LINUS NDONGWE
Dar es Salaam
Summary
A practical leader from a resource-constrained background, currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Kazi Yetu, a B Corp company focusing on Specialty Tea.
He leads strategic initiatives to promote African gourmet food and beverage products across a global distribution network extending across Europe, UAE and the United States, fostering sustainability and fairness.
Previously, at Tridge, Linus honed four years of senior management experience in B2B sales and e-commerce. He excelled in SaaS product sales, establishing and managing global fulfilment subsidiary operations, generating over 20 million USD annually, trading Raw Cashew Nuts, Sesame, and Avocados in Eastern Africa's Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Operating Officer
Kazi Yetu Ltd
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
04.2023 - Current
- Oversaw operations and coordinated with managers to achieve monthly to quarterly production, sales and compliance goals.
- Developed quarterly business targets and plans to evaluate cost projections.
- Decreased COGS for an increased profit margin through raw materials import taxes and duty remissions under the EAC Gazette.
- Implemented logistics process improvement strategies that resulted in reduction of sourcing costs whilst maintaining operational efficiency.
- Evaluated team's performance by analyzing and interpreting personal goals' achievement data and metrics.
- Successfully renegotiated raw materials supplier contracts, and implemented a Purchase Order protocol for improved quality and cost optimization.
- Implementation of Organic & Food Safety Management Systems Compliance and Certification for the 1st line of 8 product blends.
- Reviewed policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable regulations.
GLOBAL ORIGINATION SENIOR MANAGER
Tridge (www.tridge.com)
Dar Es Salaam
07.2019 - Current
- Tridge is a tech company based in Seoul, South Korea, the world's leading sourcing hub for food and agri products
- It helps businesses safely source products and provides extensive market intelligence for buyers and seller's informed decision-making
- Conducted market research and identified local products with high demand and import potential, discovering over 300+ suppliers and business opportunities in Africa
- Successfully managed the establishment and management of global subsidiary Tridge Tanzania Limited now handling 4+ strong export products to EU and Asian countries
- Country Lead for on average 20 Million USD large-scale revenue projects
- Promoted strategic alliances with 100+ government officials, & vendors to capture best value for money
- Led sourcing, and coordinated, Inland & Sea logistical planning with suppliers and shipment carriers for controlled delivery times, quality and claims management
- Optimized projects operations budgets, Cost Structures for different Incoterm Product Pricings e.g FOB, EXW, CFRs by relying on trade intelligence for enhanced cost savings
- Controlled shipments (500+ FCLs Consignments) and paperwork for the entire Supply Deal Process, POs, Commercial Invoices, Bill of Ladings (BLs), etc
- Managed Container Freight Station (CFS) and Fresh Produce pack-house operations planning for exports of Nuts, Pulses Fruits & Vegetables and Oil Seeds
- Strengthened compliance controls with international import and export trade regulations such as China's GACC, COMESA and FTAs
- Managed SaaS sales from sales task force development and pipeline management using CRM tools such as Monday.com, including daily activities such as 15 cold calls/emails and online/in-person meetings
- Conducted technical interviews for global operations staff including Origination Managers, Office Admins, and Quality Specialists in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya
- Reported daily to weekly progress of deal flows and staff performance for building long-term strategies.
HUB OUTREACH OFFICER
Innovation Hub255
Dar es Salaam
01.2018 - 06.2019
- Hub255 is Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Hub with focus on Technology as an enabler
- As a Hub Outreach Officer, I was a highly motivated and results-driven professional with experience in building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, community outreach, and event coordination
- Supporting member of a social innovation and entrepreneurship hub establishment and development of websites for 3 member startups
- Experienced in event coordination and executing successful events to increase awareness with target audiences
- Coordinated 11 community events such as hackathons, product launches, and game-nights
- Developed and maintained relationships with key stakeholders including government officials, community leaders, and influential individuals
- Fostered relationships with over 50 key stakeholders in the first year
- Built a network with university students and startups entrepreneurs seeking social support
- Strong communication skills and ability to present information effectively to different audiences
- Delivered over 15 presentations to various groups and organizations
- Knowledgeable in community outreach and engagement best practices
- Attended 3 professional development workshops on Grants Management in the past 2 years to stay updated.
PRODUCTION INTERN
Illovo Distillers Tanzania Limited Co. LTD.
