Managing Director - Global Travel Retail

Join the Suntory Global Spirits Family!

As a world leader in premium spirits, Suntory Global Spirits inspires the brilliance of life by delivering great consumer experiences through its world-class portfolio of brands. Known for its craftsmanship of premium whiskies, including Jim Beam®, Maker's Mark®, Basil Hayden® and Knob Creek® bourbons; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™; and leading Scotch brands including Teacher's, Laphroaig® and Bowmore®, Suntory Global Spirits also produces leading IMFL brand Oaksmith in India. 

A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in more than 30 countries, one of Suntory Global Spirit's core values is Growing for Good and through its Proof Positive sustainability strategy, the company has committed to ambitious goals and investments to promote environmental sustainability in its operations, ensure the company has a positive impact on the communities where employees live and work, and programs to educate and inform consumers to make the right personal choices about drinking. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. 

For more information, on our brands and commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.suntoryglobalspirits.com and www.drinksmart.com. 

About the role

As a key member and working in full alignment with the International Leadership Team, the Managing Director is responsible for developing and delivering the regional commercial P&L in a defined region. Principally focused on driving a stretch agenda, building our business both with our existing and new customers and supporting and motivating an excellent regional team. Delivering growth ahead of our footprint, this is a ‘hands on’ commercial leadership role which is fully integrated into the delivery of the International business strategy and P&L. 

Our Global Travel Retail Business (GTR) allows brands to engage with consumers in a unique shopping environment, often offering exclusive products and promotions that are not available in domestic markets. The spirits business within GTR is characterized by a trend towards premiumization, where consumers increasingly opt for higher-end products, often as gifts or indulgent purchases during their travels. The GTR channel is crucial for brands to build visibility and engage with consumers in a memorable way, leveraging the unique travel context to enhance brand experiences and drive sales.

PURPOSE:

Achieve #4 Spirits Company for the category by 2030 and build a winning team, through leading strategically and operationally the Global Travel Retail Business unit. Including owning the delivery of the P&L, driving distribution and outperforming our footprint in market share terms. This leader will be fostering the performance and engagement of a geographically dispersed team.

SCOPE:

• Team: 5 direct reports, including two General Managers and a broader team of circa 80 employees sitting across geographies in Asia, Europe, Middle East and the United States.
• Business size of USD 142M with a growth expectation of 10% year on year.

Role Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the BU strategy.
• Lead and direct the BU to beat the Plan (P&L, market share and distribution goals) and outperform the footprint.
• Build the Culture to enable team´s success, through simplifying ways of working, empowering and building accountability across teams. Develop talent and create the right succession plans.
• Develop superior customer and distributor relationships via top-to-top and become a great communicator between the region and the BU. Extensive business travel is required.
• Drive the Innovation agenda in close cooperation with our Marketing Dept.
• Ensure that SGS and all distribution vehicles operate within the appropriate laws and that any concerns are highlighted in a timely manner.
• Note - this role must be based in Singapore

Key Skills Competencies & Experience

• Experience - Strong Experience in the sales, marketing, trade marketing and distribution of beverage alcohol / FMCG. Strong track record of delivering.
• Strategic Vision - Ability to analyze complex business situations, identify patterns, looking ahead into future possibilities to develop comprehensive strategies that align with organizational goals while translating big ambitions into executable plans.
• Transformational Agility - Ability to drive vision, purpose and organizational transformation while managing complexity and resistance and pivoting effectively across different situations, markets, and demands. Leverage change management and effective communications to motivate and engage.
• Decision Making - Ability to navigate complex business challenges and strategic uncertainties by integrating diverse data sources with cross-functional insights, business risk assessment, regulatory and governance standards to make decisive judgments that balance short-term operational needs with long-term organizational resilience and adaptability.
• Execution Excellence - The ability to consistently deliver superior results by translating strategies into action, orchestrating complex initiatives, deploying resources effectively and efficiently and driving accountability for performance while maintaining high operational standards.
• Value Driven Commercial Excellence - Deep understanding of market dynamics and customer needs that connects financial performance to value creation. Expertly manages brands, optimizes P&L, and transforms customer insights into strategies driving both innovation and financial results.
• Driving Innovation - Capacity to drive new product development, business model innovation, and creative problem-solving. Embrace new technologies and seek Kaizen (continuous improvement) mindset.
• Build Culture & Develop Talent - Ability to build inclusive, collaborative cultures while developing strong talent pipelines, fostering continuous learning, and creating sustainable succession plans across organizational boundaries while building inspired teams.
• Collaborative Influence - Ability to create value through strategic relationships while persuading and aligning diverse stakeholders across boundaries to drive outcomes without direct authority. Effectively navigates global/local connections to build meaningful partnerships that deliver shared success.
• Authentic Leadership - Ability to instill trust through honesty ,integrity and authenticity. Be flexible and adaptable, managing ambiguity and learning from both successes and failures. Demonstrate self-awareness and seek new ways to grow.

Note - The location of this role must be based in Singapore.