Commercial Director, Distribution

About the role

• The role is responsible for commercial strategy and targets for the distribution aspect of the Gourmet business domain in the Japanese market. This includes devising and executing the sales strategy, in alignment with regional/ global strategy and priorities, as well as leading a team of sales professionals towards delivering the sales volume and financial business objectives.  A strong focus on route -to-market strategy optimization and execution, including developing distributor networks and strategic partnerships is expected from this role. This role is charged with bringing a step change to our Gourmet business model.
• The role will be part of the market leadership team, and play an integral part in devising and driving the market’s commercial growth strategy.  

Key responsibilities include

• Develop, own and execute the strategic plan for achieving the business targets for the Distribution business including maximizing volumes, margins and profitability;
• Ensure that critical and strategic business drivers are known and understood within commercial and other relevant teams, to maximize sales potential in the area of responsibility
• Strategic considerations for optimal RTM of imported brands and overall distribution approach in Japan for mass premium and super premium segments
• Develop and expand  customers and market segments
• Nurture and maintain new and existing customer relationships as well as relationships with partners
• Identify business opportunities to enhance distribution in both existing and new areas, optimizing sales and product exposure while monitoring competitor activities
• Consideration and implementation of optimal pricing strategies for each product brand.
• Manage the planning of resources (budget, forecast, manpower, etc.), oversee budgetary controls and manage expenses
• Manage, coach and guide team members to enable their commercial performance, including through managing targets and sales processes, building capabilities, performance management, sales meetings, regular commercial reviews, etc
• Collect, analyze and assess market intelligence to devise relevant strategic and operational plans and maximize business opportunities; including e-commerce, and ensure relevant trends and information are communicated to appropriate functions/ internal stakeholders
• Provide ongoing analysis of sales performance metrics against budgeted objectives such as market share, margin, revenue growth, and profitability; measure and assess the effectiveness of overall commercial activities and update business plans accordingly
• Build and develop strong relationships with global/regional/local internal stakeholders to have a clear understanding of critical priorities and objectives and establish action plans that translate into business opportunities
• Be a part of the Market Leadership team and will be responsible for all company-wide agendas

About you

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Business Commercial subject or Food technologist or equivalent (Master's degree preferred)
• 12 to 15+ years of relevant experience in a commercial B2B environment, preferably in a multinational company in the food industry or FMCG; knowledge and experience of the chocolate industry is a plus
• Demonstrated track record in strategically developing new customers, new products and new market segments while maximizing volumes, sales margins and customer profitability, and managing end-to-end processes.
• Commercially astute with strong business sense and excellent problem-solving / analytical skills
• Excellent critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills.
• Fluent in Business English; Native level Japanese
• IT Skills in the MS Office and Google Suite