Japan Commercial Head - Soda Stream

Overview

Lead end-to-end commercial strategy and plans development integrating Demand Acceleration, Trade Marketing, and RGM. Drive sustainable and profitable growth in Japan

Responsibilities

1. Commercial Strategy Development

• Locally create or translate global strategy into locally relevant, executable growth plans through Annual planning (AOP).

2. Trade Marketing & Perfect Store Execution:

• Define and deploy Perfect Store standards. 
• Lead Trade Marketing strategy across 1) Innovation launches, 2) Seasonal activations, and 3) Retailer-specific plans
• Lead category management with key customers with 1) Data-driven recommendations, and 2) Shelf strategy, assortment, and display optimization
• Establish execution governance through scorecards, retail audits and continuous improvement routines.   

3. Revenue Growth Management (RGM) & Value Optimization

• Own Pricing architecture (recommended price, floor price, index vs competition), Promotional strategy (depth, frequency, mechanics) and Trade investment frameworks and ROI governance
• Establish clear commercial guardrails and governance model, including Compliance tracking
• Lead promotion analytics and closed-loop learning.

4. Commercial Planning, Forecasting & S&OP Leadership

• Ensure robust demand planning and forecasting processes, integrated with financial and supply plans
• Co-lead the Japan Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process, ensuring 1) High forecast accuracy, 2) Alignment with supply chain and inventory strategy, and 3) Strong visibility on risks and opportunities

5. Customer Strategy & Channel Development

• Define and lead channel-specific strategies
• Support Sales in delivering best-in-class Joint Business Plans (JBP). 
• Identify and unlock new growth channels and partnerships

6. Commercial Governance & Performance Management

• Establish clear commercial governance routines via IBP and Monthly Business Review (MBR). 

7. Organization & Capability Building: Build and lead a high-performing commercial organization, with strong accountability and ownership

 

Qualifications

Success Measures:

• 1) Net Revenue, 2) Profit, Penetration, 3) CLTV, 4) Plan ROI, 5) Perfect Store compliance and 6) Forecast accuracy.   

Capabilities & Experience

• 10–15 years FMCG / consumer goods leadership across commercial excellence, RGM, trade marketing. 

• Strong track record of owning pricing, promotion and trade investment decisions with measurable impact on growth and margin 

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior stakeholders in matrix environments 

• Deep understanding of Japan retail landscape and shopper behavior 

• Strong financial, analytical and strategic thinking capabilities 
• Japanese Native / English TOEIC 850+

Leadership Profile

• Enterprise mindset with full ownership from strategy to execution and results delivery 

• Builder mentality creating structure, processes and capabilities where none exist 

• Fact-based decision maker combining analytical rigor with strong commercial instinct 

• High execution intensity with ability to operate in ambiguity and drive change