Managing Director South Europe F&B - Spanish Fluent

• High‑Impact Strategic Leadership Role.
• Drive regional growth and full business performance across Southern Europe.

About Our Client

Leading international company across the food value chain with a strong heritage and a well‑established reputation for premium quality. Privately owned and guided by long‑term vision and strong values, the organisation combines entrepreneurial spirit with a global mindset, focusing on sustainable growth, operational excellence, and people development across its markets.

Job Description

The Managing Director Southern Europe is responsible for defining and executing the overall regional strategy, ensuring sustainable growth and full financial performance across multiple markets within the Food Industry.

With full P&L accountability, the Managing Director plays a critical role in shaping and delivering the commercial strategy, overseeing key account development, and ensuring strong cross-functional collaboration across Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Operations.

The role requires a strong hands‑on leadership approach, combining high-level strategic vision with close proximity to customers, teams, and market dynamics. A key focus is the continuous development of the regional organisation, fostering a high‑performance culture and building future leadership capabilities.

Core responsibilities include optimising the regional structure, strengthening governance and processes, and ensuring effective execution of commercial and operational plans in line with company strategy.

• Define and execute the regional strategy, ensuring alignment with Group objectives and long‑term growth ambitions
• Take full ownership of the P&L, ensuring achievement of Net Turnover, EBITDA, and cash flow targets
• Lead and develop the commercial strategy across the Food Industry segment, including key account management and business development
• Strengthen relationships with major industrial customers and strategic partners across the region
• Drive identification and delivery of new business opportunities, including product expansion and market development initiatives
• Oversee commercial policies, pricing strategies, and key contract negotiations in line with company guidelines
• Monitor business performance through KPIs and implement corrective actions where required
• Lead budgeting and forecasting processes, ensuring alignment between strategic objectives and financial planning
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing regional organisation, including talent acquisition, coaching, and succession planning
• Promote strong cross-functional collaboration with Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and other corporate functions
• Ensure effective organisational structure, governance, and ways of working across the region
• Drive operational excellence, ensuring compliance with internal policies, quality standards, and regulatory requirements
• Maintain strong market and competitive intelligence to support data-driven decision making
• Support strategic initiatives such as transformation programs and potential M&A activities within the region

The Successful Applicant

A successful Managing Director should have:

• Proven experience in senior leadership or General Management roles within the Food Industry, ideally in manufacturing/production environments
• Strong track record in managing full P&L and driving business growth in complex, multi-market environments
• Deep understanding of B2B commercial dynamics and key account management
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets, forecasting, and performance metrics
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams in matrix organisations
• Excellent negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills
• Strategic mindset combined with a hands-on and execution-driven approach
• Strong leadership capabilities with entrepreneurial spirit and change management skills
• Degree-level education (Business, Economics, Management or similar preferred)
• Fluent in English, Italian & Spanish; additional languages are a plus
• High mobility across Southern Europe

What's on Offer

• Opportunity to take full leadership responsibility for a strategic region within an international food company
• High-impact role with direct influence on growth, performance, and organisational development
• Dynamic and entrepreneurial environment with strong values and long-term vision
• Significant career development opportunities within a global organisation

Unless you are applying for positions reserved for protected categories under Law 68/99 (in which case we only ask you to confirm that you belong to these categories, without any further information on your health or disability), your CV must not contain any information relating to your health status or to your belonging to a protected category, as this is not relevant to the assessment of your application.

Contact

Serena Ravasio

Quote job ref

JN-052026-7022441