Managing Director SSA

Job description:

Purpose of the Job

The Managing Director for sub-Saharan Africa holds a key leadership position within the company, leading a key cluster of countries while also establishing new strategic countries within their territory.

 

The Managing Director is accountable for leading the Region as an enabler region to deliver sustainable growth, profitability, and targeted operational excellence, while ensuring alignment with corporate strategy, values, and governance standards.

 

The role requires the ability to operate at the Executive and CEO level, balancing strategic leadership with disciplined execution, and fostering a strong, compliant, and high-performance culture across the region.

Job Description

Geographic Scope

• South Africa
• East Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
• West Africa, including Nigeria and Ghana
• Further development of the regional footprint in line with the company's strategic objectives

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the Global Executive Team, contributing to regional and enterprise-level strategy and decision-making.
• Prepare and present clear, professional updates on regional performance and key developments, including Board presentations as required.
• Exercise sound judgment in high-impact decisions, acting consistently in the best interests of the business.
• Fulfill all directorship responsibilities associated with the role.

• Develop and execute a region-specific strategic roadmap aligned with corporate objectives.
• Define revenue, market share, product, and vertical growth targets based on deep regional market insights.
• Lead the execution of regional and global strategic initiatives.
• Develop priority trade lanes and industry verticals in alignment with the global strategy.

• Hold full profit and loss (P&L) accountability for the region.
• Lead the preparation of regional budgets in accordance with corporate guidelines and timelines.
• Deliver regional profitability targets through disciplined cost management and performance oversight.
• Develop and implement contingency plans to address areas of underperformance proactively.
• Maintain executive-level relationships with key customers and suppliers across the region.

• Define and execute product and pricing strategies aligned with corporate objectives and market dynamics.
• Drive customer acquisition, retention, and sustainable sales growth.
• Protect and enhance the company's brand, reputation, and external relationships.

• Ensure seamless alignment between regional operations and global functional teams.
• Promote consistency in ways of working, knowledge sharing, and strategic execution.
• Foster cross-regional collaboration and the exchange of best practices.

• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including employment, labor, corporate governance, environmental, intellectual property, and data protection requirements.
• Uphold and enforce all global and local policies, procedures, and standards.
• Actively manage financial, operational, regulatory, and reputational risks.
• Maintain the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and corporate responsibility.

• Approve regional budgets and resource allocation within approved governance frameworks.
• Make strategic commercial and operational decisions impacting regional performance.
• Represent the company with key customers, partners, and external stakeholders.

All decisions are exercised within Board-approved strategy, policies, governance requirements, and risk appetite.

Key Stakeholders

• Board of Directors
• Chief Executive Officer
• Global Executive Team
• Regional Leadership Teams
• Key customers, partners, suppliers, and regulatory stakeholders

Measures of Success

• Achievement of regional revenue, profitability, and market share targets.
• Successful execution of strategic and business growth initiatives.
• Strength of leadership capability, succession planning, and organizational culture.
• Effective compliance, governance, and risk management.
• High levels of customer satisfaction and a strong regional brand reputation.

Job Requirements - Experience and Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• MBA or other relevant postgraduate qualification preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in logistics, transportation, supply chain, freight, express, or a related industry, including significant regional/multi-country management responsibility, P&L ownership, and commercial growth leadership.
•  Executive leadership or corporate governance certification is an advantage.
• Senior executive leadership experience within the logistics, transportation, supply chain, freight, express, or related industry.
• Proven track record in regional strategy development and execution across multiple markets.
• Strong experience in budgeting, financial management, and full P&L accountability.
• Proven senior leadership experience driving commercial growth and delivering revenue, margin, and market share targets across complex, multi-country environments.
• Demonstrated ability to translate commercial strategy into measurable financial outcomes, consistently meeting or exceeding business objectives.
• Strong experience aligning operations, supply chain, and service delivery with commercial objectives to ensure customer commitments are delivered reliably and at scale.
• Proven track record of partnering commercial and operational teams to balance customer requirements, cost discipline, and operational feasibility.
• Demonstrated success in leading and developing high-performing leadership teams across diverse geographic and cultural markets.
•  Strong understanding of corporate governance, risk management, compliance, and stakeholder management.

Leadership Behaviors Building Outstanding Teams Setting a clear direction Simplification Collaborate & break silos Execution & Accountability Growth mindset Innovation Inclusion Skills Attention To Details Cross-Functional Collaboration Customer Focus Stakeholder Management Strategic Thinking Time Management Ability To Drive Change Analytical Thinking Ethical Conduct Flexibility And Adaptability Problem Solving And Critical Thinking Strong Negotiation And Influencing Skills

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