Regional Sales Director DACH & CEE
ExternalPrepare for this interview
EliteAI-generated questions, company research, and talking points tailored to this role
About the role
Tate & Lyle is a global provider of distinctive, high-quality ingredients and solutions for the food, beverage and other industries. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the company was founded in 1921 and is considered a global leader in the production and worldwide marketing of industrial and nutritional ingredients. At Tate & Lyle, we are dedicated to making more than extraordinary ingredients. We are a purpose driven company dedicated to transforming lives through the science of food by supporting healthy living, building thriving communities, and caring for our planet. About this role: The Regional Sales Director for DACH & Eastern Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Eastern Europe countries) leads the commercial go-to-market for one of three Europe regional territorial clusters, overseeing a diverse portfolio of direct accounts and distribution partners driving profitable growth across the assigned geography. The role manages a team of Sales Account Managers and Distribution Managers and ensures delivery of tailored customer solutions that align with business priorities. As the commercial leader for the regional cluster, the Regional Sales Director translates strategy into actionable go-to-market plans, manages cluster/sub-region‑level P&L contribution, leads key negotiations, and serves as the primary point of escalation for major customers and distributors. The role also owns the management and optimisation of the portfolio of customers within the cluster by balancing deployment of direct resources and leveraging distribution partnerships, ensuring channel efficiency and customer satisfaction. Success in the role includes developing and leading a high-performance sales team, coaching a solutions and growth mindset, stewarding the culture and behaviours of Tate & Lyle, and navigating successfully across the matrix internally and at the customer face. This is a key leadership role in unlocking the potential in the Tate & Lyle business and crafting the future of food. Accountabilities: Financial: Deliver the Annual Operating Plan for the regional cluster (volume/revenue/margin) Ownership of the sub regional P&L and associated opportunity pipeline metrics Customers: Build and maintain strong relationships with a portfolio of territory-based customer accounts, acting as a primary point of escalation for the sales team Develop and execute comprehensive sales plans to meet and exceed commercial targets for the account portfolio, driving revenue growth, profitability and customer satisfaction Develop strategic account plans to drive revenue growth, profitability and customer satisfaction aligned with company strategy (preferred products / solutions) Own distribution partnerships within the region, to enable productive relationships and outcomes for the customer and the company Drive identification of prospects for accelerating growth Commercial leadership Set commercial goals and performance cadence for the sales team, driving progress toward achieving targets across the region, ensuring alignment with objectives and fostering a collaborative and results-driven culture across the function Contribute to forecasting and budgeting processes, establishment of targets and projections across the region, ensuring accuracy, alignment with objectives and efficient use of resources Analyse account performance and sales data to identify key trends, areas for growth, and strategic / tactical opportunities using data-driven insights to provide recommendations to senior leadership Lead negotiations for complex contracts with key customers, ensuring mutually beneficial agreements are achieved and risks managed Ensure efficient deployment of resources between direct sales and distribution partners Ways of working: Lead and inspire teams of Sales professionals in the pursuit of accelerated revenue growth and customer satisfaction Provide guidance on developing customer-tailored solutions by working closely with cross-functional teams, including Technical Sales, Marketing, Commercial Excellence and Science & Innovation; Role model and champion value selling/consultative selling capabilities Collaborate with teams in other functions such as Customer Service and Marketing to ensure seamless service delivery and the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Work effectively as part of a global matrix structure developing and maintaining strong effective relationships across the teams. About you: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience. Expert knowledge in multiple related specialised fields, disciplines, tools and approaches within the Sales & Account Management function. Advanced communication skills to convey highly complicated and sometimes commercially sensitive information with a diverse audience. Developing short to mid-term (1-3 years) strategies and delivering longer-term strategies (3-5 years) for the Region Able to significantly influence the decision-making for a specific r