Director of Sales, Wholesale Distribution

Brunswick Corporation•Mettawa, IL

4d•$132,500 - $196,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Sales, Wholesale is a senior commercial leadership role responsible for the overall performance, structure, and strategic development of Navico Group’s wholesale and distribution sales channel. The role leads, develops, and coaches a team of Key Account Managers (KAMs) who manage Navico Group’s most significant wholesale and distribution partners—accounts characterized by high revenue, high complexity, and high strategic importance. Success in this role requires the ability to build and sustain a best‑in‑class KAM organization, with robust account management discipline, strong governance, and a clear operating cadence. Beyond delivering channel results, the Director of Sales, Wholesale must demonstrate enterprise‑level business acumen, balancing wholesale success with Navico Group’s broader portfolio, brand, and long‑term growth priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field (or equivalent experience).
10+ years related experience in sales management, marine industry customers desired.
Ability to use CRM tools to drill-down into targets, accounts, and sales numbers to assess health of accounts and adherence to sales playbooks and objectives.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word; Power BI a plus.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and drive customer insights.
Proven territory‑management experience, including call planning and pipeline development.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
Solid understanding of basic financial statements.
Strong strategic and day‑to‑day problem‑solving abilities.
Proven track record of driving sales growth with customers.
Strong creative problem‑solving and critical‑thinking abilities.
Flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing markets.

Nice To Haves

MBA or master’s degree preferred.
Experience in forecasting, merchandizing, customer marketing, training is preferred.
Meaningful sales or sales‑management experience in the marine or fishing industry.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a team of Wholesale KAMs responsible for Navico Group’s most critical distribution and wholesale relationships.
Build a high‑performance culture grounded in accountability, strategic thinking, and structured execution.
Ensure KAMs are equipped with the skills, frameworks, and tools required to manage complex, multi‑stakeholder wholesale accounts.
Provide ongoing coaching on strategic selling, financial acumen, negotiation, and executive‑level customer engagement.
Set clear direction and deliver results aligned to business priorities.
Build a high-performing, inclusive team through coaching, feedback and accountability.
Own talent pipelines and succession plans, developing future leaders and critical role successors.
Drive employee engagement, acting on feedback to improve team performance and experience.
Make fair, thoughtful decisions across hiring, development, and performance.
Collaborate across teams (and cross divisionally where relevant) to deliver outcomes and remove silos.
Lead through change with clarity and consistency.
Role model company values in everyday leadership.
Design, implement, and continuously improve a robust Key Account Management framework tailored to the wholesale and distribution environment.
Define clear standards for: Account segmentation and prioritization, Account planning and opportunity mapping, Executive engagement and governance, Forecasting, pipeline management, and performance tracking.
Ensure all KAMs consistently manage accounts in accordance with this structure and operating rhythm.
Personally oversee engagement with Navico Group’s top wholesale and distribution accounts, ensuring appropriate executive‑level involvement.
Lead and/or sponsor Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with top accounts, ensuring: Clear alignment on joint business objectives, Transparent review of performance, trends, and risks, Alignment on portfolio strategy, growth initiatives, and future opportunities.
Ensure QBRs are strategic, data‑driven, and forward‑looking—not tactical status updates.
Define and execute the wholesale sales strategy in alignment with Navico Group’s overall commercial and growth objectives.
Balance short‑term revenue delivery with long‑term value creation, portfolio optimization, and channel health.
Ensure disciplined pricing, margin management, and portfolio mix across wholesale accounts.
Identify and drive new growth opportunities across brands, categories, and customer segments.
Act as a strong enterprise leader who understands and represents the Navico Group perspective, not just wholesale channel interests.
Collaborate closely with: OEM Sales, Business Development, and Retail leadership, Category and Product Management, Marketing and Brand teams, Supply chain, operations, and finance.
Ensure wholesale strategies support broader organizational priorities, brand positioning, and long‑term growth plans.
Establish clear performance metrics and review cadences for KAMs and wholesale accounts.
Drive forecasting accuracy, pipeline quality, and disciplined execution.
Regularly assess account risk, dependency, and concentration, proactively addressing issues.
Provide clear, concise executive reporting on channel performance, opportunities, and risks.