Head of Consumer-Maghreb & WAF

Our Company:

Tokyo-based Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest manufacturer of tires and other rubber products. We employ over 140,000 people around the world, operate 3 technical centers and 178 manufacturing plants and sell products in more than 150 countries. "Serving Society with Superior Quality” has been our mission since Shojiro Ishibashi founded Bridgestone in 1931 and we look for individuals who share our passion to fulfill this mission.

Bridgestone Middle East & Africa (BSMEA) operates from locations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Ivory Coast. From these locations BSMEA covers 68 markets through 80 partners.

Role Summary:

As the Head of Consumer for Maghreb and WA markets at Bridgestone Middle East & Africa (BSMEA), you will play a pivotal role in driving revenue growth and enhancing our partners' capabilities within the MEA region. Reporting to the Branch Manager Maghreb & West Africa of BSMEA, your key responsibilities include:

• Market Management: Take ownership of key markets in Maghreb and WAF to strategically grow revenue and foster the development of our partners. Understand the market dynamics and identify growth opportunities to achieve business objectives.
• Sales and Marketing Strategy: Develop and implement comprehensive sales and marketing plans in close collaboration with our partners. Ensure these plans are aligned with the overall BSMEA strategy and ambition to effectively penetrate the Maghreb and WAF markets.
• Sales Performance Management: Be accountable for overall sales performance in the assigned markets. Manage relationships with senior management and sales teams within our partner organizations, including key fleets, dealers, and OEMs, to drive sales growth.
• Profitability Optimization: Advocate for and define the optimal product range and mix to maximize profitability for both BSMEA and its partners. Propose the correct price positioning, deploy services, and implement the latest digital tools and consumer solutions, including "Total Tyre Care," to achieve organizational targets.
• Sell Out Volumes and Market Intelligence: Lead initiatives to ensure desired sell-out volumes by collaborating with colleagues in marketing, supply chain, and technical departments. Deliver timely and accurate market intelligence to support informed decision-making and strategy formulation.

• Team Leadership: Lead and manage a team responsible for consumer operations in theMaghreb and WAF markets. Provide guidance, support, and mentorship to ensure the team's effectiveness and drive their professional growth.
• Partner Relationship Management: Nurture and maintain strong relationships with our channel partners and distributors. Foster collaboration and open communication to facilitate successful business operations and achieve mutual goals.
• Premium Position and Contractual Frameworks: Uphold Bridgestone's premium position in the market while ensuring compliance with the company's Code of Conduct. Oversee the correct execution and maintenance of contractual frameworks with partners to ensure transparent and sustainable partnerships.
• Annual Business Plans: Collaborate with our partners to develop comprehensive annual business plans that align with BSMEA's objectives. These plans should encompass strategies and tactics tailored to suit the unique characteristics of the Maghreb and WAF markets.
• Approaches to Market: Innovate and enhance approaches to the market within your assigned region. Leverage your market insights and expertise to explore new opportunities and address challenges effectively.
• Face-to-Face Selling and Channel Management: Engage in face-to-face selling activities with various products, services, and solutions to end customers through intermediaries such as distributors and re-sellers (channels). This includes selling to new channel partners/distributors, cross-selling/up-selling to existing ones and maintaining and expanding relationships with distributing organizations.
• The role will also be responsible for Account Receivables (AR).

As the Head of Consumer, you will have a significant impact on the growth and success of Maghreb and WAF markets. Your leadership, strategic vision, and effective partner management will be instrumental in driving revenue growth and enhancing the company's position in the region.

Role Requirements:

Degree qualified, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience within the tyre industry, you will have a track record of successful consumer development.  With the ability to foster long- term collaborative relationships with both our partners and colleagues, you will thrive within a multicultural matrix environment working across diverse markets.

• Implement business strategies to achieve profitable business relationships and identify new revenue opportunities with major accounts.
• Setting Sales and Marketing plans
• Execution of strategic action plans
• Knowledge of market channels/ competition / pricing and the product.
• Manage client relationship with distributors.
• Key Account Management
• Optimize Profitability for the Distributor and BSMEA
• Interaction with supply chain to achieve smooth flow of supply (Over 500 SKU’s)
• Reporting and managing daily operational issues
• Contribute to SBU market share and profitability and ensure Bridgestone/ Firestone and secondary brand presence across all markets.
• Market intelligence and performance review of distributors.
• 70% of the time interacting with the Channels/ Mix / Fleets and key decision makers
• Internal coordination towards further enhancement of stock optimization.
• Coordinate with distributor in conducting effective and timely promotions and management of effective utilization of marketing funds.
• Drive business towards long term solution contracts.
• Promote Digitalization.
• Fluency in English
• Arabic & French would be an advantage.

Bridgestone Behaviors:

Qualified candidates need to demonstrate the following behaviors:

• Agility – to work in a matrix, complex and fast paced environment.
• Courage – to share ideas, challenge the status quo.
• Ownership – to see the bigger picture and take ownership by thinking and acting beyond the role (self-starter).

Bridgestone Leadership Essence:

Qualified candidates for this important position will therefore need to demonstrate the following:

• Establishes strategic direction and effectively communicates the vision: Communicates a clear and inspiring vision for the business; drives competitive and innovative strategies and is able to generate alignment against the strategic direction.
• Demonstrates business acumen to achieve results through others:  Understands, educates and applies the fundamental business concepts by which a company operates in order to deliver results and create a climate that fosters personal commitment to excellence.
• Promotes and enhances company culture:  Champions the organization’s shared values and beliefs.
• Effectively manages across cultures: Achieves effective collaboration, alignment, and communication across multiple dimensions of cultural diversity.
• Demonstrates self-awareness and emotional intelligence:  Recognizes one’s personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and limits.  Understands emotions and their effects.
• Intellectually curious in support of learning agility:  Actively identifies new areas for learning; regularly creates and takes advantage of learning opportunities; uses newly gained knowledge and skill on the job and learns through their application.
• Embraces and leads change and innovation:  Encourages different and innovative approaches to address problems and opportunities; facilitates the implementation and acceptance of change within the organization.
• Identifies and develops organizational talent:  Attracts high calibre diverse talent, leads and guides others to accomplish organizational goals and objectives through on-going development and collaboration.