Khalil Divan

A Senior Director with 30+ years of experience working across the pharmaceutical, industrial, environmental and F&B sectors, and a track record of effective business development, sales and marketing management. Skilled in directing projects / initiatives, driving sales growth, developing business opportunities, implementing new processes for optimal productivity. An expert in propelling businesses forward by expertly managing the planning, execution and optimisation of day-to-day operations with cross-functional teams. Well versed in presenting and communicating at a senior level to develop commercial strategies and drive growth to meet corporate aims and objectives.

EXPERTISE

Strategy / Business Development: 

An innovative leader with a background in driving ground-breaking initiatives in line with corporate visions. Significant experience in developing and implementing innovative sales, marketing and product development strategies to drive company expansion in line with challenging targets. Well versed defining brand / product propositions and implementing effective plans to meet all commercial aims. Expert analyst of market trends / competitor activity to support sound decision making at all levels.

Sales / Commercial Execution: 

High performing sales and business development individual with a track record of exceeding year on year growth and performance targets at a regional and global level.

Negotiation: 

A skilled negotiator in operational and commercial roles, with the capability to scrutinise deal making / contractual processes to maximise bottom-line results.

Brand Strategy: 

Significant experience in leading on brand planning activities, and developing effective strategies to ensure commercial growth targets are met in collaboration with corporate, product marketing and regional teams.

People Leadership: 

Motivating and empowering high calibre people, setting challenging KPIs and supporting teams to put in place lasting legacies of process and business improvement / growth.

Project Management: 

Managing projects / campaigns through full lifecycles in accordance with industry standards and best practices to meet core objectives.

Financial Management: 

Advanced business modelling skills with the capability to hold responsibility for budgets and P&Ls. Capability to implement robust financial controls appropriately whilst balancing risk and reward.

Stakeholder Engagement: 

Engaging effectively with stakeholders up to C-Suite / Board level to gain buy-in / approval for initiatives and projects.

CAREER & ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE

Senior Director (Global Strategy & Marketing, Industrial Microbiology) 

Nov 2019 – Present
Thermo Fisher Scientific 

HIGHLIGHTS
 Implemented a strategy which grew industrial revenue x2 CAGR over 3 years, through the development and execution of a global strategy and delivery of innovative products / marketing plans.
 Established pharma and bio-pharma as a focus segment for the Microbiology Division and delivered CAGR of 15% vs. 8% market growth.
 Drove the molecular SureTect portfolio into the market space to drive growth and take market share (CAGR 23% vs 8% market growth).
 Built collaborations with key KOLs and regulatory agencies across global regions to drive thought leadership.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS
 Operating within the Microbiology Division as part of the Divisional Leadership Team with full responsibility for leading all aspects of product development, marketing strategy and business development at a global level to achieve KPIs.
 Building the Thermo Scientific brand and working closely with customers and regulators to formulate action plans and strategic direction for the division.
 Directing high performing teams and implementing a culture strong on teamwork, collective goals and results.
 Planning and delivering global marketing campaigns to achieve high ROI as well as revenue impact.
 Analysing and reporting on market, competitive and application trends as well as new workflow opportunities across product portfolios and multiple market segments.
 Leading various NPD projects / initiatives through full lifecycles to meet all core aims and drive commercial growth.
 Utilising market intelligence, VOC and commercial voice to build a detailed understanding of pain points and needs for each vertical to develop new products and workflows and formulate strategic direction.

EARLIER CAREER SUMMARY 

Senior Director Global Strategy & Marketing

Sales and Business Development Manager 

Jun 1991 – Nov 2019 
Thermo Fisher Scientific (Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry Division)

 Led strategy implementation and delivered x2 market growth in the F&B sector (CAGR 12% vs. 6% market growth).
 Presidents Club Winner (2018) for being a global contributor to commercial success.
 Delivered the AOP revenue plan successfully for 4 consecutive years (2015 – 2019).
 Built successful collaborations with key KOL’s and regulatory agencies in all global regions to drive thought leadership across the product portfolio.
 10 years’ experience in sales and business development across Pharma, Food and Environmental sectors selling high end analytical instruments, consumables, software and service at a regional and global level.
 Achieved above target sales performance year on year across product ranges achieving double digit growth for key product ranges
 Consistently generated sales leads resulting in a 30% increase in sales performance across the team

EDUCATION
 PhD in Analytical Sciences – University of Leeds 1987 – 1991
 BSc (Hons.) Chemistry – University of Leeds 1984 – 1987