Business Head - Retail

1. Business Strategy & Commercial Growth  Develop and execute short- and long-term business strategies that support revenue growth, profitability, and market expansion objectives.  Identify and evaluate new business opportunities, including brands, concepts, product categories, and store expansion initiatives to maximize business potential.  Lead annual business planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance management processes, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.  Analyze market trends, customer preferences, competitive activity, and commercial performance to drive strategic decision making and business growth.  Formulate territory, regional, and store-level strategies to improve market penetration, productivity, and financial performance.  Drive profitability through effective management of sales, expenses, inventory investments, and operational costs. 2. Retail Operations & Business Excellence  Direct and oversee all aspects of retail operations, ensuring achievement of business objectives, operational efficiency, and service excellence.  Monitor store productivity, sales performance, inventory management, and operational standards, implementing corrective actions where required.  Ensure stores consistently deliver a premium customer experience aligned with brand standards and company expectations.  Conduct regular business reviews and store visits to assess operational effectiveness, compliance, and execution quality.  Lead turnaround initiatives for underperforming brands or stores, implementing sustainable improvement plans and performance recovery strategies.  Ensure robust stock control, loss prevention measures, and operational governance to protect business assets and profitability. 3. Principal, Stakeholder & Market Management  Build and maintain strong partnerships with brand principals, ensuring alignment with brand vision, operational standards, and commercial objectives.  Act as the key business representative in principal engagements, negotiations, performance reviews, and strategic discussions.  Ensure timely and accurate communication of business performance, market developments, and growth opportunities to key stakeholders.  Establish and maintain a strong external network across landlords, business partners, industry stakeholders, and relevant market influencers.  Support store development initiatives by evaluating locations, business cases, and market opportunities to optimize brand positioning and expansion plans. 4. People Leadership & Organizational Development  Provide strategic leadership and direction to retail, commercial, and support teams to foster a high-performance culture.  Develop workforce plans in partnership with Human Capital to ensure organizational capability aligns with business requirements.  Drive employee engagement, talent development, succession planning, and performance management initiatives across the business.  Coach and develop leadership teams, ensuring strong capability building and retention of high-potential talent.  Lead organizational change initiatives, ensuring effective communication, stakeholder alignment, and seamless implementation. Qualifications & Skills  Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Retail Management, Marketing, or a related field.  8+ years of progressive experience in retail, commercial, or business leadership roles.  Proven track record of driving revenue growth, profitability, and operational excellence within a retail environment.  Strong understanding of P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, and commercial planning.  Experience managing multi-store retail operations and leading cross-functional teams.  Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with brand principals and business partners.  Excellent strategic thinking, analytical, and decision-making capabilities.  Effective leadership, people management, and talent development skills.  Strong communication, negotiation, and influencing abilities.