Chief Sales Officer - North America

8d2a0f70-fce2-4884-8e67-b54237b33e87•Louisville, KY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Sales Officer leads and advances Heaven Hill's U.S. and Canadian commercial organization, strategy, and execution. The role is responsible for route-to-market strategy and design, distributor and customer relationships, and sales execution to deliver profitable growth and strengthen the company's competitive position across its portfolio. The role translates long-term strategy into disciplined execution and is accountable for the commercial function’s annual revenue, distribution, and business results. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Chief Sales Officer helps set corporate strategy and works across departments to connect brand priorities and consumer and customer needs with sales plans and execution. This is an office position based in Louisville, Kentucky, with regular domestic travel to engage distributor partners, key customers, and Heaven Hill's U.S. commercial organization. The role leads commercial planning and route-to-market strategy; senior distributor, agency, and customer relationships; revenue growth management and commercial capabilities; and the sales organization, including national accounts, talent development, and succession planning. The Chief Sales Officer also contributes to enterprise strategy and represents Heaven Hill with external stakeholders, industry partners, and trade associations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Sales, Market, Business Administration, or a related field.
At least 15 years of senior sales or commercial leadership experience in wine and spirits.
Expertise in commercial strategy, route-to-market models, distributor management, national accounts, customer and channel development, and revenue growth management.
Strong knowledge of the U.S. three-tier system, distributor economics, trade dynamics, and the beverage alcohol market.
Demonstrated history of delivering revenue, profit, and market performance through sound planning, pricing, analytics, and resource allocation.
Track record of leading large, geographically dispersed organizations through clear direction-setting, motivation, and influence.
Experience identifying and developing talent for greater responsibility, leading and developing senior leaders, and creating and executing succession plans.
Strong strategic judgment, executive communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills.
Valid driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Additional consumer packaged goods experience outside beverage alcohol.
Distributor-side experience.

Responsibilities

Lead and evolve commercial planning and route-to-market strategy to strengthen distribution, market coverage, and profitable growth.
Anticipate and respond to distributor changes, emerging channels, retail changes, and changing customer and consumer expectations.
Monitor and evolve the commercial organization, distributor network, and resource allocation in response to market conditions and route-to-market economics.
Lead senior relationships with distributors, control-state agencies, national accounts, and key regional customers, including executive discussions, negotiations, and initiatives.
Evaluate distributor capabilities, economics, market coverage, portfolio priorities, and performance to inform strategy, market plans, and resource allocation.
Drive joint business planning, performance management, and accountability with distributor partners; tailor and adjust plans by market, brand, channel, and opportunity.
Develop customer and channel strategies using segmentation, differentiated coverage models, and customer-specific growth plans.
Partner with Legal and Compliance to ensure commercial practices, distributor arrangements, and customer programs comply with applicable regulations and company policies.
Partner with Finance and Marketing on pricing, promotion, trade investment, revenue and margin management, forecasting, and commercial planning.
Lead commercial planning that connects brand priorities, customer opportunities, distributor strategies, and financial objectives.
Advance the use of AI, data, technology, and insights to strengthen selling capability, decision-making, and investment returns.
Lead the sales organization and translate enterprise and portfolio priorities into market plans and execution standards across field sales, national accounts, sales planning, and support functions.
Develop national accounts capabilities, including strategic account management, customer strategy, coverage models, accountability, and long-term business planning.
Ensure the sales organization evolves in line with company priorities and market conditions.
Partner with Human Resources on talent assessment, leadership development, succession, and commercial organizational planning.
Maintain and enhance a high-performance culture grounded in the Heaven Hill Way of Selling, with clear priorities, shared measures of success, and strong customer and distributor partnerships.
Serve as an active Executive Leadership Team member, contributing to enterprise strategy, financial performance, resource allocation, and short- and long-term priorities.
Partner with Marketing, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Human Resources to align commercial decisions with brand strategy, profitability, talent needs, forecasting, inventory, and customer service.
Represent Heaven Hill with external stakeholders, industry partners, and trade associations.
Occasionally stand, walk, handle or feel objects, use a computer, reach with hands and arms, and lift up to 20 pounds.