Reserve Accounts Manager at Diageo

Role Dimensions:

Overview

The Diageo Sales vision is to become the best performing most trusted and respected Consumer Packaged Goods in the world and in every market we operate. Our goal is to be ‘winning at the moment of choice’, winning big and beating the competition. This along with putting the consumer at the heart of everything we do, will deliver sustained, mutual growth for our brands, categories, customers and partners. The Reserve Account Manager role is critical in delivering this vision with specific focus to the Diageo range of Luxury (Reserve) brands in the Kenyan market.

Market Complexity

KBL operates in a very competitive environment that has seen the entrance of new players in the total adult beverage category. This necessitates the need for pro-active business approach especially in the upper end market. The nature of competitors is complex with established players operating within a market that has regulatory challenges.

The outlets are more demanding, as they become more profit units vs. social.  There is an emergence of a high end trend leading outlets with the owners investing heavily with global themes and brands to attract A+++ clientele.

With this positioning it requires KBL to step change engagement and investment levels with the outlet owners and also match up the aspiration of the outlets with superior brands and reputation

To try and create focus around Premium Spirits we are focusing our activity across the 2+ top cities and hotspots in Kenya and in 250 TLA and Pacemaker accounts.

Kenya Breweries has set up a Reserve function in Commercial driving consideration with this new role focusing of driving traction with customers mainly targeted in Nairobi. The role will have a support, create and apply model across the other cities in Kenya with the Divisional Key Account Managers and have direct responsibility for targeted 50 TLA and Pacemaker outlets in Nairobi and other top cities.

Given the up weighted focus & search for Luxury execution standards in Africa this role has been created to give “hands on” customer engagement specifically focussed on Reserve brands.  This role will be supported by a Reserve Brand Manager, Reserve Shopper Manager and Reserve Brand Ambassadors.

Financial Complexity

KBL is listed in the NSE and operates within a complex local environment. Financial complexity is driven through the reporting, planning and forecasting requirements of our global shareholder (DIAGEO) along with ensuring compliance with local legislation. In addition, compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley codes of good practice is required due the Diageo listing on the NYSE

The complexity of the market place, with multiple customer segments and routes to market, drives complexity in understanding the creation of value from Retail Selling Price through the P&L. We consistently work to identify and maximise opportunities across the value chain through pricing and promotional strategy across our customer base.

Leadership and Functional

Key Leadership Capabilities:

Leadership Standards

• Shaping The Future : Think in the future, anticipate trends and opportunities.  Bring possibilities to life, demonstrating the ability to move from ideas to action.  Is imaginative in finding solutions to issues and pursuing opportunities for the business. Enable others to imagine the future and be brave to act boldly now. Insists on sufficient data and insights that quickly moves us to action

• Inspiring Through Purpose: Takes ownership for the performance outcomes that the team needs to deliver. Inspires the team to take entrepreneurial  risks, Builds trust and respect in Diageo through open and honest relationships.  Celebrates the successes of the team.

• Winning Through Execution: Demonstrates deep personal accountability for great performance.  Is focused on priorities – demonstrate rigour and brilliant execution.  Has a positive outlook, channelling his/her energy into finding opportunities and solutions even in times of uncertainty and ambiguity.
• Invest In Talent : Builds and coach diverse teams to unlock performance and growth. Create an inclusive culture where everyone can be at their best and instils agility and resilience in our teams

Leadership Responsibilities

This is a customer facing role first and foremost, interacting, negotiating, selling, and jointly planning with customers in developing successful partnerships and business plans.

An essential part of the role will be spearheading the transformation of the Kenya Reserve team to become the best FMCG Account team in Africa. As such, setting high commercial standards whilst showing strong leadership are both vital.

The role is accountable for delivering vs. the commercial agenda within the account channel. It is critical to the success of Diageo’ desire to develop world class account management, leading to the creation of the no. 1 FMCG Key Account team in Kenya. It is also accountable for interpreting and bringing to life the sales and marketing strategy in a simple and powerful way.  Integral to the role is the ability to ensure executional excellence at outlet level across all regions by driving priority brand activities through developing deep and effective activations within the customer base.

Driving the customers’ perspective within Diageo is of great importance, leading to improvements in the development, planning and implementation of the company's brand plans, objectives and strategies.

Critical to the success of this role is the ability to work with other functions (commercial, marketing, supply chain, OTC, distribution,) to ensure there is focus on delivering a cohesive business working toward one goal.

Purpose of Role

To ensure we win in market, now and in the future, Diageo needs inspired, motivated and equipped commercial managers capable of exceeding the goals asked of them.

Customer Engagement

• Own, develop and drive the relationships and commercial agenda with customers – this is a customer facing role
• Develop customer management capability
• Deliver breakthrough business performance within their account base

Executional Excellence

• Identify and manage brand distribution (listing) opportunities as defined for the fiscal for all Reserve brands.
• Event co-ordination: co-ordinate experiential events to build Reserve brands’ equity
• Reserve brand sales driver implementation in defined outlet base.

Account management

• Identify persuasion initiative outlet priorities and drive implementation

Top Accountabilities

Management of profit , NSV  and Market share targets – “own the Reserve numbers” Develop truly world class collaborative customer partnerships and strategies

• Develop and orchestrate end-to-end relationships via a cross functional network within Diageo and the customer base
• Develop and co-ordinate tailored brand activities by channel and major customer – Joint Customer plans.

Drive the highest standards of execution for all specified channels. Contribute to shopper and category insight, resulting in powerful and breakthrough category strategies

• Obtain and apply facts and data, driving excellence in planning, decision making and performance measurement and taking corrective action as required.
• Develop accurate forecasting through demand planning resource

Monitoring, evaluating and advising on Brand/Customer volume, trends and dynamics with objective to grow in line with business ambition. Create, develop and execute world class account plans

Qualifications and Experience Required

Qualifications

• Suitable university degree.
• High cognitive ability

Experience

• 5–8 years’ experience gained across commercial and other functions – cross functional experience an advantage. 
• Exposure across different channels and different levels of customer sophistication (e.g. National Accounts, Key Accounts and Field Sales)
• Track record of success in highly demanding sales organisations (FMCG) and in alcoholic beverages
• Strong knowledge & demonstrated delivery in challenging trading environments; understanding of channel, pricing, negotiations and strategy development
• Exposure resolving numerous conflict-filled situations
• Negotiation and conflict resolution with powerful customers

Skills

Leadership, sound commercial record, networking, influencing, communication, selling skills, planning, negotiating, training and development, performance management, problem solving and analysis and high degree of systems literacy.

Barriers to Success in Role

• Lack of personal drive and self-discipline
• Inability to grasp complexity of market (multiple channels, languages, cultural differences, norms and practices)
• Lack of commercial track record highlighting successes to date (through commercial awareness, creativity and astuteness)
• Inability to influence people across the divisional sales team and leadership team.
• Lack of financial acumen
• Inability to balance multiple priorities and work to a series of tight deadlines.
• Lack of passion for customers, shoppers and categories
• Lack of positive thinking – preventing the ability to create new possibilities
• Lack of technology literacy and interest