Country Director (ROI)

Henderson Foodservice Ltd is a multi-award-winning supplier to the foodservice industry in Ireland. Achieving notable accolades such as Investors in People Gold Status and one of Deloitte Best Managed Companies for eleven consecutive years has reinforced how standards and service to staff and customers are of the utmost importance to the Company. Part of the £1.34bn Henderson Group who are one of Northern Ireland’s largest privately owned companies, Henderson Foodservice Ltd has seen significant growth in turnover, staffing, scale of operations and infrastructure, supported by reinvestment and acquisitions. Now a £250m turnover business with a 380 strong workforce, the Company is pursuing a multifaceted growth strategy based on further organic expansion and targeted acquisitions.

As part of this strategy, Henderson Foodservice seeks to appoint a Country Director for the Republic of Ireland to build on the success of the ROI team to date. A new position on the HFL Board, the Country Director will be accountable for developing and leading strategies to drive profitable growth within ROI through maintaining strong relationships with key customers, securing new business and through identifying appropriate acquisition opportunities to further cement the Company’s standing in the sector. Leading and developing the regional sales team, the role holder will collaborate with internal departments including marketing, product management, operations and finance to support growth and execution initiatives. This is a high profile leadership appointment and the successful candidate will represent the Company in the business community, cultivating meaningful stakeholder connections both internally and externally to build on market presence and to further develop the brand.

Applicants should possess the following skills and experience:

• Leadership experience within the ROI FMCG market, preferably with previous experience of working within the Foodservice sector.
• A track record of developing new business from a low or zero-base, including major accounts.
• Strong leadership abilities with a track record of building and managing high-performing sales teams.
• Experience of pitching for sizeable new business and managing mobilisation plans.
• Experience of operating at board level within a commercial organisation and of full responsibility for a company’s P&L performance would be desirable.
• Previous experience in general management of the business operations of a physical site or sites would be desirable but is not essential.
• A customer-centric mindset with a focus on building strong relationships and delivering exceptional service.

This is a rare career opportunity to join a successful, market leading business with a wonderful culture and heritage and to play a key role in further realising its potential in the ROI market.

For further information please contact Ruth McDonald at Narratology Executive Search in confidence. Closing date for applications on Monday 2nd December.