Canada Commercial Director

Perfetti Van Melle•Markham, ON

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Perfetti Van Melle (makers of Mentos, Airheads, Dentyne, Trident and Bubblicious!) is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of confectionery and chewing gum with global brands that are being enjoyed in more than 150 countries worldwide. We’re currently seeking an enthusiastic Canada Commercial Director to join our growing team. The Canada Commercial Director develops and implements a nationwide commercial strategy and vision to achieve sales budgets and margins within the assigned country. The Director manages and is responsible for the full P&L for the country. This role develops and manages a team of internal and external partners to grow Perfetti Van Melle’s brands within the assigned portfolio of current and potential distributors and retailers to achieve the sales objectives of the brands. The Commercial Director will effectively collaborate with internal Group functions, particularly marketing and trade marketing, to ensure that local strategies and plans are aligned with global priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Administration, Marketing, or other Administrative degree. MBA preferred.
10+ years in marketing / commercial leadership
Experienced team builder and demonstrated experience managing external partners/agencies
Strong preference for experience with CPG brands and FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods)
Fluent in English, working knowledge of French (fluent in French a plus)
Strategic Leadership and mind set
Innovative and analytical approaches to solving business problems
Strong written and oral presentations skills
Understanding of consumer insights and ability to apply to business and brands
Financial acumen and P&L management
Negotiating skills
Ability to travel up to 25%, including within Canada, and to USA / global markets as needed

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred.
fluent in French a plus

Responsibilities

Leads nationwide commercial strategy and sales planning (defining annual and monthly sales targets) in the assigned portfolio of current and potential customers to build a winning strategy aimed at accelerating growth within the portfolio.
Manages and develops a brand and insights assistant to build alignment on company values, policies, and sales goals.
Leads the external advertising agency to design and execute a marketing and communications strategy that achieves sales and positioning objectives at a national level, and that is in line with established global brand guidelines established by Group marketing. Ensures that advertising messaging is adapted for local Canadian cultural nuances, including French-language advertising copy for Quebec.
Oversees and drives the best use of resources in each brand's marketing budget to achieve sales targets.
Collaborates with TLS to identify and close new sales opportunities, participating as needed in customer visits to activate new customers.
Oversees customer service processes, directly managed by TLS, to ensure timely and complete delivery of products to key customer base.
Designs aligned customer metrics in conjunction with TLS. Tracks and measures against these metrics, ensuring action plans are implemented to address as needed.
Develops brand strategy and portfolio to address growth targets and unlock new demand. Collaborates with internal partners including Group marketing, P&T, Finance and supplying Operating Companies to ensure that product portfolio is brought to market to deliver profitable growth.