President - Retail & eCommerce Distribution

Our client is a rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar, best-in-class end-to-end full-service 3^rd party (retail & e-commerce fulfillment) refrigerated food/beverage logistics company. Promoting cross-functional collaboration, customer communication & excellence in service, flexibility & adaptability, and an aggressive organic and inorganic growth plan, we seek a President, Custom Distribution to provide strategic and execution leadership for the largest and fastest growing BU in the company.

The company has a strong track record of profitability and superior quality and customer retention. The President, Custom Distribution will lead the organization toward continued success and a 2X growth objective in the next five years through the combined organic and inorganic growth initiatives.

Performance Profile....................................................................................................................................................................................

TITLE: President, Custom Distribution (retail & e-commerce fulfillment) (JH18589)

REPORTS TO: CEO

LOCATION:     MidAtlantic

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The President, Custom Distribution will provide strategic direction for the development of overall business thesis, innovation, business development and operations to ensure creative and thematic consistency across all targeted segments of the market.

Anticipate innovation and future direction of the market utilizing external and internal resources and brings the company into the forefront of that trajectory.

Will effectively assess, continuously evaluate, plan and execute against the company’s aggressive growth objectives across the multi-site multi-services line, end to end supply chain services company. He/she is expected to ensure the overall effectiveness and growth of the company’s existing customer base and expanding the company’s sales through new customers and leveraging innovation and best in class service pipelines.

Will be responsible for protecting and employing assets to achieve set targets and creating a culture that embraces empowerment and teamwork while significantly growing revenue (organically and inorganically) and EBITDA through the development and achievement of short and long-term business plans, ensuring financial alignment and results with overall corporate objectives.

Key responsibilities related to revenue generation include: identifying opportunities for growth and removing barriers to growth; interfacing with existing customers to help them grow and identifying new customers to enable rapid growth.

Will maintain, enhance and further develop the company leadership and company workforce.

Ideal Experience:

Required:         General Management from tangential industry lines of service. Must have demonstrated experience driving exponential growth and revenue generation in a rapid growth and lean environment. Must have experience driving innovation and fueling revenue generation. Must have intimate familiarity with commercial food markets and end to end supply chain. Must have clearly demonstrated track record of driving value creation and owning the full P&L.

Preferred:        Private and/or family owned company experience and/or propensity to thrive in a truly entrepreneurial environment and demonstrated ability to create a robust commercial and operations organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

•         Ensure aggressive growth and profitable sales, financial, and operational performance in concert with the corporate mission, strategic plan, and business plan.

•         Works with the Executive Management team to define the corporate Custom distribution strategy.

•         Take a strategic view of the logistics and supply chain landscape, including eCommerce and keeping current with industry best practices and trends.

•         Oversee concept development, strategizing, planning, implementation, and coordinating of initiatives within the Custom Division

•         Manage large vendor contracts, and partner with additional third-party vendors to identify and apply solutions as needed for site experience improvement and operational optimization.

•         Develop an effective strategy for sourcing, evaluating and securing new custom, eCommerce and retail accounts

•         Create and implement plans to achieve long-term strategic goals and objectives that are aligned with company initiatives and future growth.

•         Develops sound, well-thought-through strategies that will meet the company’s objective to provide an unparalleled delivery experience for customers

•         Sets up detailed processes for every aspect of Custom Division service delivery and customer experience – including purchasing, sales, transportation, order processing, packaging, delivery, returns, and any other customer needs.

•         Establish key metrics to monitor performance for team and corporate management.

•         Meet regularly with the CEO, board and other executive leadership to discuss planned versus actual growth, profitability, employee productivity and moral, and other relevant issues.

•         Manage and optimize operational performance related to service delivery, efficient operations and other programs to enhance profitability.

•         Assume functional responsibility for the selection, development, evaluation, compensation, and retention of all team members and direct reports.

•         Build and maintain relationships that guide, motivate and reinforce positive performance of all company team members toward goal accomplishments.

• Seek and provide performance feedback and coaching and develop self and others to improve capabilities in current role to prepare for future roles. 
• Lead by example that demonstrates the core values of company.
• Deliver high-quality service to customers.

Fiscal Responsibility:

• Full P&L responsibility.

