Sales Strategy & Operations Leader

Hello.

— I'm Arun S. Prema

I design and scale revenue & operating systems across $1B+ organizations. From 0→1 KPI governance and multi-department budget forecasting to nationwide channel incentive architecture — I operate as the owner, accountable for adoption, forecasting precision, and lasting baseline shifts.

Arun S. Prema — Sales Strategy & Operations Leader
Sales Strategy & Ops
80%
Reduction in emergency budget reallocations across $1B+ DHS portfolio.
+$1B Decisions ~$100M P&L 40K+ Accounts 200+ Distributors
Operating Systems & Revenue Models Scaled Across
Allegheny County DHS • Bajaj Electricals • Asian Paints • Philips India • Godrej • Samsung
Now

Data Analyst II / Budget Analyst II at Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Pittsburgh — directing analytics and financial governance strategy across 8 departments, 12 divisions, 4 vendor contracts, and a combined $1B+ budget. Previously: 6 years leading Sales Strategy & Operations at Bajaj Electricals, owning 1/3 of the national territory across ~100-member cross-functional teams.

About Me

How I operate: replacing intuition with systems

My work sits at the intersection of commercial strategy, business analytics, and frontline execution. I build the mechanisms that translate business goals into measurable outcomes — ensuring leadership decisions are structured, timely, and grounded in clean signals.

At Allegheny County DHS, I lead Strategy & Operations across a $1B+ multi-department system spanning 8 departments and 12 divisions. I built a 0→1 KPI governance framework standardizing performance tracking across all vendor contracts, reduced mid-year fund reallocations by 80% through forecasting redesign, and compressed executive reporting cycles from 5 days to 2.

At Bajaj Electricals, I led Sales Strategy & Operations for a ~$100M commercial business across 40,000+ accounts and 200+ distributors. I delivered 20% YoY revenue growth through territory, incentive, and GTM redesign. Overcame chronic stockouts by building SKU-wise demand norms that cut availability sales loss from 28% to 11%. Redesigned a $40M retailer loyalty architecture that lifted active network participation from 15% to 55% in 6 months.

Earlier Career Foundation (2004–2017): Progressed through commercial and territory leadership roles across market leaders including Asian Paints, Philips India, Godrej, and Samsung — managing regional P&Ls from $1M to $6M and consistently ranking in the top 10% of performance cohorts.

Education: Post Graduate Diploma in Data Science & Analytics, McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin • B.Sc. Mathematics, St. Joseph's College, Bharathidasan University.

20+ Years leading commercial & operating systems
~$100M P&L ownership at Bajaj Electricals
$1B+ Budget portfolio at Allegheny County DHS
40K+ Accounts influenced across 15 regions

Five problems. Five operating systems rebuilt.

Detailed breakdowns of end-to-end diagnosis, operating model architecture, stakeholder change management, and verified commercial results.

PROBLEM 01 OF 05 01 / 05

Budget Forecasting, KPI Governance & Executive Reporting

Allegheny County DHS • $1B+ Multi-Department Portfolio • 8 Departments → START: Deconstructing 8 conflicting spreadsheets, manual baselines, and emergency budget swings → END: The unified 0→1 KPI governance engine and automated SQL forecasting model
START: FRAGMENTED OPERATION
Layer 01 • Top ⚠ Conflicting Data
8 Conflicting Departmental Spreadsheets
No common definitions across divisions; each department used customized calculation formulas.
Layer 02 ⚠ Baseline Friction
Unreconciled Historical Baselines
Staff spent days arguing spreadsheet versions rather than making strategic resource decisions.
Layer 03 ⚠ Budget Volatility
Mid-Year Emergency Fund Reallocations
Frequent unexpected surplus/deficit surprises forced mid-year scrambles across the $1B+ pool.
Layer 04 • Base ⚠ Reporting Lag
5-Day Slow Executive QBR Review Latency
Manual deck aggregation delayed executive decisions past crucial mid-quarter intervention windows.
→
REBUILT
END: REBUILT OPERATING SYSTEM
● System Assembled & Active

0→1 KPI Governance & Multi-Scenario SQL Engine

An integrated operating infrastructure uniting 8 departments onto a single validated data model.

  • KPI Governance Standard: 8 core cross-department metrics agreed upon across 12 divisions.
  • SQL Multi-Scenario Model: Automated historical spend variance analysis across 5 years of transactions.
  • Self-Serve Executive Portals: Power BI + Workday dashboards cutting manual queries by 55%.
80%
Reduction in emergency budget reallocations across $1B+
5d → 2d
Compressed QBR Cycle
Read Full Allegheny County Case Study ↗
PROBLEM 02 OF 05 02 / 05

