Strategic Accounts Manager – Exports and Duty Free at Diageo

About the Role

Build and grow KBL's export business  by developing priority markets and customers, creating sustainable routes to market, and delivering profitable growth through strong distributor/customer partnerships and excellent commercial execution.

The Strategic Accounts Manager - Exports and Duty Free Business  is responsible for accelerating sustainable and profitable growth of KBL's export business across priority African markets.

The role leads the development and execution of strategic customer and market plans, builds high-value partnerships with distributors and key customers, identifies and unlocks new market opportunities, and develops effective routes to market that expand distribution, availability and market share.

As the primary commercial collaborate with strategic export partners, the role owns customer performance and joint business planning while orchestrating Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Customer Service and other functions to deliver excellent execution and customer service.

The role will also provide leadership, coaching and performance management to outsourced trade teams operating within assigned markets.

Deliver Profitable Commercial Growth

• Own and deliver revenue, volume, gross margin and contribution targets across assigned African export markets and strategic accounts.
• Develop annual and multi-year commercial plans aligned to KBL's export growth ambition across markets.
• Drive profitable portfolio and category growth through the right market, customer, channel, pricing and portfolio choices.
• Monitor performance by market, customer, brand and channel and take timely corrective action where performance is off-track.
• Develop robust forecasts, customer purchase plans and commercial investment requirements.
• Optimise trade investment and promotional expenditure to deliver sustainable returns.

Strategic Account & Distributor Management

• Build trusted, long-term relationships with strategic distributors, wholesalers and customers.
• Develop and execute Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with clear growth priorities, performance measures, investment commitments and governance.
• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, trading terms, payment conditions, minimum order quantities, promotional investment and other contractual arrangements.
• Establish robust customer performance reviews and hold partners accountable for agreed commercial and execution standards.
• Understand customer economics, needs and growth opportunities and translate these into mutually value-accretive plans.
• Drive customer retention, account growth and partner capability.

Market Development & Route to Market

• Identify, evaluate and prioritise new market, customer and channel opportunities across markets and segments.
• Develop market-entry strategies and business cases covering market attractiveness, route-to-market options, portfolio, pricing, economics, investment and risk.
• Identify, evaluate and recommend potential distributors and strategic partners.
• Design and continuously optimise route-to-market models to improve availability, coverage, cost-to-serve and profitability.
• Lead commercial onboarding of new distributors, customers and markets.
• Build a strong pipeline of future growth opportunities beyond existing markets.
• Track competitive activity, category trends, consumer/shopper dynamics and regulatory developments to identify emerging opportunities and threats.

Commercial Execution & Market Performance

• Translate customer and market strategies into clear execution priorities across channels.
• Agree and enforce execution standards covering distribution, availability, visibility, assortment, pricing and activation.
• Work with distributors and trade teams to expand productive coverage and strengthen in-market execution.
• Track execution against agreed KPIs and use market data and insights to identify gaps and drive corrective action.
• Ensure promotions, innovations and commercial initiatives are executed On Time and In Full.
• Measure and evaluate major commercial activities and use findings to continuously improve effectiveness.

Distributor & Trade Team Capability

• Provide leadership, direction, coaching and performance oversight to outsourced trade representatives across assigned markets.
• Translate market and customer priorities into clear individual and team execution objectives.
• Conduct regular market accompaniments and coaching interventions to build selling, execution and commercial capabilities.
• Establish clear performance standards and ensure consistent accountability for results.
• Work with distributor leadership to strengthen organizational capability, sales-force effectiveness and succession within partner organizations.

Cross-Functional Delivery, Governance & Risk

• Lead cross-functional coordination with Supply Chain, Customer Service, Finance, Marketing and other functions to deliver customer commitments.
• Ensure appropriate demand forecasting, product availability, order fulfilment and OTIF performance for strategic export customers.
• Partner with relevant functions to ensure export documentation, customs requirements, Incoterms, freight and regulatory requirements are effectively managed.
• Ensure commercial activities align with applicable customs, taxation, sanctions, duty-free and product regulations.
• Proactively manage customer credit exposure, overdue receivables, commercial claims and other business risks.
• Identify and call out commercial, operational, currency, regulatory and credit risks and ensure appropriate mitigation.
• Maintain strong adherence to internal controls, policies, Code of Business Conduct and audit requirements

Experience / skills required: 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Business, Marketing, International Trade, Supply Chain or related field.
• 5–8 years’ commercial experience in exports, international business, FMCG or consumer goods.
• Tried experience in strategic account/distributor management, commercial negotiation and international trade.
• Strong commercial and financial competence, including forecasting, margin management and performance analysis.
• Strong relationship management and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Solid understanding of export regulations, customs, incoterms and international logistics.
• Fluency in English; additional languages advantageous
• Willingness to travel extensively