Performance Fit:

·         Success as an operating executive who owned, lived and breathed full P&L, and lost sleep over both ends (top line and costs), managed a balance sheet, full business picture including top to top customer engagement.

• 10 + years executive/senior management leadership with knowledge/experience in food/beverage industry. (3^rd party logistics (warehouse/distribution/transportation/fulfillment) in food/beverage preferred)

·         Exceptional organizational management skills with the ability to coach and develop a Custom, Retail and eCommerce team to develop and implement high performing program and strategies.

·         Strong Supply Chain and eCommerce fulfillment management experience in high paced, high demand environments.

• A track record of leading an organization through growth with the ability to plan and manage change.
• Outstanding leadership and team building skills with proven results in sales and operation required.
• Knowledge of and ability to gather, interpret and apply food/beverage industry insights and trends.
• The ability to develop initiatives and project plans, allocate resources, identify potential issues/risks and develop contingency plans.
• Ability to convert general business data and findings into applied, specific information and suggestions that add value to business planning.

·         Ability to efficiently interact with customers, senior leadership, board members. Executive gravitas and presence.

·         Materially improve productivity and predictability through process improvement and by managing staffing with clear and constant forecasting of work flow by process area/function.

·         Relentlessly improve forecasting, expectations, communication, hiring and productivity.

·         Lead Operational Reviews with 3rd Party suppliers and Customers, establishing Service Level Agreements, driving continuous improvements as well as communicating and ensuring flawless business process changes.

·         Experienced in utilizing Labor Management Systems and Warehouse Management Systems.

·         Ability to accommodate flexible schedules to meet the needs of the customer to include overtime, nights, weekends and holidays as required and travel (up to 75%).

Cultural Fit

Ø  Ability to work in a fast-paced, hard-driving culture with a lean structure, demonstrated ability to succeed in and to drive a culture of performance.

Ø  Must have an Entrepreneurial mindset.

Ø  Results driven and execution excellence.

Leadership Fit

Ø  Ability to operate with confidence, conviction, and command skills to effectively engage with, challenge, and work with business leadership and customers.

Ø  Must be accomplished, committed to and passionate about people and talent development.

Ø  Must be a team player to effectively manage people throughout the organization.

Ø  Interpersonal communication skills are critical to provide leadership, influence and motivation with multiple stakeholders.

Ø  High EQ, listening skills and authenticity.

Technical Fit

Ø  Experience with significant new business and customer growth.

Ø  Record of systematic and analytical approaches toward situation analysis evaluation and the development of specific programs that maintain a perspective on long-term goals while attaining short-term objectives.

Ø  Full P&L experience.

Ø  Exponential business growth and transformation accomplishments.

Ø  Experience with M&A preferred.

Ø  Demonstrated analytical, problem solving and negotiation skills.

Ø  Strong strategic thinking and planning skills.

Ø  Relevant education, advanced degree preferred.

Critical Personal Characteristics

Ø  The ability to handle multiple priorities; addressing present concerns while keeping an eye on future opportunities will be critical to this executive’s success.

Ø  Proven ability to quickly establish significant credibility, trust and support within all levels of the organization.

Ø  Ability to generate penetrating business insights, link them to the companies selling proposition and drive strong overall results.

Ø  Execute for results by creating a sense of urgency and make rapid course changes when needed with a strategic mindset.

Ø  Demonstrate strategic agility and business acumen through an ability to develop and implement a business plan, driving strategies and ideas from a keen understanding of customer and operational needs while providing concise direction to the organization to develop and implement profitable solutions.

Ø  High energy and endurance with enough sensibility and sensitivity to carefully convince the organization and create momentum.

Ø  Strong change leader and organization builder with a proven ability to build trust, listen, reflect and create understanding and acceptance throughout the company.

Ø  Brings outstanding influencing skills, the ability to execute plans, be creative and innovative and have the stature and business savvy to be accepted and can create a followership among executives and other key stakeholders across the organization and with customers.

Ø  Excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as customer service and presentation abilities.

Ø  Strong Accountability, Collaboration, Communication and Execution skills 

Key Competencies Required

·         Leadership

·         Drive for Results

·         Business/Financial Acumen

·         Customer/Consumer Focus

·         Strategic Agility

·         Action Oriented

·         People and Talent Development

·         Accuracy and attention to detail

 

Hunt Executive Search Project Team