Head of Commercial Finance Spirits

Title: Head of Commercial Finance - Spirits
Reports to: Finance Director Africa Partner Markets (APM)

About us

With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, Diageo is home to some of the world’s most iconic drinks. From Johnnie Walker and Guinness to Tanqueray, Smirnoff and Don Julio, we craft brands chosen for life’s moments — from everyday connections to landmark celebrations.

Bring your talent, curiosity and ambition, and strive for your personal best alongside people who challenge, support and learn from each other. Together, as one outstanding team, we keep learning, improving and raising the bar for our brands, our business and each other.

Join us and play your part in making life’s moments mean a little more.

About the Function:

Finance at Diageo is about more than the numbers, it’s about shaping the decisions behind them. 

From guiding investment to unlocking growth, this team plays a critical role in how we perform today and how we plan for tomorrow. You’ll work with data, insight and digital tools to influence strategy and help drive a business that operates at global scale. 

It’s a fast-moving environment where no two days are the same, and where you’ll be supported to build your skills, grow your career and make a real impact.  

About the role: 
APM is a Diageo Africa market operating through partner-led businesses under a distribution model. The market covers approximately 20 countries across West, East, Central and North Africa through several strategic partners, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Kenya It is a highly
fragmented business, with varying levels of market maturity and partner capability across the region.
While undergoing business transformation, the market has delivered strong growth and improved cash management, inventory optimisation and partner health while continuing to invest behind future growth.
The current focus has shifted from driving shipments to improving the health of the value chain, strengthening partner profitability and enabling sustainable growth.
To achieve its growth and profitability ambitions, APM needs to transform the way it develops, plans and executes with partners. Commercial Finance plays a critical role in leading the performance agenda, driving sustainable quality growth, strengthening controls and standardising
processes.
The Head of Commercial Finance Spirits (HoCF Spirits) reports directly to the APM Finance Director and has a dotted reporting line to the Commercial Director. The CF team is supported by
Director and has a dotted reporting line to the Commercial Director. The CF team is supported by other finance specialists including the Africa Head of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and
Controls Manager. This role maintains relationships with a range of stakeholders - including Commercial, Marketing, FP&A, Internal Audit, Supply and Strategic Partners.
Responsibilities
The role will lead the performance agenda for APM Spirits and promote Diageo’s best interests across all its markets and strategic partners. The role is a key business partner to the APM
Commercial Leadership Team and Strategic Partners and is responsible for translating commercial strategy into strong financial performance, robust governance and sustainable value creation.

Experience / Skills required: 

Responsibilities include:
1. Drive performance management embedding a strong performance culture, tracking performance against the financial plan (NSV, Operating Profit, Cash) and other critical metrics including market share, partner health and supply chain effectiveness. This entails:
• Owning the end-to-end financial performance narrative for APM Spirits, ensuring risks, opportunities and interventions are clearly understood and acted upon by senior stakeholders
• Managing the performance review, outlook and AOP cycles and improving visibility in the partner-led model
• Proactively driving commercial partners to understand external influences and trends and their impact on current/future performance
• Building capability and driving possibility thinking in commercial discussions, and managing the development of new customer, brand and segment opportunities
• Leading interventions on working capital, overdue debt and creditor management
2. Lead commercial finance partnering across APM Spirits to:
• Drive the commercial performance agenda, including planning, pricing governance, partner/customer negotiation strategy and value-chain optimisation that will secure sustainable, value-creating growth
• Drive effective measurement and evaluation of trade investment and A&P to influence investment prioritosation
• Build stronger partner capability and governance across strategic partners, recognising that partner capability varies considerably across the region
Key Functional capabilities

Commercial Competence and Decision Making
• Ability to drive value through commercial knowledge/insight and understanding of the impact of decisions on the business
• Ability to influence partners and commercial stakeholders in a complex, partner-led operating model where Finance is embedded in commercial decision making
Strategic Analysis and Financial Modelling
• Ability to develop, review and present financial analysis/models to address ongoing investment opportunities
• Ability to create insightful analysis, develop/use pricing and margin tools and be a master in how to use these to create and protect value
• Ability to assess value-chain health, partner profitability, cash generation, OWC, inventory and replenishment dynamics
Business Performance Management
• Ability to transition effectively between both operational detail and strategic goals in reviewing ongoing performance
• Ability to identify and track key underlying performance trends - and assess the potential impact of these on performance commitments
• Ability to lead performance, cash, shipment, depletion and partner governance rhythms across weekly and monthly business cycles
Partner Governance, Reporting and Transformation
• Ability to strengthen partner governance, standardise offline processes and improve reporting quality in a non-SAP environment
• Ability to lead Finance simplification and automation, enabling in-market Finance to focus on business partnering and decision support
business partnering and decision support.

Qualifications and Experience
• Experience in commercial finance (5+ years)
• Qualified Accountant strongly preferred
• Track record of defining and delivering commercially oriented strategies and plans
• Strong financial competence and commercial experience
• Ability to influence critical commercial decisions and collaborate effectively with a cross- functional team
• Able to manage multiple assignments and priorities simultaneously
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.

Recruitment Scam Warning

Protecting candidates is very important to us. All communications regarding your application will come from an email address ending in @diageo.com. In our recruitment process, we'll never ask for money.