Head of Commercial Finance Spirits at Diageo

About The Role

• APM is a Diageo Africa market operating through partner-led businesses under a distribution model. The market covers approximately 20 countries across West, East, Central and North Africa through several strategic partners, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Kenya It is a highly fragmented business, with varying levels of market maturity and partner capability across the region.
• While undergoing business transformation, the market has delivered strong growth and improved cash management, inventory optimisation and partner health while continuing to invest behind future growth. 
• The current focus has shifted from driving shipments to improving the health of the value chain, strengthening partner profitability and enabling sustainable growth. 
• To achieve its growth and profitability ambitions, APM needs to transform the way it develops, plans and executes with partners. Commercial Finance plays a critical role in leading the performance agenda, driving sustainable quality growth, strengthening controls and standardising processes.
• The Head of Commercial Finance Spirits (HoCF Spirits) reports directly to the APM Finance Director and has a dotted reporting line to the Commercial Director. The CF team is supported by
• Director and has a dotted reporting line to the Commercial Director. The CF team is supported by other finance specialists including the Africa Head of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and
• Controls Manager. This role maintains relationships with a range of stakeholders - including Commercial, Marketing, FP&A, Internal Audit, Supply and Strategic Partners.

Responsibilities

• The role will lead the performance agenda for APM Spirits and promote Diageo’s best interests across all its markets and strategic partners. The role is a key business partner to the APM
• Commercial Leadership Team and Strategic Partners and is responsible for translating commercial strategy into strong financial performance, robust governance and sustainable value creation.

Responsibilities Include
Experience / Skills required:

• Drive performance management embedding a strong performance culture, tracking performance against the financial plan (NSV, Operating Profit, Cash) and other critical metrics including market share, partner health and supply chain effectiveness. This entails:
• Owning the end-to-end financial performance narrative for APM Spirits, ensuring risks, opportunities and interventions are clearly understood and acted upon by senior stakeholders
• Managing the performance review, outlook and AOP cycles and improving visibility in the partner-led model
• Proactively driving commercial partners to understand external influences and trends and their impact on current/future performance
• Building capability and driving possibility thinking in commercial discussions, and managing the development of new customer, brand and segment opportunities
• Leading interventions on working capital, overdue debt and creditor management
• Lead commercial finance partnering across APM Spirits to:
• Drive the commercial performance agenda, including planning, pricing governance, partner/customer negotiation strategy and value-chain optimisation that will secure sustainable, value-creating growth
• Drive effective measurement and evaluation of trade investment and A&P to influence investment prioritosation
• Build stronger partner capability and governance across strategic partners, recognising that partner capability varies considerably across the region

Key Functional capabilities
Commercial Competence and Decision Making

• Ability to drive value through commercial knowledge/insight and understanding of the impact of decisions on the business
• Ability to influence partners and commercial stakeholders in a complex, partner-led operating model where Finance is embedded in commercial decision making

Strategic Analysis and Financial Modelling

• Ability to develop, review and present financial analysis/models to address ongoing investment opportunities
• Ability to create insightful analysis, develop/use pricing and margin tools and be a master in how to use these to create and protect value
• Ability to assess value-chain health, partner profitability, cash generation, OWC, inventory and replenishment dynamics

Business Performance Management

• Ability to transition effectively between both operational detail and strategic goals in reviewing ongoing performance
• Ability to identify and track key underlying performance trends - and assess the potential impact of these on performance commitments
• Ability to lead performance, cash, shipment, depletion and partner governance rhythms across weekly and monthly business cycles

Partner Governance, Reporting and Transformation

• Ability to strengthen partner governance, standardise offline processes and improve reporting quality in a non-SAP environment
• Ability to lead Finance simplification and automation, enabling in-market Finance to focus on business partnering and decision support business partnering and decision support.

Qualifications And Experience

• Experience in commercial finance (5+ years)
• Qualified Accountant strongly preferred
• Track record of defining and delivering commercially oriented strategies and plans
• Strong financial competence and commercial experience
• Ability to influence critical commercial decisions and collaborate effectively with a cross- functional team
• Able to manage multiple assignments and priorities simultaneously
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.