultural, gender, age, background, etc.)
• Ensure direct reports adhere to set business policies and procedures, emphasising the importance of general discipline at work and objectively correcting and handling any deviations as they arise
• Resource and staff the team appropriately, considering the relevance of current and new jobs as well as the most suitable ways in which to place or replace any vacancies
• Set the example to the team and deliver on the employee value proposition by leading the team and the business in line with the Zeda leadership behaviours
• Support and encourage direct reports to drive their own individual development plans in order to further grow as professionals in their jobs.

Internal and External Stakeholders

The role requires close engagement and collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders.

Academic Qualifications

Essential:

• NQF Level 8 Qualification in Statistics, Economics, Mathematics or Engineering or CA (SA)
• Valid Driver's License.

Advantageous:

• NQF Level 9 Master's degree or an MBA is highly desirable.

Work Experience

Essential:

• 5 Years' Experience in Finance, Sales or Operations
• 5 Years' Demonstrated leadership ability to manage and develop a high-performing team
• Excellent organizational and project management skills to handle multiple priorities
• Analytical mindset with a strong ability to interpret data and turn them into actionable insights
• Strategic thinking with the capability to foresee market trends and make informed business decisions
• Experience in a senior management role including dealing with various stakeholders across all levels

Advantageous:

• 2 Years' Automotive and financial industry experience.