Director, APAC Strategy

Suntory Global Spirits is a world leader in premium spirits with beloved iconic brands, rooted in more than 200 years of heritage and craftsmanship. Our values are deep-rooted, and we aspire to live our purpose to 'Inspire the Brilliance of Life' in everything we do. Our ambition is to become the World's Most Admired Premium Spirits Company. We want to be Most Admired not only for our incredible brands, but also for the brilliant experiences we foster, the ways in which we bring people together, the impactful marketing and innovation we deliver, and for the positive impact we have on the world around us. Known for its craftsmanship of premium whiskies, including Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Basil Hayden and Knob Creek bourbons; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki; Laphroaig and Bowmore, Suntory Global Spirits also produces Roku Gin, Haku Vodka and -196 premix. 

A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in more than 30 countries, one of Suntory Global Spirit's core values is Growing for Good and through its Proof Positive sustainability strategy, the company has committed to ambitious goals and investments to promote environmental sustainability in its operations, ensure the company has a positive impact on the communities where employees live and work, and programs to educate and inform consumers to make the right personal choices about drinking. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information, on our brands and commitment to social responsibility, please visit  and  

We are looking for a high-performing strategy lead at a director level who has a strong aspiration in the drinks sector and wants to turbocharge their professional growth with a hands-on experience in the industry. This position will report to the VP, APAC Strategy, with exposure to senior leaders, including President, APAC, and other regions and functions globally.
 
This position will contribute to high profile APAC Strategy initiatives, through:

•    The development of Suntory Global Spirits mid- long-term strategies for APAC region

•    Design and implement a range of high-profile, cross-functional strategies under APAC that support the growth of the business (e.g. portfolio initiatives, market development strategies etc.)

This role will offer fast-paced work, rich learning and plenty of leadership exposure opportunities through proactively working with VP, APAC Strategy and APAC leadership team.

1)    Manage and lead strategic agenda through closely working with senior stakeholders by defining team priorities, shaping the agenda, and ensuring that project delivery is robust, accurate, and actionable in the context of APAC business with a rapid changing and dynamic external environment taken into account.

2)    Proactively Support VP, APAC Strategy and APAC leadership team through engaging other team members as necessary not only to develop mid- long-term strategies with the design and implementation of a range of high-profile, cross-organizational strategies that support the growth of the business (e.g. portfolio initiatives, market development strategies etc.) but also to make sure the feasibility of strategy execution with highly sophisticated market understanding.

3)    Navigate and delegate other team members on behalf of VP, APAC Strategy, to build and deliver the annual Strategic Planning Cycle (e.g., Strategic Plan, Strategic Priorities etc.) as well as work on the development of executive materials (e.g., Board Decks, ELT rev, Chairman of the Board etc.).

4)    Assist President, APAC and APAC leadership team in proactively supporting requests from senior shareholder such as ELT, especially in strategic areas and accommodating them in a way to have positive impacts within the organization and drive value of stakeholders (consumers, customers, etc).

•    Degree qualified 8+ years of diversified top tier strategy consulting/ "in-house" strategy/ business development experience within APAC region, deep knowledge of Asian markets required.  

•    Proven record of bringing strategy to execution within APAC and driving change

•    Experience in a multinational consumer products business or within spirits industry as well as commercial experience in APAC region or / and in FMCG are highly valuable

•    Advanced proficiency in building executive-level presentations in PowerPoint

•    Outstanding intuition with data, analytics and insights, including advanced Excel modeling skills 

•    Cross Functional and global ways of working with flexibility – Proven experience in working proactively across multiple functions to deliver total business performance solutions, including senior stakeholders' interactions with global scale while keeping consumer / customer oriented mindset and behaviors

•    Good financial (PL, BS, CF), marketing (channel, consumers, brands, ATL/BTL activity) and business fundamentals knowledge (HR, SCM, Legal, Compliance & tax) 

•    International background/ experience, with a passion to work in a multicultural environment, and the ability to work across locations and time-zones is desirable
In addition, the following job competencies are required:

•    Strong problem solving, critical thinking & ability to relay analysis/recommendations in clear, structured way

•    Excellent verbal and written skills to work effectively with internal and external contacts

•    Ability to work at a fast pace, with agility and a continuous improvement mindset

•    Continuous learning attitude and comfort with ambiguity and a hypothesis driven mindset to drive action

•    Team player who strives in a challenging and fast-moving environment.

•    Ability to engage and influence people tasked with delivering planned outcomes. Help drive actions to close gaps and make trade-offs within the region

•    Excellent commercial knowledge and capabilities

•    Ability to use information to identify opportunities for improvement and to drive positive change within the business 

•    Strong planning and time management, able to prioritize a diverse workload and deadlines

•    Tenacity, agility and rigor