Commercial Finance Director at Diageo

Purpose of Role

This role will be focused on shaping the marketing and commercial strategy within the Diageo South Africa business in order to consolidate our leading position as the No 1 Spirits company in South Africa.

Market Complexity

Diageo SA operates in a complex, ever changing and extremely exciting market environment. Diageo SA has emerged as the leading spirits business in South Africa facing competition from long established competitors such as Distell and aggressive emerging players such as Pernod Ricard SA and The Really Great Brands Company (RGBC). The liquor market in South Africa operates through multiple customer channels and routes to market. This is to effectively service consumers across an extremely diverse range of socio-economic circumstances, cultural affiliations, and geographical ranges. Our extensive spirits brand portfolio services consumers across our diverse nation and we must continuously strive to keep up with the fast-changing market trends and challenges inherent in that.

Leadership and Functional

LEADERSHIP – as per the “Diageo Leadership Standard

Be authentic

• Stand for what you feel is right and important.
• Do what you say without exception
• Role model the Diageo Values.
• Build and sustain trust with others through real relationships.
• Demonstrate the kind of personal integrity that inspires others.

Create possibilities

• Stand in the future; be active in shaping the destiny of Diageo.
• Turn big dreams into reality; energise and inspire others to deliver the exceptional.
• Be imaginative; enable yourself and others to go beyond the norm.

Bring the Diageo purpose to life

• Show a deep personal commitment to the Diageo purpose and enable others to connect to it personally.
• Be an ambassador for Diageo externally.
• Own the responsible drinking and corporate citizenship agenda.
• Develop the habit of sharing and celebrating success.

Create the conditions for people to succeed

• Provide context to enable others to think, decide and act.
• Build alignment; commit to outstanding teamwork.
• Know your people; invest time in their growth.
• Value and model great people management.
• Make the most of the diversity that people bring

Consistently deliver great performance

• Demonstrate deep personal accountability for great performance.
• Move effectively between strategy and operational detail.
• Demonstrate unwavering accountability for Diageo’s total success – we are ‘one Diageo’.
• Know and be responsive to the external influences on our business.
• Ensure controls are in place to guarantee Diageo’s performance and reputation.
• Stay focused on your priorities – demonstrate rigour and brilliant execute

Grow yourself

• Have humility; be open to learning and ideas from others.
• Demonstrate self-awareness and know your strengths and development needs.
• Commit to grow your own capability and experience to the benefit of yourself, our people and Diageo

Top Accountabilities

To support the Commercial & Marketing Directors and their respective leadership teams in providing rigorous analysis for decision making through business partnership & intelligent application of established tools & techniques.

• Own the development and roll-out of financial processes focused on excellence in pricing strategy and efficiency and effectiveness through A&P management
• Providing financial and commercial input to Investments and Resource allocation decisions, including pre and post evaluation of all major projects and business initiatives.
• Drive the execution and realisation of business strategy - developed in GAME plan, Innovation gates and in recent projects
• Support the development of financially robust Strategic plans for the relevant brands in the Portfolio that will deliver the company objectives
• Serve as the Finance Co-pilot to the Commercial and Marketing Directors and their respective Leadership Teams providing financial advice to ensure sound financial and operational decisions.
• Support strategy definition and implementation, developing and evaluating longer term strategies, forecasts and investment plans.
• Improve, and ensure compliance with internal processes and implement necessary control procedures to ensure achievement of business objectives. Inspire strong cost control and planning discipline to assist in effectively managing costs.
• Act as an internal consultant, creating an open environment in which excellent teamwork with other departments is fostered and which helps to improve procedures and flows of information.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Experience Required

• CA (SA)

Experience

• 12+ years’ experience gained in commercial finance in an FMCG environment (non-negotiable)
• Minimum of 5 years Leadership experience (non-negotiable)
• Experience of financial analysis and modelling techniques, practically
• Applied within a commercial FMCG environment
• Track record of success in highly demanding environment
• In market knowledge – understands the TBA market as well as industry drivers and key performance drivers
• Proven track record of influencing at senior management level
• People leadership experience
• Ability to work autonomously and engage cross-functionally Key Skills
• Strong commercial acumen.
• Inspirational leadership
• Highly numerate, analytical, and interpretive skills
• Provide context to enable others to think, decide and act
• Ability to manage projects, prioritise and work to deadlines
• Ability to move between the big picture and detail
• People management and coaching
• Ability to frame solutions in a complex environment and engage and enrol others with the appropriate context
• Process improvement and change management
• A pragmatic disciplined executor