Head of Commercial Finance Spirits

Head of Commercial Finance Spirits

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 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.

• Experience and Skills required

• Drive performance management by 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. Manage the performance review, outlook and AOP cycles and improve visibility in the partner-led model. Proactively drive commercial partners to understand external influences and trends and their impact on current and future performance. Build capability and drive possibility thinking in commercial discussions, and manage the development of new customer, brand and segment opportunities. Lead 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 prioritisation. 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 and 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 and models to address ongoing investment opportunities; ability to create insightful analysis, develop or use pricing and margin tools and be adept at using these to create and protect value; ability to assess value-chain health, partner profitability, cash generation, working capital, inventory and replenishment dynamics.

• Business Performance Management: Ability to transition effectively between operational detail and strategic goals in reviewing ongoing performance; ability to identify and track key underlying performance trends and assess the potential impact 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.

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.