Country Head at Syngenta

Role Purpose

• Overall responsibility for the P&L and administration of Kenya Business.
• Responsible for all the aspects of financial and operational performance; Lead the development and execution of business strategy by focusing on the long term interests of the business ,while achieving short term sales targets in order to achieve profitable growth while creating an industry leading and sustainable position for Syngenta.
• Steward external relationships  for the Country/Commercial Unit with local  partners, customers, regulators and industry stakeholders. 
• Pursue new business opportunities & drive execution of sales campaigns and achieve agreed business targets in accordance with the strategies and objectives set for the Commercial Organization.

Main Accountabilities

Achievement of Commercial Targets

• Drives achievement of business targets, Ensures Sales, EBITDA, AR (cashflow) and FuCo targets are met for the commercial unit.
• Lead the definition, review, and approval of integrated commercial frameworks across pricing, marketing, technical, supply chain, and regulatory domains. Direct cross-functional investment decisions to maximize business value creation while ensuring alignment with corporate objectives.
• Lead periodical reviews of commercial terms to reduce credit exposure and optimize payment terms in line with company policy.
• Forecast demand accurately and manage inventory planning for key accounts in liaison with Key Account Managers.
• Drive and achieve zero BDDP year on year performance on all Key Accounts.

Key Account management

• Supervise Key Account Managers to ensure efficient management of all Key accounts.
• Lead and execute strategic account management for designated key customers to drive sustainable business growth and value creation.
• Develop and implement Key account strategies, Key Account plans and business plans to drive business growth while building and maintaining C-level relationships.
• Drive systematic customer engagement and opportunity management through effective utilization of digital analytics and Salesforce, Cropwise and related CRM platforms.

GTM Strategy

• Lead the development and execution of comprehensive country Go-to-Market and Channel Strategies for the to drive sustainable business growth and profitability.
• Develop, lead and drive the yearly budgets preparations for Kenya and the 5 Year Planning process for Kenya.
• Lead and Partner with Marketing and Technical teams to develop and implement effective customer segmentation strategies and campaigns, ensuring appropriate offers are defined and delivered to meet diverse market needs.
• Proactively identify, assess, market trends, and manage business risks and opportunities within key accounts through systematic monitoring of market dynamics, competitive landscape, and customer financial health.
• Develop mitigation strategies for commercial risks while capitalizing on growth opportunities to protect and expand business value.

HSE, Compliance & Ways of Working

• Champion and ensure adherence to Health, Safety & Environmental standards, regulatory compliance, and Syngenta's ethical principles while fostering an inclusive culture of safety-first behavior.
• Demonstrate personal leadership in promoting The Syngenta Group Values, maintaining the highest standards of business conduct, and ensuring all activities comply with company and commercial policies, procedures, and applicable local regulations.
• Actively contribute to a sustainable workplace environment by identifying and mitigating risk while promoting environmental stewardship.

Overarching Accountabilities

• Ensure all relevant Syngenta processes and policies are well understood and implemented by the sales team and where necessary, by customers.
• Promote the Syngenta image, representing the Company with legal autorities,  industrial associations and all relevant institutional entities.
• Actively develop relationships and networks with outside bodies that have major influence on country business e. g external markets for products, international marketing boards etc.

Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & CAPABILITIES

Critical Experience and knowledge

• A bachelor’s degree in Business, Agriculture or Agriculture related disciplines.
• An MBA or other relevant master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum 8 years successful track record in a commercial leadership role within the agricultural and/or related industries.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence diverse groups and motivate them to achieve common goals
• Demonstrated ability to drive projects to completion and proven project management skills
• Ability to multi-task and deal with ambiguity and manage change effectively