REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
The position reports to the President EMEA and has direct leadership responsibility for a team of 12 staff.

OTHER KEY RELATIONSHIPS
This position involves regular interaction with a wide range of stakeholders in the region, in the markets and at the world headquarters level.

COMPANY BACKGROUND/CULTURE
Headquartered in the US, our client is among the 10 largest food companies in the world with worldwide net sales above US$10 billion. The company’s major businesses include cereals, ready made meals, refrigerated dough and pizza, baking products, snacks, dairy products, bakeries and food services.

Our client’s International Division has net sales of more than US$2.8 billion and products are sold in over 130 countries worldwide. The division has enjoyed sharp increases in overall profitability and sales in the last few years. The company has over 30 offices and 20 manufacturing facilities internationally.

The Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA") region is the largest and most profitable within the International division with sales approaching $1 Billion. The EMEA region has over 2,500 employees, including five factories.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
The European Marketing Director is a key member of the European Executive Team which is charged with setting business strategies, developing short & long-term plans for sales, margin and people growth and delivering annual financial goals for a very large, diverse region.

As the Marketing functional leader, the European Marketing Director leads a team responsible for developing brand strategies for the Pan European Brands. This team leads product innovation pipeline development and execution, packaging design and margin management initiatives, while advising and approving market-led communication initiatives.

This position is also responsible for championing marketing training and development, as well as best practice sharing across the region. Specifically, the primary roles and responsibilities will include, amongst others:

• Business Management
• Brand Growth Strategies
• Product Innovation
• Consumer Communication
• Holistic Margin Management
• Team Leadership & Development

CANDIDATE PROFILE
The EMEA Marketing Director will have a track record in marketing, brand building and implementing growth strategies in a well known, international branded consumer goods company. Ideally, this experience has been acquired in more mature European, and in developing markets.

Key to the success are entrepreneurial spirit, cross-functional experience as well as the ability to span the continuum between strategic and hands-on, tactical issues.

It is essential that the new EMEA Marketing Director be recognized for his/her team-, relationship- and value-based leadership style and ability to develop others:

Key requirements:

• Extensive experience in Marketing, preferably in FMCG
• General Management and/or Sales Experience desirable
• Outstanding leadership, strategic, organizational and teamwork skills
• Ability to develop effective professional relationships

Ideally the future incumbent has already gone through a change process from a regional structure to a structure of Business Units.

The individual will have the potential to personally develop beyond this role to roles of increasing responsibility in the organization. It is expected that this individual will be geographically mobile to pursue such opportunities.

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• An MBA from recognized business school strongly preferred.
• Fluency in English. Other languages (French, German, Italian or Spanish) are a definite plus. The ability to integrate a fairly multicultural and diverse team is essential.

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Korn/Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis. Korn/Ferry shall comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in the performance of duties pursuant to this Agreement, including but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state and local anti-discrimination laws to the extent applicable.