Business Development Officer - Retail

Our Client is a private retail group, backed by two leading international Private Equity.

Headquartered in Italy, they are market leader in their own channel within the dynamic retail sector.

The group has completed a first growth cycle under the leadership of new management and the guidance of a Private Equity; they are now at the beginning of the second growth cycle that is designed with further strong ambitions along with the financial power to expand further and become an international player.

Their engagement so far has been focused on Italy where they have reached a sizeable dimension with over … sales point; they will continue to grow in Italy with additional organic fire power, as well as M&A, and additional channels on top of retail.

International growth will be the next frontier to look at, across Europe.

This will require the onboarding of a Business Development Officer (BDO), to help design and sustain the new ambitions.

Position – The context

The group is undergoing a significant transformation, evolving from the original framework (multiple entrepreneurial single-companies) into a newly designed one-company, with dynamic growth plans and progressive managerial

Position – The role

The role of BDO is brand new, is designed to report to Group CEO and will be at the forefront of two main growth directions:

• Italy – leverage on existing experience, build a rationale for further growth across: 1) retail channel, with additional sales points either owned or in franchise; 2) wholesale channel, to be expanded further; 3) inorganic growth: supporting acquisitions
• International – build a pilot around the first country that has just been opened; understand analogies and differences with respect to other countries, assess market data and trends, provide insightful proposals to the leadership team to build a solid pipeline and roll‑out plan.

This will be realized by shaping a centralised Operating Model to provide comprehensive view of the entire organisation, and help as PMO, equipping the organisation with people and tools to support sustainable growth

A high‑impact role that demands strategic foresight, the ability to navigate multiple projects requiring a diverse mix of levers and relationships across the organisation, while leading a team.

Position – Specific responsibilities

The Business Development Officer will collaborate closely with executive leadership and internal stakeholders to execute the company’s long‑term strategy around concrete streams and goals and deliver sustainable value creation.

ORGANIC GROWTH

Local expansion

This activity requires hands‑on attitude, result focus and effectiveness

• Liase with the development team and leverage the existing knowledge to identify and assess new retail opportunities (target: +50 in the course of 2025); negotiate the deal, address operations, finalise the opening.
• Conduct in‑depth market research and competitive analysis to identify new retail locations on the basis of emerging trends, geographical consumer flows dynamics, geo‑marketing analytics, potential risks
• Prioritize options and target new ones with a business‑driven‑approach both in Italy and abroad
• Expand further the wholesale channel, in Italy

International expansion

This activity requires strategic approach, the definition of milestones & plans, and consistent execution streams

• Connect with Country Head abroad, to assess strategy feasibility in the country.
• Establish key necessary relationships / strategic partnerships in each country to accelerate market entry strategy /
• Create a repeatable growth model around the first pilot, address market / consumer differences to Marketing & Sales to generate insights
• Support local leadership building organisational capabilities on the ground to sustain all operational needs
• Develop data‑driven business cases and strategic recommendations to support high‑level decision‑making, in connection with Finance.
• Monitor industry dynamics and trends, to inform strategic priorities.

INORGANIC GROWTH

• Support the Leadership Team on M&A processes: the M&A end to end is directly managed by the Leadership Team, yet it remains included in the scope with respect to any proactive initiative for the identification of potential business opportunities
• Detect inorganic targets to amplify sales and accelerate business growth
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with all relevant functions (legal, finance, and operational teams) to support post merger activities.

FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

• Work with Finance to perform financial analysis and simulations; this will include revenue projections, expense forecast, cash flow analysis, ROI and integration timelines
• Track and evaluate the performance of completed initiatives, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.

LEADERSHIP AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, providing insights and recommendations on strategic growth opportunities.
• Build and nurture relationships with external relevant stakeholders.
• Act as a mentor and resource for junior team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field (MBA a plus)
• About 15 years’ combined experience in 1) Consulting and Corporate, or 2) Real estate Development, with a focus on Retail
• Result oriented leadership, strong drive and sense of urgency complemented by emotional intelligence to be perceived as a go‑to‑person
• Expertise in financial analysis, well combined with business judgement and market understanding to provide informed decisions to both the development team on one side, and to the leadership on the other.
• Problem‑solving attitude, able to grasp and fix things; proven ability to manage the role with flexibility and adapting to evolving priorities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, to create consensus around common goal; experience in presenting to C‑suite executives and managing diverse stakeholder relationships.
• Fluency in Italian and English.

Location: The role is based in Milan and requires travelling (Italy / abroad)

Please note that only those profiles that meet all client’s requirements will be responded to and contacted. Thank you.