$40M Retailer Loyalty Architecture Redesign

Bajaj Electricals • Commercial RevOps • 200,000+ Retailers • 15 Regions → START: Deconstructing flat margin discounts, 15% participation, and budget leakage → END: The gamified tiered milestone architecture delivering 55% engagement in 6 months
START: FRAGMENTED OPERATION
Layer 01 • Top ⚠ Stagnant Buy-In
15% Active Network Participation
85% of registered retailers ignored the legacy loyalty program; perceived rewards as unachievable.
Layer 02 ⚠ Commercial Leakage
Flat $40M Annual Margin Spend
Discounts treated as standard entitlement rather than performance incentives; zero incremental sales.
Layer 03 ⚠ Rep Disconnect
Disconnected Field Rep Verification
Field sales reps lacked visibility into retailer point balances, preventing real-time upselling.
Layer 04 • Base ⚠ Timeline Delay
18-Month Target Stalled at Month 12
Executive leadership considered canceling the program entirely after negligible year-one adoption.
→
REBUILT
END: REBUILT OPERATING SYSTEM
● System Assembled & Active

Gamified Tiered Milestone Loyalty Architecture

A transparent, behavior-driven commercial engine turning 200K+ stores into active brand advocates.

  • Accessible Milestone Tiers: Lowered first-reward threshold to 30 days, unlocking immediate positive feedback.
  • Mobile QR Scan Validation: Instant secondary sales verification eliminating paper coupon fraud.
  • Rep Incentive Co-Design: Frontline sales reps rewarded on retailer activation percentage.
15% → 55%
Active retailer participation across 200K+ stores
6 Mos
Hit 18-Mo Target in 1/3 Time
Read Full Loyalty Redesign Case Study ↗
PROBLEM 03 OF 05 03 / 05

SKU Replenishment Discipline Across 800+ SKUs

Bajaj Electricals • Supply Operations • 200+ Distributors • 50 Territories → START: Deconstructing chronic stockouts, 28% sales loss, and gut-feel ordering → END: The mathematical stocking norms model cutting availability sales loss to 11%
START: FRAGMENTED OPERATION
Layer 01 • Top ⚠ Revenue Hemorrhage
28% Revenue Lost to Chronic Stockouts
Top-selling hero SKUs constantly out of stock at distributor warehouses during peak seasons.
Layer 02 ⚠ Unscientific Ordering
Gut-Feel Distributor Order Placements
Distributors ordered based on intuition rather than consumption rate, creating erratic bullwhip spikes.
Layer 03 ⚠ Inventory Imbalance
Dead Working Capital in Slow SKUs
Warehouses jammed with 120-day inventory of tail SKUs while fast-moving hero SKUs had 0 days.
Layer 04 • Base ⚠ Supply Misalignment
Disconnected Factory Supply Lead Times
Manufacturing plants had no visibility into real-time regional warehouse depletion rates.
→
REBUILT
END: REBUILT OPERATING SYSTEM
● System Assembled & Active

Mathematical Stocking Norms & Dynamic Replenishment

Algorithmic inventory discipline balancing working capital across 200+ warehouses.

  • SKU-Wise Velocity Classification: Strict Min/Max replenishment buffers based on 90-day moving sales.
  • Bi-Weekly Auto-Replenishment Cadence: Eliminated month-end dumping and smoothed factory production orders.
  • Stockout Early Warning Dashboard: Automated alerts 7 days before buffer breach at distributor level.
28% → 11%
Sales loss from stockouts eliminated across 800+ SKUs
50
Territories Standardized
Read Full Stock Availability Case Study ↗
PROBLEM 04 OF 05 04 / 05

Distributor ROI Optimization & Dual-Trigger Incentive Design

Bajaj Electricals • Channel Economics • 100 Distributors • 97-Person Field Team → START: Deconstructing distributor churn, volume dumping, and margin dissatisfaction → END: The dual-trigger incentive model driving +25–50% partner ROI and 18% lower churn
START: FRAGMENTED OPERATION
Layer 01 • Top ⚠ Partner Friction
High Distributor Churn & ROI Discontent
Key channel partners threatening to exit due to declining return on capital and margin compression.
Layer 02 ⚠ Single-Metric Flaw
Gross Volume-Only Target Structures
Reps pushed end-of-month bulk discounting, causing inventory congestion and price erosion.
Layer 03 ⚠ Credit Trap
Extended Receivables & Working Capital Drag
Over-leveraged distributor credit lines reduced liquidity and blocked reorders.
Layer 04 • Base ⚠ Operational Silos
Disconnected 97-Person Field Sales Force
No standard playbook for quarterly commercial reviews or partner business planning.
→
REBUILT
END: REBUILT OPERATING SYSTEM
● System Assembled & Active

Dual-Trigger Channel Economics Architecture

A sustainable commercial partnership model linking distributor profitability directly with company growth.

