Commercial Director – Central Africa at Diageo

Job Requisition ID: JR1101740

Market Complexity:

• SWC covers more than 14 countries across Southern, Central and West Africa. It has statutory presence in 7 countries including two listed companies (Ghana and Seychelles) and one JV (Angola) and oversees manufacturing in four countries.
• It also manages partnerships to manufacture and distribute the Diageo portfolio across around 35 countries in Sub Saharan Africa. It manages a full TBA portfolio: beer, RTD’s (Ready-To-Drinks), local spirits, international spirits and top end luxury spirits.
• The countries’ economies vary significantly and present different levels of opportunity and challenge for business growth as well as language diversity. There is a high level of volatility across the countries and fierce competition within the beer and spirits portfolio given Africa has the largest vibrant and growing LPA -34 consumer base.
• In Diageo Africa context, the margin profile is attractive, with a higher focus on spirits and outsourcing of beer manufacturing. Our extensive and exciting brand portfolio serves consumers across diverse demographics and delivers against consumers’ in-culture premiumisation experiences.
• Our extensive and exciting brand portfolio serves consumers across diverse demographics and occasions and delivers against consumers’ in-culture premiumisation experiences. It is also well-positioned to tap into future trends.
• Distributor and creative partnerships are critical for driving growth for this remit as well as strategic choices to be made on portfolio, production, logistics and route to market.
• Given its scale and margin profile, SWC is critical for the success of Diageo in Africa.  and there is also significant scope of business expansion – new territories, new categories and new routes to market.
• The West and Central form part of SWC and will drive growth through strategic and creative partnerships. The structure of these partnerships will vary depending on the market’s opportunity and strategic choices regarding portfolio, production, logistics, and route to market.
• The role is highly commercial and requires an understanding of end-to-end business and competitors. It manages an in-house team of national account managers, sales effectiveness, route to consumer, brand ambassadors, and third-party partners across Central Africa.

Purpose of Role

• The role is accountable for world-class commercial execution and growing best-in-class commercial capabilities for accelerated growth, including financial growth goals (NSV, Margin, OP, Cash and Market Share) within our Central Africa business.

Top Accountabilities

• Defines the short to long term commercial strategy that will drive sustainable growth for Diageo.
• Ensures commercial execution standards are robust and that revenue growth management and measurement evaluations are embedded in the organisation.
• Leverages consumer, customer and competitor data and insights to drive robust planning and execution strategies.
• Builds and maintains key customer and distributor partnerships to deliver growth.
• Manages all commercial investments, including the governance of distributor, customer and partner investments.
• Ensures world-class commercial processes are in place and drive sound governance and controls.
• Continuously review the organisation to ensure it is fit to deliver on its growth ambitions.
• Ensures plans are in place to drive an inclusive culture and engaged workforce within commercial.
• Build and coach diverse teams and inspire the business to continue to be better to deliver high performance.
• Lead a digital transformation mindset to drive explosive growth, fit-for-purpose digital solutions and E- Commerce

Qualifications, Experience, and Leadership

• 7+ years of experience in Senior commercial roles within multinational in consumer goods companies.
• Track record of managing customers and distributors with different levels of sophistication.
• Formal business qualification is required.

Competencies:

• Strategic thinking – A strategic and visionary leader able to make bold strategic choices that deliver for the short and long term.
• Commercial acumen – An understanding of the business end to end and management of P&L.
• Performance driven – Has an acute focus on performance and results, is highly accountable and determined to win.
• Agile – Demonstrates pace and urgency, responding quickly to emerging threats and opportunities.
• Analytical skills – able to use data and insight to provoke and inspire a different future.
• Influencing – can navigate a matrix organisation and build as well as leverage brilliant relationships internally and externally with customers, distributors, amongst others.
• Personally resilient – able to maintain emotional balance in the face of pressure and high-performance expectation.
• Externally focused – Great external radar and constant evaluation for macro and micro economic, consumer and competitor trends.
• Invest in Talent and culture – Track record of leading large teams and ability to build and nurture high performing and engaged culture.