Head of Sales EMEA

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for the role, Head of Sales EMEA.

Purpose of the Position

The Head of Sales EMEA leads, develops and transforms the commercial business across a newly defined EMEA region.

The role holds end‐to‐end commercial accountability for a diverse portfolio of markets spanning Europe, the Middle East and Africa, operating through a hybrid model of direct sales organizations and distributor/agent markets. France, Italy and the Benelux and DACH region are excluded from this remit and are managed separately at Group level.

The position is designed as a Regional Business Leader role, responsible not only for sales performance, but for business development, organizational effectiveness and regional transformation.

The overarching purpose of the role is to reset, relaunch and future‐proof the EMEA region, building scalable clusters, unlocking synergies, strengthening distributor governance and establishing a sustainable platform for growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial business across the EMEA region, balancing direct sales offices and distributor‐led markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
• Hold full P&L responsibility for the region, ensuring disciplined revenue management, margin delivery, cost control and effective allocation of investments.
• Drive a regional transformation agenda, including:
• Challenging existing market setups and operating models
• Developing scalable market clusters and synergies
• Resetting priorities, ways of working and governance structures
• Develop and execute regional growth strategies across new markets, channels and business opportunities, aligned with corporate and brand strategy.
• Establish and enforce best‐in‐class distributor and agent governance, ensuring clear performance management, accountability and partnership models.
• Define and implement Go‐to‐Market and channel strategies adapted to heterogeneous market maturities and routes to market.
• Lead, coach and develop a leadership team with a strong focus on indirect leadership, orchestration and performance steering across markets.
• Foster close cross‐functional collaboration with Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance and other central functions to ensure alignment of strategy and execution.
• Act as an entrepreneurial leader and active contributor to the global commercial leadership agenda.

Scope & Leadership Responsibility

• Responsible for a highly diverse EMEA footprint, including:
• UK & Ireland
• Spain
• Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary
• Agent and distributor markets across Southern & Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East and Africa (e.g. Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Isreal, South Africa)
• Lead and develop approximately seven senior direct reports, depending on cluster evolution.
• Manage a shift from high‐touch line management toward regional steering, governance and leadership through influence.
• Operate in an environment characterized by high ambiguity, complexity and transformation requirements.

The Candidate Experience and Professional Qualifications

Experience and professional qualifications required for the role.

• Minimum 7-10 years of international commercial leadership experience in branded consumer goods environments.
• Proven EMEA leadership exposure, ideally across a mix of direct sales organizations and distributor/agent markets.
• Strong track record in business transformation, organizational change and growth initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in distributor governance, channel management and complex regional steering.
• Ability to operate successfully in environments with high complexity, ambiguity and risk.
• Experience balancing turnaround/reset elements with growth and expansion agendas.
• Fluent in English; German preferred; additional European languages an asset.

Personal characteristics

• Performance Enabler.
• Excellent Stakeholder Management skills.
• Collaborative team player and performance driven.
• Structured and ability to prioritize.
• Trustworthy and acts with integrity.
• Proactive, driven and with a genuine interest for people and business.
• Excellent communicational skills.