  • Dual-Trigger Commissions: Bonuses paid only when both volume target AND product range reach were achieved.
  • Distributor ROI Calculator: Financial planning tool showing partners exact ROI under various order sizes.
  • VP Business Reviews: Quarterly strategic sessions adopted as standard national practice.
+25–50%
Improvement in distributor net ROI across network
-18%
Reduction in Partner Churn
Read Full Distributor ROI Case Study ↗
PROBLEM 05 OF 05 05 / 05

Crisis GTM & Remote Commercial Execution

Bajaj Electricals • Crisis Turnaround • COVID Response • 4,000+ Accounts → START: Deconstructing physical lockdown freeze, zero store footfall, and pipeline paralysis → END: The zero-cost agile digital GTM pipeline generating $2M revenue in 72 hours
START: FRAGMENTED OPERATION
Layer 01 • Top ⚠ Total Shutdown
100% Offline Retail Lockdown Freeze
Physical stores shuttered overnight across 15 regions due to nationwide pandemic restrictions.
Layer 02 ⚠ $0 Pipeline
Zero In-Person Selling Capability
Traditional face-to-face field sales models completely rendered obsolete overnight.
Layer 03 ⚠ Rep Paralysis
95 Field Reps Idled with No Playbook
Field reps had no remote digital collateral, order taking systems, or digital payment routes.
Layer 04 • Base ⚠ Zero Budget
Marketing Budgets Frozen to $0
Company froze all external agency spend; solutions had to be built organically with zero budget.
→
REBUILT
END: REBUILT OPERATING SYSTEM
● System Assembled & Active

Agile Remote Digital GTM & Order Capture

Rapid crisis response activating 95 reps across 4,000+ accounts in 24 hours.

  • Data-Driven Opportunity Mapping: Filtered 4,000+ accounts into partially open geographic zones.
  • Zero-Cost Digital Capture: Deployed WhatsApp Business catalogs and live Google Forms order queue.
  • Daily Remote Selling Cadence: 15-minute morning standups coaching reps on remote phone engagement.
$2,000,000
Revenue generated in 72 hours with $0 marketing spend
72 Hrs
From Concept to Cash
Read Full Crisis GTM Case Study ↗
01
Budget Forecasting, KPI Governance & Executive Reporting Allegheny County DHS • Public Sector • $1B+ Annual Portfolio • 8 Departments
80% fewer budget reallocations
↗
02
$40M Retailer Loyalty Architecture Redesign Bajaj Electricals • Commercial RevOps • 200,000+ Retailers • 15 Regions
15% → 55% participation in 6 mos
↗
03
SKU Availability & Replenishment Discipline Across 800+ SKUs Bajaj Electricals • Supply Operations • 200+ Distributors • 50 Territories
Sales loss 28% → 11%
↗
04
Distributor ROI Optimization & Dual-Trigger Incentive Design Bajaj Electricals • Channel Economics • 100 Distributors • 97-Person Team
+25–50% distributor ROI
↗
05
Crisis GTM & Remote Commercial Execution: $2M in 3 Days Bajaj Electricals • Crisis Turnaround • COVID Response • 4,000+ Accounts
$2M revenue in 3 days ($0 spend)
↗
Capabilities

Strategic frameworks, analytical depth & modern AI

Bridging executive strategy with hands-on quantitative execution and modern AI-driven automation.

Strategy & Commercial Operations
Operating Model Design GTM Strategy & Planning Incentive Architecture Cross-Functional Alignment 0→1 Program Architecture KPI / OKR Governance Executive Stakeholder Management Channel Economics & Distribution Change Management Process Transformation
Analytics, Data Infrastructure & BI
SQL (PostgreSQL, BigQuery) Power BI (DAX, Modeling) Excel (Scenario Models) Python (Data Analysis) Tableau Snowflake dbt Data Modeling Salesforce CRM Workday Financials SAP / ERP Systems
Emerging Tech, AI Workflows & Automation
Claude API (Anthropic) Apify Web Scraping & Data Mining Generative AI Workflows Prompt Engineering & LLM Pipelines Executive Synthesis Automation Workflow Scripting Rapid Low-Code Prototyping
Finance, Planning & Education
Multi-Department Budget Forecasting Financial Variance Analysis Capital Resource Allocation Headcount & Capacity Planning PG Diploma — Data Science & Analytics, UT Austin McCombs B.Sc. Mathematics, St. Joseph's College
Track Record

The numbers that matter: structural, measurable, lasting

Verified metrics from enterprise multi-department budgets and nationwide consumer commercial distribution.

80%

Reduction in mid-year emergency budget reallocations through SQL forecasting model redesign.

Allegheny County DHS
55%

Drop in ad-hoc data requests following 0→1 KPI governance deployment across 8 departments.

Allegheny County DHS
55%

Retailer loyalty participation (up from 15%) across 200,000+ stores — hit 18-month target in 6 months.

Bajaj Electricals
28% → 11%

Sales loss from chronic stockouts eliminated across 800+ SKUs using mathematical stocking norms.

Bajaj Electricals
$2M

Incremental revenue recovered in 72 hours with zero marketing spend during lockdown via agile digital GTM.

Bajaj Electricals
50%

Improvement in distributor ROI, paired with 18% churn reduction and 22% order size increase across 97 reps.

Bajaj Electricals
Get In Touch

Let's discuss an operating problem worth solving.

I am actively exploring Sales Strategy & Operations, Revenue Operations, and GTM leadership roles at growth companies where the mandate is end-to-end ownership. Based in Pittsburgh, PA • Open to NYC, Chicago, SF, and Remote.