National Key Account Manager – Wholesale

Purpose of the Role:

Responsible for developing, implementing and managing the strategic wholesale account plan at National and Regional levels to deliver sustainable, profitable growth across Modern and Independent Wholesale customers.

This role carries full commercial ownership for the wholesale account portfolio, including delivery of revenue, gross margin, customer profitability, trade investment and agreed financial targets. The role will grow sales, gross profit, market share, distribution and product availability through strong customer partnerships, category-led commercial planning and excellent in-market execution, while supporting Lancewood’s broader Dairy category strategy and objectives.

Key Performance Indicators for this role (but not limited to):

• Manage National and Regional wholesale accounts, ensuring alignment between Lancewood’s business and Dairy category objectives and each customer’s strategy.
• Build and maintain successful commercial relationships with National and Regional wholesale customers to ensure sustainable and profitable growth.
• Own and deliver the full commercial performance of the wholesale portfolio, including revenue, gross margin, net profitability, distribution, trade spend, working capital objectives and return on investment.
• Lead the Regional Wholesale team to deliver regional sales plans, customer execution standards, profitability objectives and service-level outcomes.

Job Summary (but not limited to):

• Build and maintain successful commercial business relationships with wholesale customers and key internal and external stakeholders.
• Formulate customer strategies and deliver annual Joint Business Plans aligned to wholesale channel priorities and the Lancewood Dairy category strategy.
• Negotiate trading terms, rebates, promotional investment, pricing, ranging, space, new product listings and customer-specific growth initiatives.
• Develop comprehensive National and Regional account plans to deliver agreed account, channel and category KPIs annually.
• Analyse and review customer performance, profitability, competitor activity, market trends, category dynamics, shopper needs and consumer preferences to identify growth opportunities and guide data-driven decisions.
• Translate Dairy category priorities into customer-specific range, assortment, pricing, promotional and innovation plans that grow both the customer’s category and Lancewood’s share.
• Identify gaps in product availability, customer coverage and regional distribution, and develop plans to reach new wholesale customers, outlets and market segments.
• Drive the successful launch and distribution of new products, working with Category, Marketing, Trade Marketing and Product Development teams to ensure customer relevance and execution readiness.
• Manage the annual promotional grid and approved trade investment, ensuring alignment to company marketing plans, customer events and perishables seasonality.
• Complete pre- and post-promotion evaluations to measure volume uplift, profitability and return on investment, and apply learnings to future activity.
• Manage customer and account profitability, including gross profit, rebates, claims, promotional spend, debtors and other trade investments, implementing corrective action where required.
• Work closely with customer distribution centres and internal Supply Chain, Demand Planning and Customer Service teams on forecasting, order management, replenishment and service-level improvement.
• Protect product quality and availability by actively managing the perishables value chain, including cold-chain execution, shelf life, stock rotation, freshness, returns and waste.
• Partner with the Channel Manager, Field Sales, Merchandising and Regional Wholesale teams to ensure national agreements are implemented consistently at depots and outlet level.
• Manage, coach and mentor Regional Wholesale Key Account Managers, setting clear objectives, reviewing performance and building customer-management capability.
• Develop an appropriate cross-functional contact strategy for assigned customers, including key stakeholder mapping, engagement frequency and executive business reviews.
• Ensure all trading terms, customer agreements, rebates, pricing decisions and promotional commitments are commercially sound, approved, documented and compliant with internal governance requirements.
• Prepare accurate forecasts, monthly performance reviews, customer presentations and recommendations for senior management.
• Identify commercial, supply, customer concentration and execution risks within the wholesale portfolio and coordinate practical mitigation plans.
• Continuously review customer and internal processes to improve speed, service, cost efficiency and ease of doing business.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Business, Marketing, Commerce or a related field.
• Computer literacy with advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office programmes, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.
• Minimum five years’ relevant Key Account Management experience within an FMCG environment.
• Experience within the dairy or perishable FMCG sector will be strongly advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience managing National Wholesale accounts and negotiating annual trading agreements.
• Experience across Modern and Independent Wholesale customers within the South African route-to-market.
• Proven track record of delivering sales growth, gross profit, distribution, promotional effectiveness and customer profitability.

Role Capabilities:

• Excellent communication skills (both oral and written) and facilitation skills with the ability to work with others to achieve objectives.
• Excellent Management skills whilst adhering to standards, efficiency, effectiveness, and results orientated.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills as well as interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent presentation and report writing skills.
• Excellent commercial acumen.

Personal Capabilities:

• Ability to work effectively within a diverse and cross-functional team environment.
• Customer-focused, commercially driven and results orientated.
• Ability to effectively build relationships.
• Strategic thinker with strong attention to detail and the ability to make sound decisions.
• Proactive, action orientated and able to take initiative.
• Resilient and able to perform effectively in a dynamic, competitive and pressured environment.
• High energy, self-motivated, enthusiastic and passionate.
• High integrity with the ability to build trust and influence without direct authority.
• Excellent leadership skills with the ability to build high impact teams to drive performance.
• Experience in leading and sustaining change effectively.
• Must have a valid driver’s licence and own vehicle.
• Must be willing to travel nationally.