James Kemp
National Account Manager @Beam Group
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WORK HISTORY
National Account Manager @Beam Group
Beam is a leading UK distributor and brand management company specialising in premium SDA, floorcare, air treatment, and heating products. Brands include Dreame, Mova, KitchenAid, Magimix, Dualit, Duux, De’Longhi and Blueair, all known for their innovation, quality, and high-end design. Beam provides full-service distribution, marketing, and support to national retailers, independents, and e-commerce platforms.Key Responsibilities & Achievements:* Retail Channel Leadership: Manage key DIY and mass-market accounts including B&Q, Costco, QVC, BrandAlley and others, delivering sustained growth through tailored strategies and close collaboration.* New Business Development: Successfully secured and onboarded major retailers including B&Q, Wickes, Dunelm, B&M, Boots, Next, and Lidl, significantly expanding the retail footprint within a short time frame and adding significate incremental sales. Leading all negotiations on commercials and T&C\'s for each new retailer.* Strategic Account Growth: Expanded listings and increased sell-through across existing accounts by developing bespoke product offers and aligning with each retailer\'s go-to-market strategy.* Sales & Commercial Strategy: Developed and implemented joint business plans with retailers to drive brand recognition, sales volume, and profitability, consistently exceeding targets.* Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with marketing and brands to optimise in-store and online performance, ensuring maximum visibility and sell-out across all channels.* Forecasting & Budgeting: Set and manage budgets, prepare line-level forecasts, and monitor commercial performance, with a focus on turnover and margin improvement.* Brand & Partner Relations: Build and nurture relationships with our brands, aligning Beam’s retail strategy with the brands goals.* Relationship Building: Maintain strong partnerships with Buying and Merchandising teams, developing multilevel relationships to support long-term strategies.
SKILLS
ABOUT JAMES KEMP
Proven commercial leader with over a decade of experience driving growth, building strategic retail partnerships, and scaling premium brands across the UK retail landscape. With a career that spans buying, national account management, and new business development, I bring a full-spectrum view of the retail value chain — from product sourcing and pricing strategy to account expansion and commercial delivery.Currently at Beam Group, I manage and grow some of the UK’s largest DIY and mass-market accounts, including B&Q, Costco, QVC, and BrandAlley, while leading successful onboarding and commercial negotiations with retailers such as Lidl, Boots, Wickes, Dunelm, B&M, and Next. I work cross-functionally with marketing and brand teams to ensure sell-through success, while owning forecasting, budgeting, and end-to-end account strategy.Prior to this, I launched the UK division of H GROUP, overseeing every aspect of the business — from sales and retail partnerships to supply chain, sourcing, and P&L management. I grew the business from zero to £3M in revenue and opened 15 national accounts, demonstrating the ability to scale operations and deliver results from the ground up.I also bring strong commercial acumen from my time at Home Retail Group (Argos), where I owned categories with £70M+ in annual turnover, negotiated directly with global brands like DJI, Microsoft, and SanDisk, and led multi-channel promotional strategies across both online and in-store.
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