Tassos Vavladellis

MBA-trained leader with 20-years of international expertise in marketing, strategy and innovation and a proven record of business achievements in Heineken, Procter & Gamble and Nestlé. Delivered double-digit growth for household brands through relentless consumer focus, solid business skills and an agile, collaborative mindset.

Designed and deployed strategic vision and transformation programmes for 36 countries and led best-in-class innovations, generating tens of millions in profit. Experienced in building great teams and leading them to record-breaking results.

Launched an entrepreneurial startup, identifying a niche opportunity during the financial crisis, tackling complex problems constructively and decisively.

Committed to excellence, equal opportunities and long-term results, with genuine empathy and a passion for winning.

GHW, UK & France – ASSOCIATE, CONSULTANT (04/2021 – present)

Delivering proven Digital and Innovation solutions to corporate clients through carefully curated scale-ups.

HEINEKEN Entreprise, France - HEAD OF INNOVATION (09/2015 – 03/2021)

Responsibilities

Redefined the company’s Innovation Vision and Strategy; led a team of experienced managers & expert project leaders; managed the Front End and Innovation pipeline; inspired multifunctional teams from idea to launch.

Achievements

• Quadrupled Innovation’s revenue and profit, reaching ambitious 10-year targets in 4 years and being directly responsible for a pipeline of 60 initiatives per year, growing the innovation rate from 3% to over 14%.
• Reinvented HEINEKEN France’s Innovation by building a team of top-performers and redefining its strategy, including organic growth, a clear sustainability agenda, new brand launches and “beyond beer” opportunities.
• Cultivated a company-wide transformation by radically improving the unproductive collaboration between Marketing and Supply Chain and introducing a shared, inclusive vision in Heineken FR. Re-connected with Global teams, widening the perspective and deepening the impact of the French organisation. 

HEINEKEN International, The Netherlands - GLOBAL MARKETING MANAGER, INNOVATION (05/2014 - 08/2015) 

Responsibilities

Identified and scaled the best ideas globally; inspired local funnels, co-creating value accretive innovations with regions and countries; consulted and collaborated with top management, creating tailored portfolio options.

Achievements

• Deployed transformative Innovation strategy programmes, ensuring buy-in and direct involvement from top management in 36 Operating Companies. Acknowledged capacity to deliver actionable results with real-market impact. Unique deployment process globally recognised as the benchmark for cross-team collaboration.
• Inspired and supported the development of more than 30 innovation launches globally. 
• Improved threefold the acceptance and roll-out of Global-led innovations by Operating Companies.

HEINEKEN International, The Netherlands – GLOBAL COMMERCE CAPABILITY MANAGER (11/2011 – 04/2014)

Responsibilities

Developed and deployed a complete Category Vision programme globally, to grow the Beer Category and capture a disproportionate market share; connected deployments with local Change Management initiatives.

Achievements

Personally deployed Category Vision in 13 Heineken Operating Companies, credited for transforming their marketing and sales strategies. Consistent positive feedback by the countries’ leadership and management teams.

IMS HELLAS Ltd., Greece – OWNER & DIRECTOR (06/2009 – 10/2011)

Founded and managed IMS Hellas, an entrepreneurial start-up exporting Greek premium quality olive oil in Europe. Identified niche opportunities and solutions that triggered growth during the financial crisis.

PROCTER & GAMBLE, Greece – MARKETING MANAGER, B2B & KEY ACCOUNTS (07/2007 – 05/2009)

Led the shopper and B2B marketing plans for the entire P&G portfolio in the Carrefour and MAKRO groups; Connected Brand Management teams with Sales and Global Teams and tailored key national initiatives. Exceeded company targets, with share uplift across all P&G top brands and an average net sales impact of +16%.

PROCTER & GAMBLE, Greece - ASSISTANT BRAND MANAGER, FABRIC CARE (10/2005 – 06/2007)

Managed the biggest P&G category in Greece, acknowledged as the most challenging ABM assignment, with full responsibility for Ariel’s national marketing and promotional plans, communication, new launches and P&L. Brought Ariel to sustained market leadership in 2007 for the first time in the brand’s history, with 29.7% value share.

PROCTER & GAMBLE, Switzerland - ASSISTANT BRAND MANAGER WE, HEALTH CARE (11/2002 – 10/2004)

Led multi-functional teams in new product launches of Health Care brands in 12 countries. Directly responsible for all marketing mix elements of the Vicks Health Care line across Western Europe (WE). Pivotal role in the WE Health Care turn-around and in rejuvenating growth (+10% vol. in 2004) after 10 years of decline.

NESTLÉ S.A., Switzerland - CONSULTANT, Operations Competitive Analysis (07/2002 – 10/2002)

University Degrees

• Full-Time MBA (2001 - 2002) (Dean’s Scholarship) - Warwick Business School, UK
• Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering (1995 – 2000) (5-year course, graduated in Top 2%) - University of Patras, Greece

Professional Certifications

• Professional Scrum Product Owner 1 (2021) – Scrum.Org / Agile Management
• Chartered Mechanical Engineer (2005) – Technical Chamber of Greece