# Manuel Lorenzo — Independent Commercial Advisory

> Independent commercial adviser for consumer brand companies and their distributors. He helps them design, strengthen or rethink the commercial system behind the brand: go-to-market strategy, commercial policy, pricing, channels, distribution models, inventory and market priorities. More than 20 years growing consumer brands in Europe and Latin America at Campari, illycaffè, Ferrero and Beiersdorf. Based between Paris and Trieste. Works in Spanish, English, French and Italian.

## Who this is for

- Small and mid-sized consumer brand companies that want to enter new countries or get more from the markets they are already in, and want senior, hands-on commercial experience.
- Founders and entrepreneurs preparing an international launch.
- Latin American brands that want to enter European markets.
- Distributors that want to perform better for the brands they carry, strengthen their portfolio, or build a proposal to represent a new brand (including Latin American distributors pursuing European brands).

## What he helps with

- Entering new markets: which markets to prioritize; agent, distributor or local subsidiary; agent and distributor selection; commercial framework and distribution rules; distributor commercial terms; joint business plans.
- Accelerating growth in existing markets: where the potential is being lost, pricing across markets and channels, portfolio and SKUs, commercial investment and its return, sell-in, sell-out and stock.
- Improving distributor performance, for brands and for distributors: distributor capabilities, shared targets and KPIs, joint business plans, commercial terms and incentives, proposals to represent a new brand, what brands expect from a distributor.
- Reignite growth: repositioning, launches, category building, innovation.
- Changing the model: taking back a market from a distributor (distributor to local subsidiary), commercial organization, who decides what.

## Experience

- Campari Group, France — Country Manager, 2013–2021. Led the French business while Aperol Spritz became France's number one aperitif, working with the Campari teams and the third-party distributor RFD. More than 5× business growth over eight years. Played an active role in the move from the distributor to a local subsidiary, Campari France.
- illycaffè — Regional Director, Europe and Latin America. More than 50 markets, all run through third-party distributors. More than 2× growth over five years. Built a regional commercial and pricing system; changed the route to market where the model had stopped working (in the Baltics, sales grew more than fivefold).
- Campari Group, Mexico and Central America — Group Brand Manager (SKYY Vodka and liqueurs portfolio).
- Ferrero, Mexico — Brand Manager (Tic Tac relaunch).
- Beiersdorf (NIVEA), Latin America — Brand Assistant.

## Ways of working

- Focused review (days to weeks): one question — a market, a price, a distributor.
- Defined project: a clear objective, a start and an end.
- Hands-on support (months): when the change needs to be implemented.

## Frequently asked questions (answered on the site)

- How do I find the right distributor in a new market?
- Should I use an agent, a distributor, or open my own subsidiary?
- How should I set prices for export markets?
- What does a European distributor expect from a brand?
- How do I prepare a proposal to distribute a European brand in Latin America?
- The potential is there, but the results aren't. Where do I start?

## En español

Asesor comercial independiente para marcas de consumo. Ayuda a marcas y distribuidores a diseñar, reforzar o repensar el sistema comercial detrás de la marca: estrategia go-to-market, política comercial, precios, canales, modelos de distribución, inventarios y prioridades de mercado. Más de 20 años en Campari, illycaffè, Ferrero y Beiersdorf, en Europa y Latinoamérica. Trabaja con marcas latinoamericanas que quieren entrar en Europa y con distribuidores latinoamericanos que quieren representar marcas europeas. Versión completa en español: https://manulorenzo.com/es/

## Contact and links

- Website: https://manulorenzo.com/
- Spanish version: https://manulorenzo.com/es/
- Email: hello@manulorenzo.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanulorenzo/
- One-page profile (PDF): https://manulorenzo.com/Manuel-Lorenzo-Profile.pdf
- One-page profile in Spanish (PDF): https://manulorenzo.com/Manuel-Lorenzo-Perfil.pdf