APA Go to Market (GTM) Commercial Director (Bread Making)

Purpose:

Lesaffre presence in Asia Pacific has been established for decades. With Asia Pacific regional headquarter based in Singapore, we aim to serve our customers in this region with better engagement and service. Proximity to our customers is one of our core missions. This ensures Lesaffre can collaborate with local bakers to create regional specialties and anticipate trends.

We seek highly dynamic and passionate individuals to explore the opportunity to be part of Lesaffre.

The APA Go-To-Market (GTM) Commercial Director is a strategic leadership role responsible for driving the overall go-to-market strategy and execution across the Asia-Pacific (APA) region. This position is pivotal in aligning the commercial clusters, coordinating innovation and applied marketing initiatives, and managing the Baking Centre to ensure the successful delivery of the regional growth agenda. This role offers an exciting opportunity to lead the go-to-market transformation in the Asia-Pacific region, driving strategic alignment, operational excellence, and innovative solutions to strengthen Lesaffre's competitive position and deliver superior customer value.

The suitable candidate will be a permanent member of the APAC Leadership Team (LT).

GENERAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESPONSIBILITIES

• Write down its personal commitment to safety and communicate it to all managers,
• Define the entity's Safety policy, objectives, and annual action plans,
• Fix Safety targets for management and define their responsibilities,
• Supervise safety investigations (Plant Manager)
• Perform personally safety visits and hold regular reviews,
• Provide technical, human, and financial means to reach the goals set,
• Invest on HSE when necessary (based on Risk Assessment result),
• Ensure all key nonconformities resulted from safety audits (external, internal, and cross audits) are followed and completed,
• Ensure the safety management efficiency (audit program, KPI, monitoring, monthly review)
• Review annually the safety management system,
• Personally follow up HSE action plan,
• Be visible in the workshop frequently to be discussed and exchanged with different levels of employees on safety management,
• Lead the safety committee meetings and follow up on its actions/decisions,
• Create and lead the recognition and sanction programs.

Within Commercial & Sales:

• Respect company rule regarding travel safety,
• Apply our safety rules over and above those of our customers if there are no similar rules (safety shoes, goggles, etc.),
• Apply and respect safe driving rules,
• Make sure all gift or external communication supports are online with “safety spirit” (good for health, safe, environmentally friendly).

Key Responsibilities and Activities

Go-To-Market Strategy and Execution

• Implement and adjust according to markets evolutions the defined APAC strategy.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive go-to-market strategy for the APA region, focusing on market needs anticipation, selection of key trends and opportunities, and coordinating innovation and applied marketing initiatives.

• Ensure the alignment of commercial clusters across APA to the strategy and Go-To-Market (GTM) policies by managing and coordinating their strategic goals, targets, and the deployment of product brands, pricing, and other commercial levers.

• Lead the development of value propositions and go-to-market approaches tailored to the unique needs of each market segment and customer profile

• Monitor the effectiveness and the execution of strategic marketing campaigns and initiatives to drive brand awareness, customer engagement, and market penetration.

• Keep abreast and aware of & closely collaborate with marketing team on market trends, competitive activities, and customer insights to identify new opportunities and inform strategic decision-making.

• Ensure alignment and synergy between the commercial clusters and the overall regional strategy, facilitating the sharing of best practices and the optimization of resources.

• Provide guidance and support to the cluster leaders in developing and implementing their go-to-market plans, addressing any cross-cluster dependencies or conflicts.

• Establish clear performance metrics and KPIs to track the progress and effectiveness of the commercial clusters.

Innovation: Product & Services, Digitalization

• Coordinate the efforts of innovation experts to enhance the go-to-market capabilities across the region.

• Identify and implement best-in-class by leveraging data-driven insights and innovative technologies to improve customer reach and service levels.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, encouraging the commercial teams to explore new channels, business models, and go-to-market approaches.

• Facilitate the sharing of distribution and innovation learnings across the commercial clusters to drive regional synergies.

Stakeholder Management

• Manage the commercial cluster leaders in a matrix reporting structure.
• Develop and manage commercial budgets to achieve financial targets.

• Monitor key performance indicators and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Optimize resource allocation to maximize return on investment.
• Disseminate regular performance reports to senior management.
• Communicate the regional go-to-market strategy and performance to internal and external stakeholders.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide direct leadership to support field teams in their daily activities.
• Mentor and develop team members to enhance their capabilities and performance.
• Create a high-performance culture focused on customer value and business results.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and implement development plans for direct report.

Cross-functional Collaboration: within APAC: Operations and Support Functions, and Group

• Coordinate effectively with the supply chain team to ensure operational excellence.
• Align commercial strategies with production capabilities and logistics requirements.
• Work closely with formulation/R&D and technical teams to develop solutions that meet market needs.
• Facilitate communication between different departments to ensure seamless execution.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred
• Minimum 15 year or more of progressive experience in the food, FMCG, or related industries, with a strong background in marketing and sales.
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful go-to-market strategies in a multi-country, matrix organization
• Demonstrated strategic vision and pragmatic approach to driving business growth
• Excellent team player and self-starter, with a proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally
• Driven by innovation, digitalization, and a customer-centric mindset
• Extensive experience in managing and coordinating cross-functional teams, including sales, marketing, and technical functions
• Deep understanding of distribution channels, innovation trends, and customer engagement strategies in the APA region
• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and align stakeholders at all levels
• Fluency in English; proficiency in one or more regional languages is highly desirable
• Willingness to travel extensively within the APA region

 Key Competencies

• Strategic Mindset: Ability to develop and execute comprehensive go-to-market strategies that drive sustainable growth
• Commercial Acumen: Deep understanding of the food and ingredients industry, customer needs, and competitive dynamics
• Coordination and Collaboration: Skilled at aligning and coordinating cross-functional teams and commercial clusters to achieve regional objectives
• Innovation and Adaptability: Embraces new technologies, business models, and go-to-market approaches to stay ahead of market trends
• Leadership and Talent Development: Inspires and empowers teams to deliver exceptional results, while nurturing the next generation of commercial leaders
• Stakeholder Management: Effectively communicates and builds consensus with internal and external stakeholders at all levels

Lesaffre Values

Know, understand and demonstrate the Lesaffre values of

• TRUST,
• ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
• PASSION,
• HUMILITY, AND
• RESPECT with work colleagues and business partners.