Nicoleta Cristina Balan

Led pricing execution and sales operations across multiple channels to enhance market competitiveness.

Supports revenue growth by optimizing pricing processes, improving sales efficiency, and enabling cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Finance, Category and Product teams.

Developed pricing frameworks, operational metrics, and governance processes to align with business objectives and drive continuous improvement.

Manage pricing models, frameworks, governance processes and approval flows

• Support Sales with competitive pricing strategies, commercial insights and business recommendations
• Streamlined sales operations, enhancing cycle times and customer experience through improved processes.
• Monitor KPIs, performance metrics and business analytics to support data-driven decision making
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on launches, promotions, and strategy
• Lead, coach and develop a sales operations team while supporting engagement, growth and performance
• Key responsibilities:

Supported development of automation and AI-driven solutions in HP's Innovation Lab, enhancing operational efficiency and employee experience.

Identify and evaluate opportunities for automation and process optimization.

Collaborated with business stakeholders to identify process improvement opportunities, define business requirements, and prioritise initiatives that deliver measurable value.

• Gather and translate business requirements into actionable development priorities.
• Collaborate with technical teams during solution design, testing and implementation phases.
• Support adoption of digital tools and capabilities across operational teams.
• Contribute to innovation initiatives focused on reducing manual effort, improving productivity and enhancing user experience.
• Partner with stakeholders to ensure solutions align with business objectives and operational needs.
• Active member of the VIA Employee Experience team, contributing to initiatives focused on employee engagement, workplace experience and organizational effectiveness.
• Key Responsibilities:

As the EMEA Poly Pricing Lead at HP, I am responsible for ensuring the pricing process is adhered to across the region, collaborating closely with the category team to align pricing strategies with business goals.

Ensure the pricing process is followed across all teams within EMEA.

Coordinate the pricing process with the category team to align with business objectives.

Implement and manage pricing promotions across the EMEA region.

Implemented pricing promotions across EMEA and provided training and support to category team on pricing process.

• Provide training and support to the category team on pricing processes and best practices.
• Monitor and report on pricing information and profit margin performance to meet profitability targets.
• Handled reporting of pricing information and profit margin analysis, ensuring targets met.
• Act as the first point of contact for escalations related to pricing issues.
• Acted as first point of contact for escalations, resolving pricing-related issues and concerns efficiently.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize pricing strategies and initiatives.
• Continuously evaluate and improve pricing processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
• This role plays a critical part in ensuring HP's pricing strategy across the EMEA region is optimized for profitability, process compliance, and quick resolution of escalated pricing matters.
• This role plays a critical part in ensuring HP's pricing strategy across the EMEA region is optimized for profitability, process compliance, and quick resolution of escalated pricing matters.

Provided supervisory support for the UK&Ire Special Pricing Bid Desk. accountable for the UK&Ire Special Pricing Bid Desk and Integrated Quoting for HP partners.

• Acted as the primary contact for escalations within UK&IRE.
• Processing pricing escalations received from partners; ensuring TATs are met and pricing received is correct.
• Maintained operational excellence and addressed customer satisfaction issues to enhance service delivery.
• Workload allocation and prioritisation of urgent requests.
• Handling tool and pricing related queries received from partners and sales representatives.
• Coordinated activities across UK&IRE cluster to ensure alignment with organisational goals.
• Regular meetings to discuss overall performance, improvement areas and process change.
• Conducted training sessions for new team members to streamline onboarding process and improve team integration.
• Conducted partner survey calls; participated in weekly KPI calls for the supported countries.
• Logging in IT tickets, doing basic tool troubleshooting and following up for a resolution.
• Conducted training sessions for new team members to streamline onboarding process and improve team integration.

• Manage pricing analysis and authorisation on special pricing requests for EMEA region.
• Work together with business analysts and pricing managers for the implementation of process changes.
• Supported implementation of solutions and process changes benefiting team and cross-departments.
• Prioritised daily workflows and addressed sales-related enquiries to ensure timely responses.
• Run monthly team level and individual scorecards for turnaround time, volumes, accuracy, and provide them to the Supervisor.
• Complete monthly quality checks on accuracy for all team members.
• Provide training and process documentation for entry level team members.
• Assessed performance of employees through regular evaluations.
• Participated in recruitment and contributed to team and individual development initiatives.
• Answer customers' questions regarding products, prices and availability.

• Processed pricing requests and payments for HP partners across EMEA, ensuring timely fulfilment and accuracy.
• Authorized and released pricing quotations for the commercial and retail channel.
• Made sure that prices, discounts and necessary approvals are audit compliant.
• Met agreed service level agreement targets.
• Consulted on and implemented process improvements for UK and Ireland operations, enhancing overall workflow efficiency.
• Worked together with the business process experts in order to find process improvement ideas and implement them within the team.
• Supported sales teams in resolving complex cases for partners and customers, contributing to improved satisfaction and retention.

• Built and maintained relationships with prospective and existing customers, driving customer acquisition efforts.

• Contributed to achieving sales objectives through effective customer engagement and service support

• Promoted company products and services, enhancing customer experience and ensuring adherence to company standards.

• Monitored customer requests throughout the service activation process, ensuring timely follow-up and issue resolution.

• Prepared sales activity reports and updated local management on customer requests, service demand, and market feedback.