Nickolas Kwang

A highly focused and detail-oriented individual with strong relationship management and influencing skills who thrives in a fast-paced and diverse environment. With exceptional track record in maximising business value through identifying, qualifying and securing new sales leads and business opportunities. Adept at managing client requests and executing multiple projects simultaneously with high efficiency and accuracy. Seeking an opportunity to utilise my strong communication and critical thinking skills to benefit the company and its stakeholders.

Business Development & Account Management
EC Merchants/Accounts
Managing key EC accounts on an Asia Pacific region level. Develop and maintain relationship with key EC accounts. Periodical meetings / catch-up calls, coordinate and manage cross functional teams including Marketing and regional offices, understanding merchants needs to identify sales and partnership opportunities and actively build/manage an opportunity pipeline.
o Key Accounts, responsibilities & accomplishment
▪ Shopee – Focused on coordination and management of marketing partnership between Shopee HQ and JCB regional offices, primarily THA and VNM. Negotiation of JCB acceptance for SGP, MYS & PHL.
✓ JCB accepted in all countries and currencies
▪ Meta (Facebook) – Focused on enabling JCB acceptance on Meta Ads for the region and working with Meta APAC office to increase sales in the Japan market. Pilot marketing promotional campaign in Japan, through Rakuten Bank, largest card issuer for Meta Ads spend.
✓ Average monthly sales Rakuten Bank Corporate Debit cardmembers (RBK CD) increased by 2%
✓ Sales per transaction increased 35% by setting minimum spending amount to receive rebates
▪ Amazon – Focused on negotiation of JCB acceptance for the region, starting with Singapore and Malaysia. Coordination between merchant and acquiring partner to ensure smooth deployment of JCB on website and developing project plan with merchant for both system enhancement and marketing partnership.
▪ Disney+ – Focused on negotiation of acceptance for the region (THA, IDN, SGP, IND, MYS, HKG, AUS & NZL), primarily on THA and IDN for the start. Understanding and addressing merchants’ needs and considerations.
▪ Shein – Enablement of JCB visibility on webpages & in-app in the region.
Face-to-Face Merchants/Accounts
➢ Generate new leads, identify and contact decision-makers, carrying out KYC, AML and other compliance checks on merchants
➢ Monitor and evaluate industry trends and customer drivers, and meet regularly with managers and stakeholders to discuss strategy
➢ Develop and implement sales strategy for merchant acquisition to achieve business and revenue goals by pursuing new accounts
➢ Collaborate across different functions such as marketing and externally, acquirers & terminal vendors during proposal process and during & after enablement of acceptance
➢ Preparation of presentations for internal and external management
➢ Operate as the lead point of contact for any and all matters specific to merchants
➢ Maintain business relationships with existing merchants through constant engagement and liaising with merchants on various marketing initiatives
➢ Expansion of JCB contactless acceptance

o Key Accounts, responsibilities & accomplishments
▪ ComfortDelGro Taxi – Successful negotiation to implement JCB contactless acceptance on Singapore’s largest taxi company and worked closely with IT team of CDG during testing phase to ensure smooth rollout of JCB contactless acceptance on 8,800 terminals/taxis.
▪ Starbucks – Management initially rejected JCB acceptance. Managed to convinced merchant to accept JCB after 2-year of negotiation and proposal. Worked with IT team of merchant, acquirers (UOB and NETS) to ensure enablement of JCB acceptance at 140 outlets.
▪ Kering SEA – Negotiated and signed direct merchant agreement with merchant as well as management of account and maintaining relationship with merchant, enabling JCB acceptance at brands such as: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Boucheron and Pomellato
▪ Prada Group – Negotiated and signed direct merchant agreement with merchant as well as management of account and maintaining relationship with merchant, enabling JCB acceptance at brands such as: Prada, Church’s and Miu Miu
▪ Singapore Zoo – Carried out analysis on sales data and presented data & trend of Singapore local attractions to management and convinced merchant to accept JCB.
▪ Sheng Siong and HAO Mart – Negotiated with and convinced 2 of Singapore’s leading supermarket operators on accepting JCB and worked with acquirers to enable JCB acceptance and expanded JCB acceptance to 67 outlets (Sheng Siong) and 35 outlets (HAO)
▪ BATA – Finance Manager initially rejected JCB acceptance. Negotiated with and convinced Singapore’s leading footwear retailer on accepting JCB and worked with acquirer to enable JCB acceptance throughout its 43 outlets
▪ Cross team collaboration:
• Suntec City Mall Campaign – Marketing Team’s led mall wide campaign. Developed and implemented merchant acquiring strategy and project timeline for the team. Achieved and exceeded individual acquiring target by 187% (13) and team target by 33% (5)
• JCB Special Offer – Assisted Customer Service team to negotiated and acquired merchants for JCB Singapore Year-Long Special Offers guide.
New Business Partnership
➢ Conducted analysis of past years data to identify new business opportunities & potential partnership for the purpose of increasing JCB acceptance network through other means
➢ Presented analysis and proposal to both internal stakeholders and potential business partners
➢ Screen potential business opportunities, select deals in line with strategies, and facilitate pitch logistics
➢ Successful negotiation of new business partnership with 1 company which would commence in 1st quarter of 2023
Point-of-sale Materials
➢ Management of JCB POS materials, duties include vendor sourcing, price negotiations, order placement, inventory management through warehouse visits and distribution plans and vendor relationship management
➢ Preparation of usage plans, forecast and distribution plan for financial year
➢ Improve brand visibility and awareness through targeted distribution of marketing POS materials
o Achievement
✓ Launched RFP and consolidated 3 vendors of POS materials into 1 vendor
✓ Annual realised savings of at least SGD $1,230 through pricing negotiation
Merchant Operations
Worked closely with external stakeholders (Wirecard and Acquirers) in managing operations such as but not limited to: Merchant set-up and on-boarding process, while adhering to all risk policies & procedures. Monitoring chargeback and fraud volumes of merchant accounts and ensuring action plans are implemented in reducing risk from particular merchants, resolution of terminal issues by working closely with terminal vendors (Ingenico, Verifone, etc.)

DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS PRACTICE (BUSINESS MANAGEMENT), SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC
APRIL 2018 – SEPTEMBER 2020
GPA: 4.0 out of 4.0 (11 Distinctions and 7 As)
Award: Singapore Polytechnic Graduates' Guild Award (Top in cohort)