Distributor Markets Director

The Distributor Markets Director - Central Eastern Europe (CEE) reports to CEE Region GM, sits on the CEE Regional Leadership Team, and has one direct report (National Sales Manager, CIS markets). This position can be done from Poland, Romania, Czech, UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy or Greece.

The CEE Distributor Markets Director will develop strong and effective collaborations to lead, manage and partner with our distributors across CEE. They will be responsible managing the P&L of our 6 CIS markets (Azerbaijan, Khazakstan, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, and Uzbekistan), forecasting supply and demand,  budgets and key relationships with distributors and other external parties, seeking opportunities to establish, maintain & grow AA business across CEE. The Distributor Markets Director will need to work closely with EuCan Area Brand leads, Business Excellence, and finance.

Key responsibilities and deliverables:

For CIS distributor markets, the CEE Distributor Markets Director will have accountability for managing P&Ls and maximising brand sales and margin revenue of our CIS markets, through the effective negotiating, management and monitoring of our distributors, ensuring compliance to our policies.  They have responsibility for financial planning for these markets (Plan and LRP) and development of robust strategic marketing plans in collaboration with the distributors. They will also oversee execution of brand activities as per brand plans through our distributor teams in country.  They will set future direction for existing and new products and business opportunities by developing innovative commercial approaches.  

This position will be responsible for the development of value-added services to distributor partners to maximize revenue through these channels. They will need to manage commercial negotiations, performance tracking and identify competitor defence strategies with external partners.

The CEE Distributor Markets Director will oversee launch planning for CIS countries contributing with other key stakeholders (Area Brand Leads, Trade and Pricing, Med Affairs, Supply Chain, etc) to maximize the preparation process.

Working closely with internal stakeholders, the CEE Distributor Markets Director will provide appropriate input to the development and adaptation of strategies and programmes which meet the needs of CIS markets, and take accountability for dissemination and alignment with each market.

In addition the CEE Distributor Markets Director will be accountable for providing strategic guidance and support to CEE region in order to identify new growth opportunities which involve distributors across CEE. The CEE Distributor Markets Director will be responsible for establishing, managing and growing external strategic distribution partnerships that will benefit CEE region.

Overview of Responsibilities:

• Establish, manage & grow distributor partnerships which benefit AA and CEE  Region
• Set future direction for existing and new products and business opportunities with internal and external partners including channel management partners, clinic chains, pharmacy channels, and other customer segments
• Lead and coordinate with internal stakeholders on Finance, RA, Logistics, Compliance and Medical to manage external collaborations while building the company brand with external stakeholders to shape and grow the market.
• Work with internal/external partners closely to uncover and share industry insights, dynamics trends etc. and to develop appropriate strategies/ programmes to capitalise on opportunities

• Maintain the organisation's institutional memory by creating a shared knowledge portal and repository of distributor partnership collaborations and best practices.
• Provide CIS market insights into EuCan and International brand teams to enable development of robust international brand and tactical plans that will support the needs of CIS markets
• Work in close collaboration with EuCan brand leads, and Business Excellence to ensure full consistency and alignment with international strategy as appropriate for any external collaboration or partnership
• For external collaborations and partnerships, implement and monitor commercial and marketing governance processes to ensure consistent messaging and adherence to brand standards
• Conduct regular Commercial Operations Reviews with external distributor partners to ensure alignment of commercial and  marketing strategies with tactics and ensure effective execution
• Identify opportunities to develop and leverage digital marketing competencies with CIS markets and external partners
• Support the implementation of processes, tools, metrics, initiatives, infrastructure and technology that will support and improve operations in identified CIS markets.
• Coordinate CIS market approach for new product launch excellence, fully aligned with EuCan and IMCO. This includes supporting CIS distributors in their management of current brands/ indications, launch preparation and assessment of launch readiness for late stage products/indications.
• Lead the implementation of Launch Excellence initiatives for identified markets and conduct Launch Readiness reviews for priority programmes.
• Actively contribute to support CEE Region’s brand planning process for agreed markets to ensure timely and high quality execution.
• Be accountable for the financial planning (Finance plans, updates and long range plans) for distributor markets in CEE region
• Own the P&L and maximise brand sales and margin revenue, through the effective management and execution of brand activities as per brand plans thereby supporting achievement of the CEE region business targets for identified distributor markets
• In partnership with the CEE  Region GM identify risks to budget achievement and propose solutions where appropriate
• Create & lead ad-hoc strategic projects & processes to support local top line and bottom line growth including holding budget responsibility for these for existing and newly identified distributor markets.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, or a related field; Master's degree preferred
• Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in a senior commercial role, preferably in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry
• Experience in managing distributor partnerships and working with external partners, preferably in the CEE region
• Proven track record of successfully managing P&Ls, maximizing brand sales and margin revenue, and achieving business targets

Language and Cultural Competence:

• Fluent in English and proficiency in other languages spoken in the CEE region is highly advantageous
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively in a diverse and multicultural environment

Travel:

• Willingness to travel within the CEE region and occasionally internationally as required for business needs

AbbVie is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion.  It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.