Morogoro
07.2018 - 10.2018
- Under supervision of Plant's Production Manager, recommended and implemented Yeast transfer line C.I.P for reduction of volatile acids during molasses fermentation which reduced off-flavors in the final product
- Part of practical training report.
BREWERIES TRAINING INTERN
Tanzania Breweries Limited Co. LTD (TBL Group)
Dar es Salaam
07.2016 - 10.2016
- Under good supervision, got exposed to daily brewery operations in addition to quality assurance testing in laboratory setting where beer quality chemical and microbiological parameters such as alcohol, yeast viability, pH, Colour, Dissolved oxygen Haze Taste and many others were analyzed for control throughout process at TBL group
- Engaged professionals in industry-specific knowledge, techniques and methodologies
- Developed soft skills by providing training in time-management, problem-solving, and effective communication.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Food Science & Technology
University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM)
A-Levels - Chemistry, Biology & Geography
Miono High School
GCSEs - Science
Msolwa St. Gaspare Bertoni Secondary School
Skills
- Relationship Building
- Business Development & Sales
- Supply Chain Management
- Warehouse Operations Management
- Logistics & Freight expertise
- Financial Acumen
- Cost Reduction & Cash flow analysis
- Strategic Thinking
- Contract management
- Market Research
- International Trade Compliance
- Technical Interviewing
- Community Outreach & Engagement
- Front-end Web Design (Wordpress)
- CRM Tools for Sales eg Mondaycom
- Adaptability
Accomplishments
- EAC Gazettement for Product Materials Import Duty Remissions at Kazi Yetu
- Internship Tanzania (www.internship.co.tz) / Startup Founder
- Successful establishment of Tridge Tanzania LTD, one among Tridge's 40+ global subsidiaries for exporting 4+ products to markets including Russia, India, China, EU, and Vietnam.
- Senior Origination Manager for the first and largest 20M+ USD revenue project, that sourced and exported 11,800+ MT of Raw Cashew Nuts from Tanzania to Vietnam (9,000 MT) and India (2,800 MT).
- Tanzania Cashew Board's Best 2021/22 Raw Cashew Nut Buyer award winning project.
- Coordinated the Export and Import operations in other East African countries 300 MT of Kenyan Avocados to Hong Kong & Russia, 26.60 MT of Pakistan Mandarin to Kenya, 48 MT of Egyptian Oranges to Kenya and 20.8 MT of Turkish Apples to Kenya.
- Obtained International farm assurance programs Certifications such as The Global G.A.P for export of Avocados to prime Markets such as the EU.
- Strengthened controls of compliance with international trade regulations such as The General Administration of Customs of People's Republic of China (GACC) for import of 1,000+ MT of Tanzanian Sesame, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) for Egyptian Oranges to Kenya (COMESA FTA).
- 100,000+ USD worth of Online Platform Solutions (SaaS) sales to over 13 companies in African countries such as Uganda, Chad, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Certifications Awards
Awarded for Best Raw Cashew Nut Buyer for the 2021/22 season by The Cashew Board of Tanzania (CBT).
References
Mr. Jones Mrusha
- Technology Executive
- StartUps
- Telecoms & Banking
- Co-Founder Innovation Hub255
- Phone No: +255 13 216 666
- Email: jmaccoe@gmail.com
Ms. Jinjoo Choi
Senior Manager of the Global Fulfillment, Tridge
Sales Manager at Lemonbase
- Phone No: +82 10-4708-7039
- Email: cjju1994@gmail.com
Languages
Swahili
First Language
English
Intermediate (B1)
B1
Timeline
Chief Operating Officer
Kazi Yetu Ltd
04.2023 - Current
GLOBAL ORIGINATION SENIOR MANAGER
Tridge (www.tridge.com)
07.2019 - Current
PRODUCTION INTERN
Illovo Distillers Tanzania Limited Co. LTD.
07.2018 - 10.2018
HUB OUTREACH OFFICER
Innovation Hub255
01.2018 - 06.2019
BREWERIES TRAINING INTERN
Tanzania Breweries Limited Co. LTD (TBL Group)
07.2016 - 10.2016
Bachelor of Science - Food Science & Technology
University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM)
A-Levels - Chemistry, Biology & Geography
Miono High School
GCSEs - Science
Msolwa St. Gaspare Bertoni Secondary School
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