VP Middle East Africa & South America, Fiber Foodservice at Huhtamaki

VICE PRESIDENT, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA (MEASA), FIBER FOODSERVICE EAO

Fiber Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania (EAO) business segment offers high quality molded fiber and paperboard packaging for fresh food and beverages across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East and Africa. We serve quick service and fast casual restaurants, coffee shops and vending operators as well as egg, fruit and vegetable producers. The segment has a turnover of €1.5 billion (2022). The business has about 6,100 employees and 31 manufacturing sites across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East and Africa.

We are looking for an experienced leader for our growing Fiber and Foodservice business across Middle East, Africa, and South America in alignment with Huhtamaki Group strategic goals. The role is responsible for profitable growth and running efficient operations with the General Managers of our five Market Units in MEASA – East Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa (two JV Market Units), Sub Saharan Africa and South America. The region includes 9 Manufacturing Sites located in Turkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Brazil.

The role reports to President, Fiber Foodservice EAO and is based close to one of our Manufacturing Sites in the region.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The purpose of the role is to lead our Fiber and Foodservice business in the region with full profit and loss accountability. The position holder creates, manages, and implements strategies and leads the organization to deliver commercial, operational, and financial targets for the region.

• Establishing and implementing a 3–5-year strategy designed to maximize growth and financial value of the market
• Maintaining effective market insight and customer relationships to ensure market protection, sustainable innovation and growth and improved performance for Huhtamaki
• Supporting Key Account Management and customer intimacy both with Global and Local Accounts
• Promoting innovation and development of new products and markets
• Running efficient operations and optimized supply-chain in the market, including manufacturing, warehousing, employee health and safety, quality, and productivity
• Introducing Integrated Business Planning (IBP) in the core of the operating model
• Managing financial performance, budgeting, and monthly reporting to segment leadership with Finance teams
• Building a high-performance culture grounded in the company values Care, Dare and Deliver
• Providing leadership to region’s commercial, operations and support functions, effectively influencing other functional areas where needed
• Ensuring world class health and safety practices and procedures
• Ensuring sustainable talent supply, performance, development, and engagement
• Driving continuous improvement
• Ensuring that Huhtamaki values, ethical standards and legal compliance is followed and adhered to across whole organization and in all activities, and the company's interests are protected by developing relations and representation with industry bodies and contacts

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS AND QUALIFICATIONS

This role requires both commercial and operational excellence as well as strong leadership and change management skills. The role works closely with the leaders in the Market Units and our Joint Venture partners, and in close collaboration with segment and Group functions to achieve our strategic goals.

• Subject matter expertise – international experience in packaging or similar industry in a general management capacity, preferably experience in FMCG or Foodservice companies, commercial roles, and good understanding of the MEA markets
• Strategic capability – ability to create successful business strategies for various product categories and new technologies
• Business acumen – proven track record of true P&L responsibility, leading a business and achieving results
• Business development – experience in developing business in mature markets as well as bringing expertise to drive operational excellence
• Change agility – thriving in a complex environment and having previous experience on successfully leading transformation and change
• Collaboration – ability to build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, comfortable working in a matrix environment with strong stakeholder management skills
• Communication – excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Leadership – proven track record of leading and engaging people and developing effective teams
• Courage – to make difficult decisions when necessary
• Accountability – proven track record of achieving results, delivering on plans and implementing sustainable strategies leading to improved organizational performance
• Proactiveness – continuously finding solutions to various challenges, improving our ways of working
• Analytics – ability to analyze data and details supporting decisions
• Values – alignment with Huhtamaki’s passion for caring about food, people and the planet