Head of Sales - Middle East & Africa

Role Summary

The Head of Sales – MEA will be responsible for driving Hershey’s commercial agenda across the Middle East and Africa, with a sharp focus on high-priority markets like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The role will oversee the regional sales team, manage a complex distributor network of over 10 partners, and lead the execution of commercial strategy across all trade channels (Modern Trade, Traditional Trade, E-commerce, and Travel Retail). This is a senior leadership role requiring strong strategic vision, operational excellence, and people leadership to accelerate growth, improve profitability, and enhance Hershey's go-to market execution across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the MEA region’s sales targets, with a strong focus on Saudi Arabia and UAE.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing sales team of 3 direct reports.
• Manage and optimize distributor relationships across 10+ markets, ensuring effective Joint Business Plans (JBPs), forecasting accuracy, and in-market execution.
• Drive channel-specific growth strategies across Modern Trade, Traditional Trade, E-commerce, and emerging formats.
• Lead annual commercial planning, pricing strategy, trade investment allocation, and market prioritization.
• Collaborate closely with marketing, finance, and supply chain to ensure end-to-end business alignment.
• Monitor KPIs, market share, and competitive trends, adjusting plans as needed to deliver performance.
• Champion RTM (Route-to-Market) optimization and margin accretive growth across priority markets.
  
  

Soft Skills & Leadership Traits

• Inspirational leader who develops talent and builds winning teams.
• Collaborative mindset with a strong ability to influence across functions.
• Resilient, agile, and highly adaptable in fast-changing environments.
• Results-driven and highly accountable.
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

• Must have at least 10 years of commercial experience
• Must have at least 2. 5 years of experience in a sales leadership role in FMCG
• Must have people management experience
• Must have Channels Exprience (Modern Trade, Traditional Trade, and E-commerce)
• Must have Distributor Management Experience
• Must have Regional Experience (KSA + Dubai or any Middle East Country)
• Must have FMCG Experience
• Must have Full P&L Accountability
• Must be amenable to a hybrid setup of 3 days a week at the office
• Proven track record in managing multi-market distributor networks in the Middle East and/or Africa.
• Strong experience in managing key accounts and channel development across Modern Trade and Traditional Trade.
• Strategic thinker with a strong bias for action and executional excellence.
• Strong commercial acumen, negotiation skills, and financial understanding.
• Experience working in matrix organizations is a plus.